El Silencio Lodge & Spa

Rooms

Love of the local environment has influenced everything about the design of these comfortable and spacious Suites and Villas. They're all similar in design, and set on the hillside above the main reception, offering a perfect view of forest and mountains. Each unit has a private entrace and terrace, hot tub and cosy living area with a fire to cosy up to on a rainy evening.

Inside, natural materials abound, with polished hardwood floors and headboards, and woven bamboo lining the pitched roof. Huge picture windows bring in vast and vivid views of trees, ferns and birds flitting around, so that you always feel connected to the outdoors.

Beds are either extra-large doubles, doubles or singles, and very comfortable – with feather pillows and the softest Egyptian cotton linen.

And the bathrooms are particularly stylish - large, with rainhead showers, polished stone walls and floors and twin basins. Luxury toiletries complete the feeling of being pampered. There’s also a complimentary minibar and a coffee maker (which does tea too). as well as a TV, WiFi, a safe, bathrobes and a hairdryer too.

Best of all, the terrace outside every Suite and Villa has a hot tub or jacuzzi that's wonderful at night or watching the sun kiss the hillside in the early hours of the morning.

The excellent service even extends to getting around the property. the 5-minute walk down to the main area would drench you in heavy rain, just pick up the phone and someone will come to collect you in the electric golf buggy.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Everything you eat at El Silencio has something special about it. Dishes give Costa Rican ingredients some global recognition and sophistication - such as the peach palm (somewhere between a sweet potato, a macadamia nut and a water chestnut) which filled our ravioli - but also to recreate international dishes with a local twist.

The food makes the most of the hotel’s organic kitchen garden and locally grown produce, and draws on other culinary cultures. Everything is beautifully presented, making creative use of edible local flowers such as the delicate garnish of nasturtiums on our ravioli of beetroot: orange sitting next to vivid deep red. The result is unique, sophisticated, and visually delightful.

At dinner, we loved the rich, almost piquant broccoli soup, and the El Silencio salad with delicious organic vegetables and a fragrant lime coriander dressing. Los Bajos Chorreada crepes with sautéed vegetables were good, the chicken kebab really superb. Stay here for a few days and you’ll feel healthy and cleansed - without suffering. An excellent list of Chilean wines is available to buy from; soft drinks and juices are included in the rates.

Breakfast is a treat, with some surprises. We loved the lassi with garam masala, ginger and fresh fruit, and the power shake with fresh fruit and granola. Costa Rican staple gallo pinto burrito is delicious here, as are the multi-grain pancakes with fruit and maple syrup.

The dining area is a long, glass-walled wing of the main reception area, with attractive rattan chairs and woven grass mats on the polished tables. Service is excellent and there’s a little stove to keep you warm on chilly evenings in the 'green' season. It’s wonderful gazing out at forest and the river as you eat; breakfast on the deck, any time of year, is an uplifting way to start the day.

If all this elegant food becomes too much, the staff recommend you try dinner at one of the very informal local eateries in the nearby hamlet of Bajos del Toro.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Organic produce

Activities

• Stroll up the trails to see 3 waterfalls tumbling through rainforest: your eco-concierge can accompany you and tell you all about the rich plant and bird-life. The first is gurgling La Melodia, the second is (inappropriately) El Silencio, and the third is named La Promesa, after someone had a vision of a bridal couple here. Honeymooners won’t be the only ones to find it extremely romantic
  
• El Silencio is Monteverde cloudforest without going to Monteverde - you can see quetzals here in April and May, as well as many other exotic species
  
• Plant a tree and be given a certificate. Your trees will be looked after - a great way to mitigate the impact of getting into a plane and coming here
  
• Book into the Esencia Spa as soon as you arrive: conducted with ritual care, my 'El Silencio Purifying Revival Massage' with Fatima was without doubt one of the best I’ve ever had, enhanced by the magically designed conical room which, the architect/owner claims, channels the rainforest’s energy. Indulge in facial treatments for all skin types, using natural local ingredients, and body wraps with tropical fruit, local volcanic mud or coffee
  
• Try a yoga class in the superb open-sided space in the spa (available on request only)
  
• UNESCO named Sarchí (30 minutes from here) as a world heritage site for its handicrafts and brightly painted traditional ox carts, created when Costa Rica started to export coffee and bananas. Today it’s a pretty commercial place, but worth a trip if you want to ship home leather and hardwood rocking chairs, which you might. Also here is a botanical garden and you can go on a tour of the Naranjo coffee cooperative owned by over 200 people
  
• El Silencio’s land makes an important biological corridor between Juan Castro Blanco National Park and Poás National Park. After a scenic drive through coffee plantations and pastures with grand views, you’ll reach the Volcano. From the car park it’s a 5-minute walk to one of the world’s largest active craters and there are great views over to the Caribbean and the Pacific.
  
• Just an hour away is Sarapiquí, offering white-water rafting, canopy walks, zip wires and horse riding, and a totally different climate. Your eco concierge can come with you at no extra charge
  
• The Arenal volcano is worth the long day trip - it’s 1 and 1/2 hours from here - but the hotel tour includes the Tabacón hot springs and dinner

  Activities on site or nearby include:

  • Birdwatching
  • Cooking classes
  • Hiking
  • Horse riding
  • Plantlife / flora
  • Private guided tours
  • Rafting
  • Shopping / markets
  • Traditional cultures
  • Well being
  • Wildlife
  • Yoga
  • Zip-wiring

Kids

Children and teens with a keen interest in nature are welcome. However, we don't think it's an ideal place for families with very young children, due to the closeness of fast-moving water and the overall tranquil vibe.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

The Two Bedroom Villas are the best option as they have a double and a twin bedroom, as well as 2 single daybeds. Suites are also well set up for families, with 2 single daybeds in addition to the kingsize double (note that only 2 children under 12 can be accommodated per Suite). All have a private hot tub – fun for older kids.

Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 90 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

El Silencio is situated deep in the cloudforest in the Bajos del Toro area of central Costa Rica. It's a 90-minute drive from capital city San José.

By Air:
Arenal/La Fortuna (60km) is the closest airport if you're taking a domestic flight from elsewhere in Costa Rica, but most guests come straight from their international flight into San José Juan Santamaria International (75km) from their international flight and take a transfer to the Lodge. Some charter flights to Costa Rica land at Liberia (250km), from there you can take a domestic flight to San José. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving this airport.

By Transfers:
El Silencio can arrange transfers from the airport in San José - see Rates - as well as transfers from other hotels in San José (price on demand). The journey takes about 90 minutes.

By Car
El Silencio is only 90 minutes away from San José, and most of the roads are paved so it's worth considering hiring a car and driving yourself - especially if you want to get out and about to explore. Check our car rental recommendations and choose a 4-wheel drive, especially if you're travelling to more remote destinations afterwards.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

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