You stay at the property because of the view and vegetation/flowers. We learned that the local employees are kind and go out of their way to please. HOWEVER, when you walk into the facility, you instantly realize nothing has been invested in the building to keep it fresh and functioning as one would expect. The mattresses are beyond terrible. All the linens look like they have been in use since 2000. There is no microwave or AC. The fan in the family room does not function. The internet is slow and spotty. The furniture is worn and needs to be replaced. Be aware that to get to this property you will drive over rocky unpaved roads. Having a vehicle with clearance would be helpful. We had a day without water. Think washing dishes, bathing and flushing toilets. We would not return to this property as is. Nevertheless, the local staff are truly wonderful! This could be a 5-star property if the owners took care of it and invested some of their earnings back into it.

You stay at the property because of the view and vegetation/flowers. We learned that the local employees are kind and go out of their way to please. HOWEVER, when you walk into the facility, you instantly realize nothing has been invested in the building to keep it fresh and functioning as one would expect. The mattresses are beyond terrible. All the linens look like they have been in use since 2000. There is no microwave or AC. The fan in the family room does not function. The internet is slow and spotty. The furniture is worn and needs to be replaced. Be aware that to get to this property you will drive over rocky unpaved roads. Having a vehicle with clearance would be helpful. We had a day without water. Think washing dishes, bathing and flushing toilets. We would not return to this property as is. Nevertheless, the local staff are truly wonderful! This could be a 5-star property if the owners took care of it and invested some of their earnings back into it.

This property could be amazing! The story of how the owners found the land and built the "Nepenthe" B & B is a beautiful one. Anyone who loves Costa Rica can relate to the allure of living there long-term and be inspired by their story. This property is situated on the hillside overlooking Lake Arenal and Arenal volcano, and the "Oropendola" estate is located at the highest point on the property. Every evening we gathered on the outside patio to look at the stars, and every morning to listen to the birds and the watch the day come to life. Situated below is the most darling little restaurant, operated by a wonderful team. They cooked our fresh fish for us one night! Breakfasts were great and the view exquisite. Where this property lacks is in the things that people have now come to expect with VRBO listings. *The bath towels were from 1980s like my grandmother used to have-different colors, thin/threadbare and crunchy. *The beds are atrocious! Old, squeaky, spring mattresses, headboards loose, very difficult to get a good nights sleep. All beds need updating yesterday. *Bed linens-old quilts, old sheets, flat pillows. *Kitchen-very limited functionality; old dented pans for cooking, no glass wine glasses, pint glasses, all plastic. Additionally, the kitchen had no microwave, and several cabinet doors were falling off. We didn't cook much because the restaurant was so great, but the one night we did stay in it was a chore. I wish I could've given this place a 5 star review because we had a nice time. However, I am giving it 3 starts....this property is in need of a few important things that should not be overlooked any further for future guests.

This property could be amazing! The story of how the owners found the land and built the "Nepenthe" B & B is a beautiful one. Anyone who loves Costa Rica can relate to the allure of living there long-term and be inspired by their story. This property is situated on the hillside overlooking Lake Arenal and Arenal volcano, and the "Oropendola" estate is located at the highest point on the property. Every evening we gathered on the outside patio to look at the stars, and every morning to listen to the birds and the watch the day come to life. Situated below is the most darling little restaurant, operated by a wonderful team. They cooked our fresh fish for us one night! Breakfasts were great and the view exquisite. Where this property lacks is in the things that people have now come to expect with VRBO listings. *The bath towels were from 1980s like my grandmother used to have-different colors, thin/threadbare and crunchy. *The beds are atrocious! Old, squeaky, spring mattresses, headboards loose, very difficult to get a good nights sleep. All beds need updating yesterday. *Bed linens-old quilts, old sheets, flat pillows. *Kitchen-very limited functionality; old dented pans for cooking, no glass wine glasses, pint glasses, all plastic. Additionally, the kitchen had no microwave, and several cabinet doors were falling off. We didn't cook much because the restaurant was so great, but the one night we did stay in it was a chore. I wish I could've given this place a 5 star review because we had a nice time. However, I am giving it 3 starts....this property is in need of a few important things that should not be overlooked any further for future guests.

