The Perfect First Night in Costa Rica: Why Stay Near SJO Before Heading to La Fortuna
If you’ve spent time in travel forums or Facebook groups planning a Costa Rica trip, you’ve probably seen this question come up again and again: “Should we drive straight to La Fortuna after landing at SJO?” It’s a fair question. La Fortuna is only about 116 kilometers (72 miles) from Juan Santamaría International Airport, but the drive takes around four hours on winding mountain roads, and that’s under normal traffic conditions. After a long international flight, that first drive can feel much longer than expected. There’s a better way to begin. In Costa Rica, one of the destinations that consistently captures travelers’ imagination is the town of La Fortuna, home to the majestic Arenal Volcano. The area offers an impressive variety of activities that appeal to nearly every type of traveler. Visitors can relax in world-class hot springs such as Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa, soar across the rainforest on zip lines at Mundo Aventura Arenal, or explore the lava trails and rainforest paths of Arenal Volcano National Park. In total, the region offers more than 40 activities, making it one of Costa Rica’s most dynamic adventure destinations. Most international travelers arrive at Juan Santamaría International Airport, commonly referred to as SJO Airport. The drive to La Fortuna winds through rural mountain roads, with one lane in each direction and many curves along the way. The scenery is beautiful; agricultural fields, coffee farms, cattle ranches, and colorful small towns that immediately tell you: you are in Costa Rica. But the first hours of your trip are special. They set the tone for everything that follows. It’s a moment that deserves to be enjoyed, not rushed. This is where Chayote Lodge becomes the perfect first stop. Located just one hour from Juan Santamaría International Airport, the lodge offers travelers a peaceful and scenic introduction to the country. From its hilltop setting, guests enjoy sweeping views of the Central Valley, four volcanoes, including Irazú Volcano, and even the distant waters of the Gulf of Nicoya. This small boutique hotel, with just 12 private bungalows, is inspired by Costa Rica’s coffee culture. It sits along one of the most scenic routes in the country, placing guests only two hours from La Fortuna the following morning. And that next morning can begin in a very special way. Imagine waking up early and watching the sunrise behind Irazú Volcano while the lights of the Central Valley slowly fade away. Before breakfast, you might take a quiet 6:00 a.m. walk along the lodge trails, join a guided birdwatching tour at 6:30 a.m. with our resident ornithologist as the forest slowly awakens, or start your day with a 7:00 a.m. yoga class on our forest yoga deck, surrounded by cloud forest and birdsong. By 8:30 a.m., many travelers realize they have already experienced something meaningful, an authentic first connection with Costa Rica’s landscapes, sounds, and rhythms. If you have a couple of hours to spare after breakfast, you can enjoy the Don Carlos & Doña María Coffee Tour, learning about the traditions behind Costa Rica’s most famous crop. Afterwards, you can begin your journey to La Fortuna. For those who prefer a more scenic route, an optional detour through Bajos del Toro allows you to visit the magnificent Catarata del Toro or swim in the turquoise pools of Blue Falls of Costa Rica, a beautiful stop that turns the drive into a half-day adventure before arriving in La Fortuna later in the afternoon. Ideally, we recommend spending at least two nights at Chayote Lodge to fully enjoy the area. But we also understand that many travelers have limited vacation time, and that’s exactly the point. Your first night near SJO doesn’t have to be a throwaway night. At Chayote Lodge, it becomes the beginning of your Costa Rica story: a hilltop sunrise, a quiet forest walk, your first cup of freshly harvested local coffee. By the time you head to La Fortuna, you’ll already feel like you’ve arrived. Ready to start your journey the right way? Check availability or reach out to us, we’d love to help you plan your first night in Costa Rica. Chayote Lodge is located one hour from SJO Airport, with private transfer options available both on arrival and for your onward journey to La Fortuna.
