Checking Into Río Perdido

Words Ashley Bowling | Photos Will Bowling & Eric Morales

Arriving at Río Perdido Thermal River Hotel feels a bit like arriving on the scene of Jurassic Park. The soaring wooden vaulted ceiling and exposed trusses of the open-air main lodge and dining room instantly take you back to a place in childhood where the dramatic theme song plays as the cast enters an untapped world ready to explore.

This eco-lodge is the only building on property that peeks beyond the rough foliage of the 1,500 acre reserve. Stand-alone suites are hidden within the dwarf forest, connected by well-lit paths—each with their own private getaway with floor to ceiling jungle views, some with outdoor showers.

“This was no accident,” says Gabriel Saragovia, founder of Río Perdido. Coming from a lineage of architects and designers, Gabriel had each of the 30+ bungalows and the main lodge designed to fit within the existing forest’s ecosystem without disturbing their indigenous environments. It’s obvious upon walking the grounds that “life finds a way,” and this eco-conscious team has respected the way of life.

Flowing in perfect harmony with the sounds of growler monkeys and chirping songbirds, two rivers collide below the lodge perched on a cliff. Hidden within foliage, the masculine energy of Río Blanco and the feminine energy of the peaceful thermal waters with eight hot springs flow to eventually intertwine in rhythm. The result is crystal clear waters along a rocky riverbed where the soothing thermal pools vary from uber hot to warm, absolutely perfect for a long secluded mineral-rich bath. While just upstream from the soft spring waters, you can swim in the cooler Río Blanco. This thermo-river gorge draws energy from deep magma flows of the majestic Miravalles Volcano. In fact, making a day trip to Miravalles Volcano, Llanos del Cortés Waterfalls, Volcano Tenorio’s Río Celeste, or rafting the Tenorio River is highly suggested.

Yet, there really is no reason to leave Río Perdido if you don’t want to. The local and friendly team has thoughtfully curated every detail of the stay from an elevated dining experience to craft cocktails at the mineral-rich (warm, hot, and cold) pools that connect to the pool bar and hug the lodge. You can indulge in relaxing activities from cliff-side yoga to bird watching hikes to calming spa treatments. For the outdoor enthusiasts, they offer a mountain biking circuit and arguably the best zip lining experience and white-water tubing adventure in Costa Rica.

Referred to as the Canyoning Adventure, the team of canyoning experts guide thrillists through a series of zip lines that scale the gorge of the Río Blanco canyon. Blue waters rush below as we glide through the air on a series of cables that begin (and end) at the lodge without somehow seeing any other guests on our voyage. Our group of three has three guides and one photographer to ensure our safety the entire time and to also document our thrilling adventure of swinging through the stunning canyon like Tarzan over suspension bridges, an actual “Tarzan swing,” scaling rock formations, and soaring above tree canopies.

If you visit during rainy season, the rushing waters of Río Blanco canyon offer another thrilling adventure: white water tubing. Guides again help you safely transverse the river on inner tubes through several intense rapids, revealing the canyon’s magic once more. Other parts on the river allow you to leisurely float along narrowing canyon walls where echos of mammals become louder and daylight becomes scarce.

Though just an hour drive from the Liberia airport, the secluded luxury of Río Perdido offers a simple practice in Costa Rica’s legendary motto: “Pura Vida.”