Hideaway Rio Celeste, Tenorio, Costa Rica

Hideaway Rio Celeste is a beautiful boutique hotel in the rainforest beside Tenorio Volcano National Park, home to one of Costa Rica's natural wonders: the Río Celeste, a river of startling, milky turquoise. With guest ratings among the highest in the country, an outdoor pool with hot tubs, a full spa and the famous waterfall just a few kilometres away, it is a peaceful, romantic base in a less-visited corner of Costa Rica.

Location: Tenorio, Costa Rica

The hotel stands in the rainforest near the village of Katira, about three kilometres from the Río Celeste waterfall and close to the entrance of Tenorio Volcano National Park, in northern Costa Rica. The river's extraordinary colour is created by an optical effect, as sunlight scatters off tiny mineral particles where two volcanic streams meet. The park's trails pass bubbling hot springs, the Blue Lagoon and the 'Teñideros', where the colour appears. Liberia airport is the nearest international gateway.

The area around Tenorio is one of the quietest corners of Costa Rica, a land of volcanoes, cattle farms and forest. Nearby, the Tapir Valley reserve offers a rare chance to see Baird's tapirs at dusk, and the hot springs around Miravalles volcano are a short drive away. Many travellers combine Rio Celeste with the beaches of Guanacaste or with Arenal.

Rooms at Hideaway Rio Celeste

Rooms are spacious and luxurious, with high ceilings, Egyptian cotton sheets, down duvets and views of the gardens and rainforest. The style blends warm wood with contemporary comfort, and the atmosphere is calm and romantic.

The hotel is small enough to feel personal, and staff are known for their warmth and helpfulness. Its location means guests can reach the national park early in the morning, before the day visitors arrive, when the trails are quiet and the wildlife most active.

Facilities at Hideaway Rio Celeste

There is an outdoor pool with three hot tubs, a lazy river and a pool bar, as well as a full-service spa offering massages, facials and aromatherapy. Kantala restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and room service is available around the clock. The hotel can arrange guided hikes in the national park, birdwatching, tubing on the river and visits to local farms.

The mountain moment

The Rio Celeste moment is the first sight of the waterfall, plunging into a pool of impossible, electric blue in the middle of the green rainforest. After the hike, a soak in the hotel's hot tubs as the forest fills with birdsong is the perfect reward.

In the evening, the forest around the hotel fills with the calls of frogs and night birds, and dinner on the terrace, with the volcano's silhouette fading into the darkness, is a peaceful end to the day.

On the trail, the river's colours shift from pale turquoise to deep blue, and the steaming hot springs, bubbling up from the volcano, are a reminder of the forces beneath the forest.

Why Hideaway Rio Celeste is one of the best mountain hotels

Hideaway Rio Celeste earns its place for its setting, its excellent guest ratings and its sense of peace, in a region far quieter than Arenal or Monteverde. It is remote, and the weather is often wet. But for couples and nature lovers, it is a hidden gem.

For Arenal volcano, see Nayara Tented Camp.

Two nights is enough to hike to the waterfall, explore the national park and enjoy the pool and spa, and Rio Celeste fits neatly between Arenal and the beaches of Guanacaste, both a few hours away. Wear sturdy shoes, as the park trails can be muddy and steep, and bring a light rain jacket and insect repellent. Arrive at the park early in the morning, when it opens, for the quietest trails and the best light on the water.

When to go to Hideaway Rio Celeste

Costa Rica's dry season, from December to April, brings the most sunshine and is the busiest and most expensive time to visit. The green season, from May to November, brings afternoon rain, lush landscapes, fewer visitors and lower prices; mornings are often clear. Wildlife is excellent all year. The river's colour is at its most vivid on sunny days after dry weather; after heavy rain it can turn cloudy.

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