Location
Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica

Set high on a verdant mountainside at an elevation of 4,200 feet, Hotel Fonda Vela is surrounded by cloud forest with magnificent views of the Gulf of Nicoya far below. Spacious rooms feature floor-to-ceiling view windows, beautiful tropical hardwood floors and gleaming wood ceilings. Individually decorated, each room is appointed with two queen beds, en suite bath, mini bar, coffee maker, cable TV and telephone. More than a mile of maintained nature trails surround the lodge, which sits on 35 landscaped acres of private land. Guests often see parrots and toucans that come to feed in the wild fruit trees, and during certain months, opportunities are excellent to spot the resplendent quetzal and three-wattled bellbird. Guests can relax in the indoor/outdoor swimming pool and two Jacuzzis, or play pool and ping pong on the terrace. Two restaurants and two bars offer a variety of settings for dining and enjoying a beverage overlooking the gardens, fireplace or pool.

The Hotel Fonda Vela is dedicated to environmental responsibility, utilizing sustainably sourced products in its construction and operations. Among its numerous eco-conscious practices are these: the hotel's roofing material is made of recycled plastic, solar panels heat water in several of the buildings, laundry is done with ecologically friendly detergents, wastewater is isolated in a drainage system that protects local rivers and creeks, and a 20-year reforestation project has replanted numerous local tree species on the land surrounding the lodge.

For Nov 2018 to Aug 2019 trips only.