Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal

You slow your horse to a walk as you enter the rainforest. After all, you don’t want to miss anything. You’re surrounded by lush, unspoiled forest vegetation and the cries of the brightly coloured birds darting to and fro high above you in the sheltering canopy.

Your trail is taking you towards a majestic presence that dominates the whole area – the mighty Arenal Volcano; the most spectacular in all of Costa Rica, and only about a mile and a half from the Observatory Lodge. But first you have to cross a picturesque hanging bridge, over a steep-sided ravine.

And at the end of the day you can relax at Observatory Lodge, stroll through the gardens, watch butterflies and bejewelled hummingbirds and have dinner overlooking the volcano.