Costa Rica Guide

travel information and maps

  • Vacation Planning
  • Best Trips Ever>>
  • More Fun Than Humanly Possible
  • Costa Rica
    • Top Ten
    • Best Time to Visit Costa Rica
    • Things To Do in Costa Rica
    • Maps
    • Transportation
      • Rental Cars
        • Advantages of Driving
        • Disadvantages Driving
        • Code of the Road
        • Navigation & Drive Time
        • Rental Insurance Explained
        • Can’t Get There
      • Airports
        • Flights Worth Taking
        • LIR or SJO
        • Airfare Deals
        • Domestic Airlines
        • Domestic Air Tips
      • Taxis
      • Bus Schedule
    • Food
      • Typical Menu
      • Batidos & Refrescos
      • Gallo Pinto
      • Tamales
      • Ceviche
      • Ensalada Palmito
      • Sopa Negra
      • Vinagre Chilera
    • Weather
      • Seasons in Costa Rica
      • Current Storms in Costa Rica
    • Regions
  • Nature & Wildlife
    • National Parks
    • Wildlife Refuges
    • Ecozones
    • Best Places to See Wildlife in Costa Rica
  • Practical Info
    • Health & Safety
      • Health Tips
        • Altitude Sickness
        • Chikungunya
        • Natural Disasters
      • Crime
        • Cons & Rip-offs
        • Corruption
        • Violent Crime
    • Will My Phone Work?
    • Packing List
    • Passports & Docs
    • Money – How To?
    • How Much Does it Cost?
    • Travel Tips
  • Stories
    • Photos
    • Trek Across Costa Rica
    • Sendero de Oro
    • Quebrada Gata
    • Bicycle Touring
    • About Us
  • Move to Costa Rica
  • Free Travel Pack
no obligation custom trip plan & price quote

1-866-816-0197

· Copyright © 2023 ·

Río Perdido Thermal Spa

note – since a version of this article first appeared the management contacted us and modified their website and marketing materials to make it clearer that their “Canyon Adventure” is a zip-line tour where you don’t get wet and not typical canyoneering…we’ve modified accordingly.

A view from the restaurant down on one of the pools at Rio PerdidoThe architecture is impressive, the locker rooms are the nicest in Costa Rica, the food is excellent, the staff is professional and the setting on a dry forest bluff above the confluence of the Río Blanco and Río Agua Caliente (“Río Perdido”) is stunning which should add up to a perfect review.

Almost.  You know the feeling when the waiter says “Oh, I’m sorry monsieur but this morning we do not have the Blue Point Crab Benedict,” and you have to settle for scrambled eggs.  Well imagine they sent you a brochure announcing their amazing new eggs Benedict and you got up at 5:00 am to travel two hours to get in line to try it…

A Fun and Unique Zip-Line Tour

We love canyoning (aka canyoneering – rappelling, climbing, and scrambling and even swimming or floating down a canyon) and were bit disappointed to find a zip-line course instead. Their original brochures and other marketing touted “aerial canyoning” with photos that made it look like someone is rappelling down a waterfall (doesn’t happen on the actual tour and the image has been removed from what we see now).

Zip-line Rio Perdido
Zip-line Rio Perdido

An employee told us that they intentionally designed their marketing efforts to imply there is canyoneering because it sounds better than “just another zip-line.”  It is a zip-line tour but the setting in the canyon, a tarzan swing and some traverses make it a unique one.

Since we visited when they first opened they’ve also added a white water inner-tubing tour which would be the perfect way to get into the water to cool off after riding the cables above.

Río Agua Caliente “Río Perdido”

The hot river was beautiful and had a number of pools along almost a kilometer of trail – you have to “hike” to get to the natural hot spring water but there are also warm swimming pools around the main building if you don’t want to exert yourself.

The last kilometer of the Rio Aguacaliente has been renamed "Rio Perdido" for marketing purposes and the small resort built in 2012 maintains a trail along the banks and charges addmission to cross the private property.
The last kilometer of the Rio Aguacaliente has been renamed “Rio Perdido” for marketing purposes and the small resort built in 2012 maintains a trail along the banks and charges addmission to cross the private property.

Even though we arrived very early and had them to ourselves it was a typical 94° Guanacaste day and the steaming water lost its appeal after a few minutes.  The short hike was beautiful an we saw a mot-mot and several other tropical dry forest birds.

They’ve also completed their bungalows since we visited and next time we’ll try staying overnight to enjoy an early morning mountain bike ride an the hot water river after it cools down in the evening.  Río Perdido would be a perfect place to take a siesta in the heat of the day.

The Spa, Restaurant and Pools

Salad, broiled sea bass and lentils.  The food was excellent for a buffet at Rio Perdido
Salad, broiled sea bass and lentils.
Other Activities

The main building is a beautifully designed piece of architecture perched on a cliff above the confluence of the hot river and the white river.  The restaurant serves buffet style at lunch and the food is exceptional (a rarity in Costa Rica).  The views over the rivers and dry Guanacaste forests are so amazing they may distract you from your meal.

The next level down houses spa treatment and massage rooms with the same open feel and chlorine free swimming pools surrounded by loungers, canopies and swim up bars.

Second Chances

As noted above a number of things have been added to Río Perdido since they first opened and we’re getting excited to give it another try.  It’s got everything you could want and it’s all exceptionally well done so we’ll probably like it even more when we aren’t disappointed by inaccurate expectations.

Lounge and bar area, Rio Perdido
Lounge, Rio Perdido
Pools, Rio Perdido
Mirador, Rio Perdido, Guanacaste
Canyon zip-line, Rio Perdido, Guanacaste
The Rio Aguacaliente flows south eight kilometers from La Fortuna de Bagaces to where it joins the Rio Blanca. From above you can see the small clear stream entering between the trees on the left side to mix with the milky waters of the White River. This is a different La Fortuna and different Rio Aguacaliente than the ones 70 km (as the crow flies, it's about 130 km on the road) to the east near Arenal Volcano.
Pool and swim up bar , Rio Perdido
The last kilometer of the Rio Aguacaliente has been renamed "Rio Perdido" for marketing purposes and the small resort built in 2012 maintains a trail along the banks and charges addmission to cross the private property.

 

 

Ray & Sue

Cost · ToDo · Plan·Costa Rica Guide logo animated·Top10 · Best Time · Contact


toll free Costa Rica travel desk!
1-866-816-0197

CONTACT US

Activities
  • Territorio de Zaguates – Land of the Strays
  • Hot Springs – Natural & Spas in Costa Rica
  • Best Things To Do in Costa Rica
  • Free Things To Do
  • Fishing
  • Coffee Tours in Costa Rica
  • Suspension Bridge Canopy Tours in Costa Rica
  • Surfing, SUP & Boogie Boarding in Costa Rica
  • Calm Water Kayaking & Canoeing in Costa Rica
  • Waterfall Rappelling & Canyoneering in Costa Rica
  • White Water Rafting, Kayaking & Tubing in Costa Rica
  • Walking, Hiking & Trekking in Costa Rica
  • Tabaconcito – Las Fuentes Termales – Chollín
  • Canopy Ziplines in Costa Rica
  • Zip Rail & Canopy Bike
  • Mountain Biking
  • Snorkeling & Scuba in Costa Rica
  • Brenes Rappelling
  • Motorsports in Costa Rica
  • Activities & Adventures



Costa Rica Guide on facebook
Costa Rica Guide on Facebook