Arenas del Mar

Arenas Del Mar Beachfront and Rainforest Resort is located a mile or so from the Manuel Antonio National Park. Nestled in a rainforest, it can be tricky to find. Luckily, last night we had the shuttle and golf carts to get us to our room. Today, we explored it.

This is the small pool located just beneath our room (which is actually a suite, occupying the second floor of the building shown above.

Lots of steps lead to it.

But eventually you get to the door.

One steps into this hallway and sees straight through to the rainforest and ocean beyond.

Just off the hallway is a bathroom. This suite has three complete bathrooms! With just five of us here, that means no lines, no waiting!

At the end of the hallway is the kitchen/dining room/yet another bed. A mini-fridge filled with complementary juices and sodas is hidden in the cabinets. The room didn't come with the microwave oven; we had to request it. Meals from room service were tasty but usually not exactly hot by the time we got them; so the microwave came in very handy. Plus, I intended to buy some frozen TV dinners at the first opportunity.

This sofa looks very inviting but in reality is uncomfortable ro sit in. It's comfortable to stretch out in, anyway. And when extended, it makes a huge bed.

This became the room for Jenny and the Littles (Gianna and Dominic).

Out side Jenny's room is a lovely balcony with yet another bed and the Jacuzzi.

And Zach and I took this room. My bed is in the back, closer to the room's private bath. I used the TV on the wall in front of my bed as a computer monitor, having brought along my micro-PC.

The shower stall in my bathroom very nice and comfortable, except for one thing: If you stand beneath the shower head in the middle of the enclosure, there's nothing for an older guy like myself to hang on to if my footing gets lost.

Even though they look a little strange, American plug-in devices can be plugged in here without any converters or adapters.

The in-suite Jacuzzi is lovely, I used it myself several times, mostly when I woke up late at night.

It has an exquisite view.

There's the small swimming pool below us.

Heading toward the pool, the unswept detritus of the rain forest failed to make the sidewalk look messy.

Several paths lead down the the beach.

You gotta watch your step; the ground is littered with living things, most of which want no more of us than to allow them to pass in peace,

In addition to the pool table, picnic tables, and so on, is the Playitas Restauramt.

And don't neglext to look up! This is a sloth. Its head is to the right. Once they find a comfortable branch, they just mostly stay there.

When the kiddies grew tired of the beach, they decided to hang out at the pool awhile.

Zach and Dominic threw the ol' pigskin around for a few.

Insidem besides a restroom, are three swings which are, of course, irresistable to the youngsters.

Lots of flowers grow here. The ones on the resort property were planted, but are all of native plants that naturally live here anyway.

The thing about a resort, as opposed to a motel or even a hotel, is that it's complete enough that a guest isn't really compelled to leave the resort at all! Everything one needs is already here. The suite came complete with old-fashioned toys like tops, yo-yos, and playing cards are there for the using. Notice that with all the tech around them, that they can use freely—Gianna and Zach aren't, at this moment, using any of it.