La Paz Peace Lodge & Waterfall Gardens & Poas Volcano

In our “rent-a-wreck” Geo Tracker, with more than 150,000 miles already logged on it, we left San Jose and set off for Peace Lodge and the La Paz Waterfalls. We had been given loose directions, which included, “when you get to Alajuela, turn right at the big white church.

If you get lost, ask anyone the way.” The reason for this last sentence, thrown in almost an afterthought, was two-fold…there are absolutely no road signs in Costa Rica that we could ever find, and there was a road on both sides of the church.

Taking first one, then the other, and not finding the next landmark as directed, we headed back to the church and did as we were told — asked directions. By this time the weather was giving the “rainy season” its name in spades, and people walking quickly by our bright turquoise toy car simply shrugged and moved on.

Nothing to do but pick a road and follow our noses up the mountain in what we hoped was the right direction. As we were applauding our adventuresome spirit, we approached a sharp turn on a steep hill, and cars started to charge past us at a dangerously fast pace. Fast on their heels, surging around the corner, we saw just in time a 2-foot high wave of mud and rocks.

We hurriedly ground gears, backed Mario Andretti-style into a side street, and barely miss being consumed by the mass. Sitting in shock for several minutes, we regained our breath and nerve, then onward and upward we climbed, albeit in a different direction.

An hour or so later, we almost passed the parking entrance to the lodge, which tumbles down through the jungle growth on the steep side of a sharp bend in the road. Peace Lodge is located in the La Paz Waterfall Gardens complex, all owned by Americans, Lee and Cindy Banks.

This huge “campus” is an active vacationer’s paradise, complete with a serpentarium, ranarium (frogs), an enclosed football field-sized natural-habitat butterfly preserve and another for hummingbirds where you can feed them from a hand-held nectar tube. There trout fishing ponds from where you can catch your own dinner for the chef to prepare, trails along a river to its 5 waterfalls, outdoor seating areas, some with bars, plus 3 restaurants, one open to tourists not staying at the Lodge.

All of this and more is there for your enjoyment if you can manage to leave your room, which is a large “cabin” built to blend into its surroundings. From the king-size lodge-pole bed dressed with mosquito netting and luxurious linens, to the sound system, to the rocking loveseat in front of the stone gas fireplace (which can be programmed to go off after you go to sleep), the main room is perfect.

Then there is the bathroom…two hand-painted sinks, grotto-like waterfall shower large enough for two, Jacuzzi and romantic tree-branch chandelier with dimmer switch. Where we spent most of our downtime, however, was the balcony. Each is completely private, faces the jungle-mountains, has a hammock, and a second Jacuzzi. Add a bottle of wine and you have heaven.

Once you are well-sated on all Peace Lodge has to offer, take the time to make the short drive to Volcán Poás. Towering to the north of Alajuela, the massive volcano is covered with a verdant quilt of farms and topped by a dark gray-green shawl of cloud forest. A paved road really does lead all the way from Alajuela to its 8,800-foot summit, winding past coffee fields, patches of forest, pastures, fern farms, and increasingly spectacular views of the Central Valley.

Most of the volcano’s southern slope is covered with coffee plantations, which, trust me, you can NOT get to under your our personal reconnaissance by simply following the tour signs! Take an official tour if you really want to see coffee grown and processed. The higher altitudes, too cold for that crop, hold massive screened-in fern and flower nurseries, neat rows of strawberries, and the light green pastures of dairy farms. Only the volcano’s upper slopes and summit are still covered by cloud forest.

The road forks at Poasito, not far from the summit, where the left route leading to Poás Volcano National Park, the right towards the intersection of Vara Blanca. At Vara Blanca, you can turn left to the Waterfall Gardens or continue ahead winding your way to Heredia.

Within Volcán Poás National Park, a paved path leads from the visitor center to an area directly across from the active crater. The crater is nearly a mile across and 1,000 feet deep, making it one of the largest in the world. Voluminous plumes of yellow-gray sulfurous smoke rise from several points around its inner rim.

Visitors are kept from descending into unsafe territory by sturdy steel tubing fences along a series of tiered “patios” from which viewing and picture taking are a delight. With its proximity to San Jose, it is a popular spot, particularly since it has accommodations for handicapped persons, and gets quite crowded, especially on Sundays. It’s not the place to go to commune with nature in solitude, but it is definitely worth seeing.

There is a steep half-mile trail from the Poás crater that wends through the jungle another 20 minutes for a view of the Lake Botos Crater, which is filled with beautiful, but non-hospitable acid-laced, teal-blue water. This is a much less populated spot and worth the additional energy required to reach its altitude.

We set off reluctantly after several days of splendor onto our next destination, Monte Verde. We thought the worst of the driving was behind us, but what we hadn’t counted on was the muffler of our intrepid little car snapping in two. At this point, being quite the adventurers, we found a phone in one of the 5 little houses in the area (cell reception is nil), and didn’t even get upset when the rental car person on the phone basically said, “too bad, you’re on your own”.

Using what Spanish we could muster between us, we cajoled some local field hands into helping us, and, after they put us back together with bailing wire they scrounged off the side of the road, we were off again…this time a bit more slowly and noisily.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens 

Guest Room Rates range from US$395 – US$550 in Standard & Deluxe Rooms from low to peak season, and from US$605 – US$925 for a villa. Rooms do not include breakfast (which has the best fruit on earth) but do included unlimited access to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park. (campus layout from website)

Written by VIP Members Thomas Lera and Sandra Fitzgerald.

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.