Very clean hot springs. Pools of several different temps. Delicious lunch. Waterfall was beautiful. Grounds immaculate. A delightful relaxing afternoon.
Ecotermales is a few minutes (by road) west of La Fortuna, There are a mass of spas in the same area, presumably all fed by the heated volcanic waters, but as you'll see from the entrance, Ecotermales is more discreet.We went at the 10am-1.00pm slot (midweek) - there were only 2 other people there. It's exceptionally well laid out, pretty much in the middle of the forest. Bear in mind there is building working going on at the moment, including expanding the changing rooms (which are dated, cold water showers, little room to manoeuvre when busy presumably).The pools themselves (fed by waterfalls) start hot and get progressively cooler (stepping down). Hot means bath temperature hot. There's also a splash pool (cold) which can best be described as 'refreshing'. It is beautifully laid out surrounded by lush forest, no music, no background noise except running water, with adequate space for a few sun-loungers. Be on the lookout for leaf-eater ants marching around the grounds - fascinating to watch.Adjacent to the pool(s) is a bar which has plenty of seating and serves cocktails at $6 each (worth it) + beers + soft drinks + non-alcoholic cocktails.There's also a restaurant which provided us with a nice lunch (set menu offering rice/beans/chicken/other meat options + dessert) which was simple and served with a smile. Cost was around $15 each and it was deserted when were there.Entry price for adults is around $30 each (most attractions in Costa Rica seem to be around $30 each!), in our case for 3 hours. Go to their website to make a reservation and they will email you to let you know what timeslots are available on your chosen day. Apparently the busiest timeslot is 5.00pm, but why anyone would want to be there in the dark is a mystery.You would be hard pushed to find another place like this anywhere in the world given the layout and location.
Beautiful setting, well maintained, very reasonable price compared to the hot springs in the area (i.e. Tabacon), nice faciliites, good restaurant. Couldn't ask for anything more.
Maybe it is always that way, but when we visited (mid-week, late afternoon) the springs were amazingly calm and quiet. Made for a very relaxing experience. The facilities are clean and well arranged. Access to the pools is very easy. A variety of temperatures was available-although none too hot.
Three different pools with differing temperatures - waterfall you can sit under. Not too many people as you have to book in advance. Beautiful surroundings. Meal after acceptable
The most beautiful of all the hot springs. Came highly recommended from guides. The springs are right amongst the jungle trees with various layers and pools. The smells of the flours from the trees waft down as you bathe in the warmth. The food was delicious.
Well I didn't know what to expect and really was very impressed. The place has a lovely drive to the reception area. The person who took our reservation by phone and the receptionist were very helpful and informative. We went from 1-5 on a Sunday. As we were driving to Ecotemeles the road was filled with parked cars at many of the hot springs resorts. Ecotemeles only allows 100 people at a time and we probably had around 50. There was plenty if room in all the pools and the setting within the gardens is lovely. We really relaxed and enjoyed every minute there.
The food served here was excellent! Natural fresh and delicious!the people who served were friendly and everything was attended to efficiently and it added to the excellent ambience!
This is a "good fun" place, with four or five small volcanically-heated swimming pools, which were good fun even on a wet February evening. There are excellent changing facilities and a bar, and after your swim, a good dinner is provided. Considering they cater for a considerable number of people each evening (possibly 200 when we were there), the quality of food is very good, and the service excellent. We were amazed at the amount of meat provided for our table of 6, and regrettably were not quite able to finish it.
We loved this experience...came on a day when it was raining most of the time and have to say we were really glad for it! The forest surrounding the springs are lush and full of wildlife. We saw toucans and howler monkeys. The pools were lovely and the piña coladas delicious. Definitely come on a rainy day..the pictures may not be as beautiful but the experience of laying in the hot water with the cool rain falling on you is definitely worth the trade off!