This was our 2nd stay here and we couldn’t recommend this location more! We loved and enjoyed the views, the game room, the pool, the walk to The Phoenix, and we even got to meet the owners this time around. We will be back again. Our kids already miss it! We love you Nepenthe- you have our hearts forever.

We had a great experience and everything was as was listed through vrbo. We were sad to have to leave this morning.

This was our 2nd stay here and we couldn’t recommend this location more! We loved and enjoyed the views, the game room, the pool, the walk to The Phoenix, and we even got to meet the owners this time around. We will be back again. Our kids already miss it! We love you Nepenthe- you have our hearts forever.

We had a great experience and everything was as was listed through vrbo. We were sad to have to leave this morning.

Amazing villa perched up above clouds.

Amazing villa perched up above clouds.

Great place to stay and the view is priceless. Great view of the volcano and the lake. We thought it would be close to Monte Verde. It looks close on a map, but it's not. It's in Arenal. If you're your going ziplining make sure you go to Sky Adventure in Arenal. Only 10 minutes away. I've been on several ziplines before but this one took my breath away. We had booked a zipline in the wrong place (Monte Verde) which we had to cancel and book one in Arenal. The company was very helpful and understanding and gave us a refund.

Great place to stay and the view is priceless. Great view of the volcano and the lake. We thought it would be close to Monte Verde. It looks close on a map, but it's not. It's in Arenal. If you're your going ziplining make sure you go to Sky Adventure in Arenal. Only 10 minutes away. I've been on several ziplines before but this one took my breath away. We had booked a zipline in the wrong place (Monte Verde) which we had to cancel and book one in Arenal. The company was very helpful and understanding and gave us a refund.

My family and I had an overall great time during our brief stay. Due to the travel restrictions we had to shorten our stay but we ultimately made the best of the days we were there. Overall, we enjoyed our stay at this property. The views are amazing and after addressing some cleanness issues with Joel, we were on our way to thoroughly enjoying our stay. The location was the right quiet ambiance we were looking for. We‘ve stayed in the nice resorts in La Fortuna previously but it was a great idea to rent a house this time since we were taking the kids with us. The complimentary breakfast was great and the staff’s attention was even better after addressing a few things. The house is spacious and yes it has an interesting lay out with some lighting that needs improvement but the views and vegetation more than make up for it. My wife liked the property and we may book it again for a longer stay in the future making sure that certain minimal expectations are addressed. It just seemed that the house hadn’t been rented in a while prior to our arrival and we would have appreciated for the staff making sure that a thorough cleaning including making the pool swimmable was completed. Again, we were able to address these points and for the most part they were corrected. Great place for a family gateway.

My family and I had an overall great time during our brief stay. Due to the travel restrictions we had to shorten our stay but we ultimately made the best of the days we were there. Overall, we enjoyed our stay at this property. The views are amazing and after addressing some cleanness issues with Joel, we were on our way to thoroughly enjoying our stay. The location was the right quiet ambiance we were looking for. We‘ve stayed in the nice resorts in La Fortuna previously but it was a great idea to rent a house this time since we were taking the kids with us. The complimentary breakfast was great and the staff’s attention was even better after addressing a few things. The house is spacious and yes it has an interesting lay out with some lighting that needs improvement but the views and vegetation more than make up for it. My wife liked the property and we may book it again for a longer stay in the future making sure that certain minimal expectations are addressed. It just seemed that the house hadn’t been rented in a while prior to our arrival and we would have appreciated for the staff making sure that a thorough cleaning including making the pool swimmable was completed. Again, we were able to address these points and for the most part they were corrected. Great place for a family gateway.

The property was well maintained, we had a supper at the Phoenix on site; staff were fantastic. The breakfasts were prepared each day and were very good as well. We spent 4 nights there, 15 min to la Fortuna, so we were in a perfect area to see the sloths, hanging bridges, volcano hikes etc. We had never been in that area of Costa Rica, but would definitely recommend going. La Fortuna was big enough to get all our supplies for the time we were there. The weather was what we expected, off and on rain showers, so dress accordingly. We left there for Playa Hermosa and some needed sunshine. The road up the hill is rough but we had a large van and even with the rainfall we had no problems.

