Nepenthe B&B

Nepenthe B&B is a lovely slice of paradise. The view from our room was absolutely incredible and we loved sitting on our porch looking for monkeys, toucans and hummingbirds.
The drive up to hill is a bit tricky, but definitely doable with a regular SUV (we did not have all-wheel drive). You can also walk to the bottom of the hill where there’s a nice restaurant and a small supermarket.
I also got a massage with Fabian, which was fantastic and very reasonably priced.
Highly recommend staying in this peaceful and beautiful place!

2 star? It should be a luxurious 5 star. The remoteness of where it is located was nothing but refreshing. The way up to this boutique hotel requires use of a 4x4 vehicle or lots of guts. The rooms were super comfortable and high-end. I thought I was dreaming the whole time. Lying in your bed and looking outside your window, you will see the Arenal Volcano, a gigantic serene fresh water lake. There are so many beautiful hummingbirds in the area that you may get bored of them after-awhile!! They have massage services available as well. Did I mention that the views of the Volcano at this place are far superior to the views of the actual Arenal Volcano National Park? Now, the restaurant and their staff are fantastic as well. The infinity pool and its location to absolutely stunning views also cannot be ignored! I cannot say enough about this place (I almost felt like not posting since I want it to be my little secret spot). Go there now, you will not regret it!

Our large villa was improved. Two families with children can actually live there) Everything is very old, but the views are extremely beautiful and everything is very nice. The price is small for such a shop around. There is a small restaurant there with delicious food and excellent service.

While the start of the road up, there is a little rough. It has great views and nice quiet scenery.

WiFi is good (strong and quick enough for video calls) in rooms and restaurant

A great way to experience the scenic majesty of Costa Rica. The drive up is 'a bit thrilling', to say the least. You will need a vehicle with some torque. The hotel has probably the best view of any in the entire valley, each room has a private patio surrounded by flowers, birds, and even howler monkeys, the pool is great, the staff are extraordinarily friendly, the restaurant is a treasure. The road needs to be graded, the rooms are adequate, the mattresses need to be upgraded.

Update: Nepenthe offers the best massage for the best value in Costa Rica, if not anywhere. Fabian offers a full range of spa treatments and packages for great prices. Stay at Nepenthe for the spa and the view together.

Nepenthe is up a non paved road ( get a driver or a 4 wheel drive vehicle) overlooking Lake Arenal and the Arenal volcano. Even our driver said it has the best view - which is absolutely gorgeous !! Hosts Gordon and Nancy make everyone feel welcome. All the staff - Joel and Fabian( also the masseuse) in the office, Juan, Luisa and Rosa in the restaurant, do their utmost to care for the guests. It's not the Ritz (and not the $$$), but the rooms are clean and the beds are comfortable, and you can't beat the view. Listen to the birds🦜and monkeys🐒, have a drink and watch the sunset. Highly recommend, plan on returning.

We stayed at Nepenthe for 5 days and it was truly a magical experience!
The views were amazing and the staff was so friendly and helpful! There is nothing like going for a dip in the pool and taking in the views and nature.
We loved starting our mornings at The Phoenix with a wonderful breakfast before we headed out for our adventure for the day. By the end of our stay we felt like family ❤ we were truly sad to leave and will definitely be planning another trip!

Friendly and helpful staff, good food comfortable rooms in a superb location with stunning views and manicured garden attracting many birds.

We arrived at Nephente in the evening, just in time to see the most amazing sunset. There were no clouds even though it was so high up and La Fortuna tends to get cloudy.

TIP: It's absolutely worth to check out Phoenix Restaurant at Nepenthe. It is located on the grounds of Nepenthe and they serve a daily dinner menu with handmade food and fresh local ingredients. The owners are super friendly.

We tried their famous pizza and it was delicious!

The views from this hotel are incredible! There is literally no cabana that doesn't have an amazing view of the lake and mountains. The scenery is lush and green with amazing amenities. Wonderful soaps in the shower will make you smell like a fruit smoothie and the spacious beds will lull you to sleep no matter how buzzed you are from the days activities. The morning breakfasts are incredible and filling, I wish I knew how they made their pancakes because they are outta sight! The staff are very friendly, speak English well, and are always helpful with making recommendations or helping you book activities. I could not have had a better time at this hotel and HIGHLY recommend it to anyone looking for a place to stay in the area. I'm planning on coming back with my parents next time as I know they'd love it!

