If you’re a Jeep driver, you’ve probably heard the saying, “The fun begins where the pavement ends” – well, that is definitely true in Costa Rica! Several of the places we visited involved travelling along miles of unpaved roads, dodging pits and gullies, while bouncing along in our non-Jeep rental car!

One such place that was well off the paved path was the Arenal Observatory Lodge. It is just under 900 acres of absolute beauty – a mixture of rainforests, and waterfalls, and pastures, and wooded areas. It was originally created so that scientists could study the Arenal Volcano for the Smithsonian Institute; now it is a place to explore and marvel and breathe out a satisfying sigh of peace.

From its observation deck, you can see the volcano, though it is usually shrouded in cloud cover…

…as well as neighboring Lake Arenal, the largest lake in the country.

There are tons of trails to explore on the property, with hanging bridges…

…and lovely waterfalls…

…and cool creatures – like this White-nosed Coati, who is in the raccoon family.

And of course, there is an abundance of beautiful birds! We saw several that we had already seen earlier in the week, like the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird…

…and the Yellow-throated Toucan.

But we also saw a few first-timers, like this Dusty-capped Flycatcher…

…and this Brown Jay, who was getting soaked by a passing shower. And can I just say, that when a shower comes in this area, you want to take cover quickly because they come fast and furious!

My favorite sighting of the day was of this Rufous Motmot. Is this not a beautiful bird!!!

It’s so exotic looking. I like the picture below because you can see how cool its tail feather is.

I have to say, we had a truly wonderful day at the Observatory!

If you ever get the chance to travel to La Fortuna, you should definitely put this lodge on your list of places to visit! I promise, the beauty outweighs the bumps!