The property was well maintained, we had a supper at the Phoenix on site; staff were fantastic. The breakfasts were prepared each day and were very good as well. We spent 4 nights there, 15 min to la Fortuna, so we were in a perfect area to see the sloths, hanging bridges, volcano hikes etc. We had never been in that area of Costa Rica, but would definitely recommend going. La Fortuna was big enough to get all our supplies for the time we were there. The weather was what we expected, off and on rain showers, so dress accordingly. We left there for Playa Hermosa and some needed sunshine. The road up the hill is rough but we had a large van and even with the rainfall we had no problems.

Cons; beds not the most comfortable, keep everything closed or in fridge or ants will get it, cobwebs etc behind headboards, bathroom downstairs was stinky, lighting in upstairs shower and bathroom not the greatest and some of the doors were swollen and hard to shut.Pros; Plenty of beds to choose from, lots of room inside and outside to hang out and enjoy the view, excellent breakfast, lovely cold Pool, Large kitchen with lots of utensils and all other kinds of kitchen gadgets, large windows and lots of room to see the view from inside, beautiful and well-maintained landscaping outside, and loads of wildlife. The restaurant served fresh and delicious food for dinner and the service was wonderful. The staff were very helpful. This is our second visit and we enjoyed each and every time we stayed here.

Cons; beds not the most comfortable, keep everything closed or in fridge or ants will get it, cobwebs etc behind headboards, bathroom downstairs was stinky, lighting in upstairs shower and bathroom not the greatest and some of the doors were swollen and hard to shut. Pros; Plenty of beds to choose from, lots of room inside and outside to hang out and enjoy the view, excellent breakfast, lovely cold Pool, Large kitchen with lots of utensils and all other kinds of kitchen gadgets, large windows and lots of room to see the view from inside, beautiful and well-maintained landscaping outside, and loads of wildlife. The restaurant served fresh and delicious food for dinner and the service was wonderful. The staff were very helpful. This is our second visit and we enjoyed each and every time we stayed here.

Seamless coordination from beginning to end. It’s quite a journey to the final destination but that’s what makes it even more desirable - from the beauty of the house, the property and its surroundings to the white glove service and comfort of the staff, the entire experience was outstanding. We will definitely be coming back!

To start... Jose the manager was Outstanding in all areas to include email communication and reservations for our off property activities. I

A great way to vacation with our 3 kids in the El Castillo area near Arenal and looking over Lake Arenal. It was great to walk to breakfast at Nepenthe every morning and we also walked to and ate at the Phoenix Restaurant just down the hill almost every night. The kids caught frogs every night, we had white-faced monkeys visit the trees behind the house, heard howler monkeys every morning, saw Toucans and other birds flying, plus several big and cool looking insects out in the yard. We got great recommendations from Joel at Nepenthe for Zip Lining, Hot Springs, Hanging Bridges, Rafting.

We loved our stay.... the views, the grounds. It was amazing! We started each day with a wonderful breakfast - far exceeded our expectations and finished every day with a relaxing dinner at the The Pheonix.

Our group of 2 families stayed Mar 29 - April 2, 2019. The pictures of the view, grounds do not do this property justice. Yes, you will need to travel a bit on a dirt road up some steep terrain, but it is worth it. Lovely hosts and a great value for the $. Loads of great activities within reasonable drive. Be sure to ask for directions to hike to the hidden waterfall!

There were 6 of us (3 adults and 3 kids) and we had more than enough room. The view over Lake Arenal was gorgeous and the food was convenient and great - Juan in particular did a fantastic job. Nancy & Gordon (owners) were there too and great to speak with and were receptive to my wife’s comments about some of the wildlife that entered the place (primarily bugs) - this was perhaps the one draw back of being in the rainforest. Location was great in that we easily found local flavour but an easy trip to many of the great sights around La Fortuna. My son was ‘homesick’ for Vosta Rica when we got back. Thx G

The home smelled horrible, coming from downstairs bathroom. The place is also run down and built weird. The stairs and floors upstairs were all really slippery, and really loud, you could hear every step any of us took. The beds were uncomfortable, the light in master didn't work. The place wasn't very clean. There were some nice things, but the smell made none of it worth it. The view is amazing, the flowers and grounds were pretty and the staff was very nice. The pads on the outdoor swings were dirty, musty and worn out and the pool looks beat up, but it was too cold to swim anyway. The restaurant was not very good either. Breakfast was ok.