We love this place. It's a hidden gem with amazing lake and jungle views. We wake up to spetacular views every morning. There are lots of birds including toucans. It's secluded on a mountain top so no noises and city lights.

We love to cook our own vegan food using local produce. There are some basic supplies for minimum cooking; for more involved cooking needs, it was a bit challenging. Some units have gas burners.

Super clean and tidy. The service staff Fabien and Jose are amazingly helpful. They were quick at responding to our questions including providing us with a large cooking pot.

I wasn’t sure if our little rental car was going to make it up the hill to Nepenthe. I strongly advise getting there before the sun goes down.

But once you’ve arrived, you’ll be entering a miniature paradise. Our room opened courtside too a beautiful infinity pool, casual sitting area and a view of the lagos that will take your breath away. The whole place is built for relaxation.

Inside, the room was spacious and comfortable. Hot water and water pressure was an issue, but that’s common in Costa Rica.

There a great hot tub and lots to do in the area. Recommend hiking around Arenal!

Will return here someday! 😊

From the customer service to the views, this place is a hidden gem!! We rented villa #13 and It has to die for view of the lake and volcano. It is cleaned every day - they even wash our dishes. We are woken up to the sound of howling monkeys and the exotic birds sounds. Joel is the sweetest and most helpful personal we could wish for ( thank you!). They have breakfast included which is different every day and is a full breakfast that is actually serveved to you. Their pool is amazing and they also have a hot tub. We are definitely coming back!

Great view, worth the extra driving uphill! It's nice to have such a quiet place near La Fortuna. The owner couple and their staff are very friendly and helpful.
They have nice breakfast, the nearby Phoenix restaurant cooks delicious diner with reasonable price. The quality is better than we expected.
The room was clean and equipped with a small refig + a kitchenette, so you could cook your own food if you stay longer.

Very friendly staff and owner that do not hesitate to help out, recommend places and make you feel very Welcome. The rooms are clean, spaceous enough and very fair priced. In the morning you can hear monkeys screaming, you can see lots of tucans and other birds. I would go there again anytime.

For the drive up, we had a small chevy beat, and it worked out. No need for 4x4 or SUV (only if it rains, then it might be helpful). If you get stuck, I believe the staff would be there in 5 min to pull you uphill.

Very great experience! Love the view onto the Lake!

This is a Solid 5 stars!!!!

This is a beautiful and quiet little place up in the mountains that overlooked a lake and is a beautiful place to take a vacation. Close by is a beautiful Volcano and beautiful scenery excellent for bird watchers

Really friendly staff, the breakfast was great with an amazing view. Really enjoyed dinner at the restaurant, and the massage and jacuzzi were a great way to relax. The room was fine and had everything we needed. The drive from La Fortuna is long (around an hour). A 4x4 is most likely necessary, but we did see cars using the road. The road is very bumpy, has lots of pot holes, and can take a long time. Not necessarily a bad thing, just something to know going in.

If customer service and the most beautiful view you have ever seen is important to you this is where you should stay when in the La Fortuna area. Everything is relatively close once you learn the lay of the land. Gordon and Nancy are the owners whom gave us a personal tour of the local area after having a cooked to order breakfast for us. They were very accommodating with breakfast even when having to leave early for excursions. Good people sharing their slice of this Pura Vida heaven.

The food was incredible and the service was even better. We ordered an appetizer with avocado (the avocado and palm heart salad) and without even mentioning that they were out of avocado, about ten minutes later a gentleman shows up on a dirt bike with two avocados and then boom the salad arrives. The service was remarkable, they truly went the extra mile even the cooks came out to check on our food and were very gracious with our overwhelming compliments. The pineapple chicken is still my favorite meal in Costa Rica. Don't hit the Arenal area without trying this place out. Doesn't hurt that the views are also breathtaking.

Nicely secluded yet accesible to La Fortuna and the tourist activities. By far the most peaceful place we've stayed in CR. The staff is outstanding. Breakfast is excellent. The casitas have ample spacw and felt homey.
The grounds are beautiful with an awe-inspiring view of Lake Arenal.
Do have a 4WD to get there and be prepared to relax with nature.