El Silencio Lodge & Spa

The moment you walk into El Silencio Lodge and Spa you will be amazed at the gorgeous lobby and captivating views. You are surrounded by lush rainforest and greeted by the friendly staff. Oriel our bartender and waiter was extremely friendly and made our three night stay even more pleasant. The rapelling and zip lining located on the property is a must! Take the painting class and coffee tasting with Ronald and also wake for Eduardo, another friendly bartender. You won't be disappointed!

Its always worth a question, whats the real soul and highlight of the place you just visited.. i will try to catch this in a few words.. silence, pease and relaxiation must be the key words that cover everything from arrival where your private concierge explain everything and offer full assistance to your needs. The place by it self is surrounded by water and the silent noice that comes along.. the small bungalows offers private outdoor spa.. a bliss.. Enjoy time, perfect service and nature.. you will not get disappointed

Stayed for three nights in July with the family during the rainy season, so weather did not come as a surprise. Location is fabulous and the two walks on the property are well worth doing (one is a 2 hour round-trip to the waterfalls; the other half that but well worth it for the hummingbird garden) so you can see everything in a day if you happen to get good weather. Early morning bird watching well worth doing but other than that little wildlife to see. Really nothing else to do here unless you're into horses, so I would not stay for more than three nights. No gym or DVD players in rooms. No accessible local attractions or walks off-property. Rooms/ chalets are large and very comfortable, although they lack air conditioning. This is a problem; not so much because you want to be colder (if anything the rooms are too chilly at this time of year) but because of the pervasive dampness. Hang anything out to dry that has been soaked in a rain shower and it will be no drier in the morning than when you left it out. Unpacked clothes hung up in the wardrobes feel slightly damp in the morning. Rooms badly need aircon or dehumidifiers. Restaurant food is expensive and very average by Costa Rican standards although service is charming and conscientious. I understand that El Silencio wants to keep its eco-footprint as small as possible, but it does need some investment. It is a bit of a pilgrimage to get to this place and guests need a little more to look forward to on their arriva.

This luxury lodge and spa is nestled in the central cloud forest region which offers a stunning experience of nature. The food was healthy, organic and mostly raised/prepared on site by expert chefs. The staff are friendly and prompt with requests. Our suite was spacious and offered breathtaking views of the natural world all around. The property has hiking trails that boast several waterfalls. Feel incredibly relaxed after our stay!

The most relaxing and tranquil stay of our entire trip. It is imperative that you understand the strengths of El Silencio to ensure you have the best stay. Firstly, El Silencio is remote. Travel into the lush and beautiful mountains can be difficult, but if you go in with this expectation of narrow,yet paved roads you will be better able to take a moment to enjoy the stunning views as you ascend. The town of Bajos del Toro is tiny, (only one restaurant so you will be staying on the grounds for most of your stay at El Silencio. The resort does offer trips to nearby towns and Sarchi on the way out seemed very nice,but we did not pay for the trips. With kids this may be a more difficult stay. There is no pool or WiFi so I could very easily see it being a little too laid back and calm. This was our final stay for 2 nights on our honeymoon and it was immensely relaxing. Again please be sure to understand these facts. If you are looking for an exciting adventure escape I believe you have better options throughout Costa Rica for more value. We enjoyed the simple hike to the 3 different waterfalls and went by ourselves. We had tried other spas around and so we didn't experience it and cannot speak on it. The hot water bottles in your bed were wonderful and the view as you look out in the morning is beautiful. Some other aspects to consider. While we enjoyed our meals keeping fixed prices, especially for lunch when our options are so limited does seem problematic. Dinner had a better value for sure and I very much enjoyed the Coffee/Wine demi-glazed beef. It was nice many of the ingredients are grown on the grounds.I enjoyed not having WiFi in the rooms, but in such a connected world this could be difficult for some. I would contend it is part of the experience, and if recognized as such you will be better for it. Enjoy the time with your family around you, play cards, read, and have conversation. There bar area was nice, but small. Never really a lot of others around it, and there might not be room for it. One of the only flaws was service in getting trips and transportation. We did not have our own car and it was $300 to get there and back so be sure to choose places closer to get there. This is one of the flaws of the resorts remoteness. While we allowed our room hot-tub to warm for 1/1/2 to 2 hours it still was colder than expected, so you have to plan for that. Additionally, the hotel arranges the tours each day so you might not be able to do the events you want if only there for a short time. If you stay here your whole trip I believe you would miss out on the vibrancy of Costa Rica. It was again however a wonderful place to relax after hiking, rafting, and snorkeling. Understanding what El Silencio is and is not is essential to having the best experience.