Don Carlos and Doña María: An Authentic Off the Beaten Path Coffee Tour in Costa Rica
Just five minutes from Chayote Lodge, and far from conventional tourist routes, Don Carlos and Doña María welcome visitors into their home. This is not a coffee farm designed for mass tourism; first and foremost, it is a family home. A place where coffee is not presented merely as a product, but as heritage, daily work, and a way of life. Don Carlos and Doña María come from a coffee-growing family that has cultivated coffee for generations, producing what is today considered one of Costa Rica’s finest coffees: Café Arbar. Here, every plant tells a story, every bean carries meaning, and every harvest reflects patience, knowledge, and deep respect for the land. Next to their house, they have built a small micro-mill, complete with traditional African drying beds where the coffee slowly dries under the sun. The tour is led by a professional guide, but it is Doña María who truly captures the hearts of visitors. She is the soul of the experience—warm, generous, and always ready to share stories as the aroma of freshly roasted coffee fills the air. Throughout the visit, guests learn the entire coffee process: from the seed and the care of the plants over the years, to fascinating details known only to those who live from coffee. They witness the harvest, the careful hand-picking of the beans, and the full processing journey—washing, drying, roasting, grinding, and finally packaging the coffee, ready to be shared beyond the mountains. The experience goes beyond coffee. Around the farm, visitors encounter medicinal plants, chickens and other domestic animals, as well as a worm composting system used to produce organic fertilizer, completing a natural and sustainable cycle. Everything happens organically, without scripted speeches—simply as part of everyday life lived in harmony with nature. The landscape is a constant companion. From the farm, views open onto green pastures, the Central Valley, the volcanic mountain range, and rolling coffee plantations that define the character of this region. It is a setting that invites visitors to slow down, breathe deeply, and simply observe. The tour ends as beautifully as it begins. Doña María prepares coffee using the traditional Costa Rican chorreador method. No rush, no embellishments—just hot water, freshly ground coffee, and an unhurried conversation. This coffee tour is a truly authentic, off the beaten path experience, rich in cultural value and rooted in social responsibility and sustainability. More than an activity, it is an encounter—with people, with the land, and with a living tradition in the mountains of Llano Bonito. At Chayote Lodge, we believe that true luxury lies in simple, genuine experiences, the kind that stay with you because they are felt. And this coffee, shared at the home of Don Carlos and Doña María, tastes exactly like that.
The Story Behind the Dream
Some of my schoolmates still remember that, even back then, I used to say that one day I would own a hotel. Perhaps that was when the seed of this dream was planted, quietly stored somewhere in my memory, waiting for the right moment to come alive. That moment arrived 35 years later, enriched by a lifetime dedicated to tourism. My hospitality journey began in the mid-1990s working in hotels and more than 30 years in tour operations, mainly in sales. My role was to convince international tour operators that Costa Rica deserved a place in their portfolios—first as an alternative destination, later as a fashionable one, and eventually as a truly aspirational place to visit. Through my global business travel, I learned to see my country through different eyes. Costa Rica is far more than breathtaking landscapes. Its natural beauty awakens the senses, but its greatest strength lies in its people—the warmth, the kindness, the unmistakable Pura Vida spirit that makes visitors leave smiling and return home feeling lighter. In the year 2000, I chose Llano Bonito de Naranjo as my home. A small mountain village surrounded by green pastures, lush forests and sweeping views of the Central Valley and its volcanoes. But above all, it is a place shaped by humble, hardworking, and genuinely warm people. It is where my mother taught at the local school and where my father’s family grew up. Llano Bonito has always been part of who I am. Throughout my career, I had the privilege of visiting more than 60 countries. I experienced extraordinary landscapes, dream destinations and met people who are now close friends. Yet in every place, I found myself wishing to create a place where people from around the world can discover the beauty of Llano Bonito de Naranjo. That is how the dream slowly took shape. And like all meaningful dreams, it required hard work, sleepless nights and sacrifices that, somehow, never felt painful. In 2015, we opened the restaurant; six months later, our first three rooms; and a year after that, the twelve rooms that today make up Chayote Lodge. Chayote Lodge is a special place. A mountain boutique hotel in Costa Rica, built with love and intention, far from crowds and noise. A place where silence feels comforting and where reconnecting with yourself happens naturally. Dreams do come true when they are built with heart. And the most beautiful part of dreaming and creating is sharing it. Chayote Lodge exists so that you, too, may find a place to live your own dreams.