Tabacon Hot Springs at La Fortuna

 Tabacon Hot springs at La Fortuna

 An overnight flight with a connection in San Salvador brought us to the San Jose airport after what seemed an eternity. Although we had fueled up on some delicious Gulab jamun cheese cakes I had made for Anu-Varun to sample, and we managed to get some Zzzzzzzs on the flight, the red-eye still lived upto it’s name. 

Odyssey tours, the company we had used for inter city transportation in 2012 were waiting to pick us up. The trip which began with a quick stop at the super market to buy Anu’s 3 bucks Crocs knock-offs (replacing the 90 bucks hiking sandals she forgot to pack!) earned the kids’ Mc Donald’s’ sugar and calorie rich milk shakes. We continued on to La Fortuna on a beautiful 3 hour drive through the Costa Rican villages, unable to take our “red” eyes off the green stretches of farmland and forests outside. 

Fruit stand stop on the way

The entry into the Tabacon Hot Springs resort has lived up to the anticipation and the great things we had heard and read about it. The welcome drinks and lemongrass scented warm towels were a nice touch and hinted us of the pure luxury that awaited for the next 3 days. Thanks to the friendly staff who helped us with a seamless check-in and a prompt access to our Tabacon Suites 611 and 615, we were in our super luxurious ultra spacious suites within a few minutes. From the room design and layout to the attention to details, expansive bathroom and a massive balcony overlooking the lush green flora on the property, there was not an iota of comfort spared in the property. 

The Girnar chai and thepla snack in the balcony had charged us enough to donn our swim suits with the plush hotel robes and head to the much raved about Tabacon Hot Springs, supposedly one of the most coveted in the area. One has to experience it to believe it; spread over acres and acres with thick and diverse local foliage, colorful plants and flowers and spread over layers the hot springs had multiple spots to soak in the mineral rich hot water without ever feeling crowded even with many day visitors. The kids had a blast going from the lowest pools to the higher springs in ascending order, treading the rocky waterfalls and leading the way for the rest of us. While Parishi headed back to the room after about an hour or so, the boys were famished and enjoyed their mushroom burger/fries and pizza. The cocktails 🍹 may not have been too boozy, but were delicious nonetheless. We made the most of the place only to head back to the room to shower, change and take the shuttle back for dinner at the Ave restaurant at the Hot Springs. There wasn’t much to write home about here except the over priced small portioned dishes and the nice tasting mushroom tomato risotto. 

A little catch-up over the usual Scotch session in the balcony was a culmination to a delightful day one in this land of Pura Vida.