Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa

Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa

At the base of Arenal Volcano, on the road linking La Fortuna to Lake Arenal, a mineral-rich river flows warm from volcanic ground through tropical gardens, forming waterfalls and pools between 72 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Guests have unlimited access to this thermal river throughout their stay, and it is the only natural one of its kind in the region, a detail that separates Tabacon from the spa resorts scattered around it. The property spans a wide range of rooms and one- and two-bedroom suites, from the Two-Bedroom Arenal Suite with its own dining area and jacuzzi to a Private Pool Suite reserved for adults, complete with a private thermal plunge pool. Five restaurants and bars cover the day: Tucanes for refined à la carte dinners, Bosque Bar for rainforest cocktails, Caña Brava for tapas overlooking the gardens, and Shangri-La Gardens, an adults-only enclave with its own bar and menu. The spa operates from open-air bungalows set into the rainforest, offering massage and treatments alongside a sauna and an on-site doctor. Families are accommodated too, with babysitting, a children's pool, and staff who speak multiple languages, though the adults-only Shangri-La Gardens suggests the resort knows its two audiences don't always want to share a pool. A gym, 24-hour reception, concierge and shuttle service round out the practical side. It suits travellers who want thermal water and rainforest without leaving the grounds, and those chasing city nightlife should look 15 kilometres down the road to La Fortuna instead. Few hotels can claim a river as their spa; here, the volcano supplies it nightly, and nobody has to reheat a thing. At the base of Arenal Volcano, Tabacon runs on its own natural thermal river, the only one of its kind in the region, alongside five restaurants and open-air spa bungalows. It suits travellers wanting rainforest and hot springs on site, less so those craving nightlife nearby.