The Space
We are three hours north of San Jose (airport), 45 minutes east of Fortuna and Volcano Arenal, and the many activities there and nearby.
Guests enjoy 24/day access to our hot springs and trails in our 35 acre rainforest at no extra charge. We do not charge for children 17 and under -- but the Tree House is not appropriate for very young toddlers, for whom a 20 foot fall from the balcony would be very dangerous.
Our hot springs are ancient “deep Earth” sources that bubble up through the rainforest floor, laden with mineral-rich waters that have been in the Earth for at least 10,000 years. Our waters are rich in bicarbonates, calcium and magnesium, low in sulfur, and slightly acidic -- qualities shared by many of the world's best hot springs.
Five of our 9 organic form hot springs pools are located in the rainforest, and 4 hot springs pools as well as a small and a large cool spring swimming pool are located in a meadow, surrounded by rainforest (see below for more information).
Parents of young children should evaluate whether the height of the Tree House is safe and appropriate for their children.There are railings around the balcony that surround the Tree House but a determined child could climb over them and fall or a very small child could crawl through the spaces in the railing. Every child is individual and their parents must use their best judgment and assume any risk.
The Tree House is built to strict Costa Rican building codes, but as with all tree houses, there is some movement when the wind blows, and this could be uncomfortable for people very sensitive to motion sickness.
You may see our other listings on Airbnb at:
Tucano Casita (Toucan Casita) is listed as "Rainforest Casita with Hot Springs": airbnb.com/rooms/30358
Mariposa Casita (Butterfly Casita) is listed as "Rainforest Casita2 with Hot Springs" airbnb.com/rooms/51518
Colibri Casita (Hummingbird Casita) is listed as "Rainforest Casita3 with Hot Springs"
airbnb.com/rooms/1896911
Tree House: "Rainforest Tree House with Hot Springs" airbnb.com/rooms/50435
You can check availability of each accommodation by clicking on the "Calendar" tab above the main photo on each listing.
Tree House features: (see floor-plan for all details):
• Perched high among the rainforest trees, the Tree House has large screened areas for circulation of naturally cooler breezes. It also has fans.
• All onsite hot springs and recreation activities included, including 24 hour access to the hot springs and cool spring swimming pools
• The Master bedroom with a Queen sized bed with orthopedic mattress and hypoallergenic bedding is in a loft
• One the main floor, two twin-sized beds that can double as settees with hypoallergenic bedding
• Hand-crafted rustic furniture from naturally harvested trees on the land
• Main floor kitchen with refrigerator, micro-wave, coffee maker, basic kitchenware
• Bathroom with flash on-demand hot-water heater
• Wrap around balcony for relaxing and animal and bird watching
• Maid service every 3 days included
• Laundry service at extra charge per load
• Short walk to rainforest and hot springs pools
• No telephone or television
• WiFi internet for your laptop -- if reliable 24 hour internet is essential to you, please message us for suggestions.
• Hosts Kathy and Bernie live onsite
• Languages: English, Spanish, German, limited French
One time $10 cleaning fee; thereafter housecleaning services every 3 days are (website hidden) Thermales Hot Springs features:
• Our hot springs pools are all-natural mineral water just as it flows from the Earth
• Rainforest Pools from 90° - 105°F (31° - 40°C)
• Grotto Pools in meadow flow from the 112°F/45°C source pool onward into two larger and progressively cooler pools which are handicap-accessible and suitable for small children.
• Cool Pool in meadow is 90°F/31°C mineral water flowing from the thermal creek
• 2 Swimming pools with continuous flow of natural cold spring water (88 degrees) - one is 1 to 1.5 meters deep, and the larger is 3 meters deep.
• Bathhouse in meadow with handicap accessible bathrooms and showers
• “Ranchos” – roofed tables with concrete floors and grills for picnics
Other Activities on our 35 acre rainforest reserve:
• Bird-watching: many types of toucans, oropendulas, parrots, hummingbirds, and the rare green macaw
• Rainforest: enjoy it from the casita porch or hot springs pools, take easy walks on paths or more adventurous hikes
• Fossils – enjoy our collection or hunt (gently) for your own
• Wildlife: two-toed sloths, iguanas, capuchin and mantled howler monkeys, tree frogs, birds, butterflies, and many others.
We are a 45 minute drive from the many activities in Fortuna and Volcano Arenal -- such as ziplines, hanging bridges, white water rafting, slow river floats or kayaking through wildlife sanctuaries -- or 20 minutes from the less trodden cloud forest of Juan Castro Blanco National (website hidden) Thermales Hot Springs is open to the public for day use of the hot springs, and most of our day visitors are Costa Ricans, so you may also meet new Tico (website hidden) Thermales is generally not crowded, however, except on major holidays and Sundays.
Food/Meals: The Tree House has a kitchen. There are many restaurants and a good supermarket within a 15 minute drive. Traditional Costa Rican meals can be delivered from a local caterer for very reasonable prices (Costa Rican food is tasty but not spicy). Otherwise, for those without cars, we can call a taxi or synchronize a food shopping trip when we go to town for errands.
Driving from SJO airport: Please message us before booking if we are your first and/or last destination in Costa Rica.
We recommend at least a small 4 wheel drive car. The last 3 kilometers are country roads.
Three hours of daylight are needed to safely drive here from the SJO airport before sunset at 5:30 pm. The drive through mountainous cloud forests is splendid in daylight, but prone to fog and rain, especially at night, creating hazardous visibility conditions after dark. Finding our countryside location will also be far easier if you arrive the first time before sunset. If your plane lands in the morning to noon, you can drive here directly from the airport. Otherwise, it is safer to book a room near the airport on your first night, or ask us to book a private driver ($145) and have a rental car delivered at no extra charge.
Last night in Costa Rica:
Driving directly to the SJO airport on the same day is possible if you book a flight in the afternoon. Please be aware that you must be at the airport 2.5 hours before departure. If you have an early morning departing flight it is basically necessary to stay near the airport on the night before.
Guest Access
Five of our 9 organic form hot springs pools are located in the rainforest, and 4 hot springs pools as well as a small and a large cool spring swimming pool are located in a meadow, surrounded by rainforest and one cool fresh spring pool in the rainforest (see below for more information). Tree House guests enjoy 24 hour hot springs pools and 35 acres of rainforest access at no charge.
Interaction with Guests
We enjoy interacting with our guests and making suggestions for and even help book activities in the area, as well as options for transportation. For personal interaction, we take our cues from our guests -- if they prefer privacy, we respect that; if they enjoy interaction, we are open to interaction and have met many delightful new friends in this way. If we are away, our Costa Rican manager, Johan, moves into our house with his lovely wife and baby daughter, so there is always a manager onsite.
