Floating like a cloud in the rainforest canopy near the Poas Volcano, El Silencio Lodge & Spa is one of the most secluded, tranquil and relaxing luxury hotels in the Costa Rican mountains. The eco resort was created to be a luxury retreat for travelers who seek out authentic experiences and a deep connection to nature.
Simple luxury and exhilarating adventures are the essence of the El Silencio guest experience. A torch-lit forest dinner featuring farm-to-table ingredients from the organic farm and a curated wine list.
El Silencio Lodge & Spa is located in picturesque Bajos del Toro on a 500-acre private cloud forest reserve flanked by the Juan Castro Blanco and Poas Volcano National Parks. Just 90 minutes from San José, the eco resort is a dream destination for Costa Rica mountain honeymoons, family vacations or wellness holidays.
El Silencio Lodge & Spa was the first Central American member of Relais & Châtaeux, a curated collection of outstanding small hotels that highlights the planet’s most select and truly unique destinations.
Hotels in the area
In Costa Rica, the term “Grano de Oro” is used to refer to the coffee bean, their “Grain of Gold”. The founders of this boutique hotel fell in love with the idea that such a small fruit could be so valuable.
The Hotel Grano de Oro opened its doors in December of 1991, with 21 guest rooms, a gift shop, and a modest café. Quickly gaining recognition from local and international agencies for its unique personality and great service, the hotel became a landmark within the city.
In December 1994, after acquiring another Pozuelo family home, behind the first, the number of guest rooms was increased to a total of 34 and a Jacuzzi terrace was added. The signature suite, The Vista de Oro was introduced with its spectacular view of the city lights.
The Restaurant also expanded with this renovation and began to take on its own identity with the hiring of a new French Chef.
The restaurant is one of a kind in the city offering an elegant indoor dining room, a beautiful inner courtyard, a handcrafted indoor/outdoor bar, and an award-winning wine cellar.
The Hotel and Restaurante Grano de Oro and its staff continually focus on pleasing its customers and exceeding their expectations. The Hotel Grano de Oro is a member of two groups of boutique hotels: Small Distinctive Hotels of Costa Rica and Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality Collection.
The history of Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge starts with its name. The founders and owners of Dantica ecolodge are a Colombian – Dutch couple, Maria Luisa Castro Fernández who is a textile designer, and Joost Wilms who is a tropical ecologist. When Joost was finishing his studies in 1992 he had to do fieldwork in Costa Rica and resulted to study reforestation with frugivorous birds in the Cloud Forest of San Gerardo de Dota. He fell in love with the place, not knowing he would be coming back 10 years later to built an ecolodge with his new love, Maria Luisa.
It was for them a perfect match, combining biology, indigenous art and design to create a little paradise high up in the cool mountains. They started constructing in 2003, beginning with their house, where they opened the Dantica gallery in the living room, and two Bungalows for rent. During the following 14 years, they expanded it into an ecolodge with 12 Bungalows, a large gallery with restaurant, an employee house, a playground and a laundry house.
The constructions were made according to the respect for the environment because sustainability is very important for this cloud forest lodge. The clearings in the forest and along the road already existed and where used for blackberry cultivation.
Welcome to the Peace lodge, the ultimate awakening of your senses. Here every magical sight, wondrous smell and sensual touch create irreplaceable memories of a journey you wish to take again and again. We pride ourselves on offering our guests the most unique luxury mountain lodge experience in Costa Rica.
Located on the grounds of La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park just one hour from the San José International Airport, the award winning Peace Lodge introduces its guests to a symphony of purely Costa Rican experiences celebrating the natural wonders of the rain forest and the splendid creatures that inhabit this magical environment. The ultra upscale accommodations are uniquely themed to complement the inherent beauty of its rain and cloud forest setting and the detailed architecture exudes a natural elegance and sophistication with every room boasting a Jacuzzi tub and impressive river stone fireplace along with showers that transform into waterfalls with the turn of a knob. Picture perfect views of the La Paz River Valley and the towering Poás Volcano complete the experience.
Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel & Nature Reserve is one of the few places in Costa Rica where you can enjoy all the comforts of an upscale boutique hotel while experiencing one of the most unique and endangered types of tropical forests in our very own private cloud forest reserve. You’ll be ensconced in a beautifully appointed 19th-century re-creation of a mountain farm village. From charming Superior and Deluxe Casitas to romantic Honeymoon Suites, each accommodation features vaulted cane ceilings, elegantly handcrafted furniture, and a variety of conveniences and amenities that include wood-burning fireplaces, private garden porches, and in-room whirlpool tubs in all the Deluxe Casitas and Honeymoon Suites.