This house is big, with a generous kitchen (with dishwasher), a dining room table, bar and sitting area with a large flat-screen TV. 2 bedrooms overlooking Lake Arenal upstairs, as well as a bathroom and an open loft sleeping area. Downstairs there's another bedroom and a smaller bathroom. For me, the architecture of the house didn't really flow and it felt a bit convoluted. We were there for 2 days in December and it was overcast or raining, so the house felt a bit dark and gloomy. I'm sure it's much more enjoyable in the dryer season when you get to enjoy the pool too. I would absolutely recommend it then. Note that the drive up to the house is steep and rough. We thoroughly enjoyed the great breakfast at Nephente's which is included in the price...you just walk a few steps down the stairs. We also tested the on site restaurant and can absolutely recommend it - great cocktails at great prices, delicious local food, also very reasonable prized, super friendly service.

We were so pleasantly surprised once we finally arrived! The house was perfect for the family, the view was awesome, the jungle, the howler monkeys and the birds were such great entertainment! But most of all, the staff was so welcoming and helpful. Don’t miss the tasty complimentary breakfasts carefully prepared by Odili and Lichai. Then check in with Andrea and Jose who can help you set up incredible adventures zip-lining across the rain forest, hiking the Arenal volcano and relaxing in nearby thermal pools...all within 15-30 minutes. And then return for sunset beverages and dining at the on-site Phoenix restaurant with Juan, Louisa, Odili and Pio. (A special thanks to Juan for impromptu salsa lessons and sharing the Kentucky bourbon!). The private location of Oropendola gave us a feeling of getting “off the grid” but still close enough to attractions. So glad we chose this over the more touristy spas and hotels!

House was once good and could be again, but needs renovation and better cleaning to demustify. Overpriced for current condition.

We were worried because it was well off the beaten path. The ride up was very bumpy and we didn’t know what to expect. Once we were there, we didn’t want to leave. The house was large with a lovely wrap around porch with lots of comfy chairs to take in the spectacular views. Howler monkeys and many different kinds of birds kept you amazed at every turn. The staff was very helpful and the only thing we were upset about was that our stay was not longer. We will be back!

The house and grounds were in great shape and the views are absolutely amazing. There were only 3 of us in the house but it could easily hold several families. We heard howler monkeys every day and saw toucans, macaws, coatis and even the local tabby cat and chihuahua. The lady that cooks breakfast every morning at the B&B, lives next door and she takes fresh eggs down each morning from the chickens kept on her property. All of the staff at the B&B are exceptionally helpful and friendly. We ate at the Phoenix restaurant all 3 nights we were there since it’s so convenient and the food is amazing. Juan and Luísa are also amazing and helped us with our Spanish. We are already making plans to return next year.

Our family really enjoyed our 2 night stay at this villa, which was made special by the B&B hospitality. It was comfortable, spacious, and private, with a great view of Arenal area as advertised. The grounds were well kept and we could hear howler monkeys every morning. The only thing guests should be aware of is the dirt roads to get to the villa are adventuresome. The first 25 min. are simply bumpy, but the last 1/2 Km driveway to the Villa is rutted and steep in some places. We had two cars, one of which didn't have four wheel drive and made it up, but would of been interesting if there was a lot of rain. No problem with a 4 wheel drive of course. The road was part of the adventure for the kids. The breakfast was delicious and nicely done with coffee, juice, and tasty costa rican fare. The men and women serving meals were so nice and helpful and eating with a few guests at other tables allowed some international exposure to the other tourist around. Really enjoyed the stay.

Challenging road on the way up the hill. Needed the 4x4. Nice house, affordable. Unfortunately, the volcano was hidden in the clouds. We had dinner at the restaurant at the B&B the first night. Really good.