Highlights
- In the National Park
- On site adventure centre
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Located in the foothills of the Rincón de la Vieja volcano, Hacienda Guachipelín is both an eco-lodge and a working cattle and horse ranch. It is built on an enormous piece of land, parts are dedicated to pasture land but other areas have been set aside for conservation of dry forest and also an area is being reforested with species of trees that are currently endangered. The rooms here are light, spacious and comfortable and decorated in muted tones, with wooden furniture typical of what you would expect to find in Costa Rica. There is a pool near the reception area with plenty of loungers for relaxing, but there is so much to do that you will most likely spend a lot of time exploring the area and partaking in adventure activities such as zip-lining, hiking, river tubing and horse riding.
Hacienda Guachipelín is a little different, the hotel forms part of a family run working cattle and horse ranch. You can see the corrals where the cowboys saddle up and head to work. The reception is housed in a building that was the original hacienda and is over a century old – this is the real Costa Rica and you will experience the hospitality and friendly atmosphere of the local people. It is a nature and adventure lover’s paradise, with so many activities on offer or relax in the lush gardens have been planted with native trees and exotic flowers, attracting a myriad of birds. There is also a lookout where you can take in stunning 360° views of Rincón de la Vieja and Santa Maria volcanoes, the Guanacaste plains and the coastline.
You are surrounded by nature at Hacienda Guachipelín. In the gardens alone over 300 species of birds have been recorded. You will most likely see and hear the monkeys in the trees as they go about their daily business. Some guests have been lucky enough to see armadillos, agoutis are often spotted here too. Head into the national park and you can find more monkeys (howler, white-faced capuchin and spider). There are jaguars, pumas and ocelots here, but they are notoriously shy, it is unlikely that you would see them but keep your eyes peeled for coyotes, tapirs and kinkajous.
It really was absolutely amazing. Faisal was wonderful (our driver for the majority of the trip) – such a lovely person and made everything feel so easy and relaxed. The whole experience was incredibly well put together and completely seamless from start to finish. The Sahara Desert was definitely the highlight for me – truly unforgettable – but honestly every part of the trip was special.
Mandy S
reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains
on 05 May 2026
I just wanted to say thank you so much for organising such an amazing holiday.
We absolutely loved it, even though Jessica was ready to give up walking for good ????
Our guide, Mustafa, was great. Really helpful, friendly and informative.
We loved all the accommodation, and especially the first night and the Riad.
All of the staff at every location were so friendly and helpful.
Thanks again for organising such a great trip.
Rebecca H
reviewing Marrakech & Mountains Family Holiday
on 09 April 2026
Thank you yet again for another meticulously organised and executed holiday (our 5th with you). Every aspect worked perfectly.
Please could you pass on our sincere thanks to your agent in Sri Lanka; Lakshita, our driver and guide, absolutely made the trip for us - he was so keen for us to have the best experience possible. He was organised, kind, interested, punctual, the car was always spotless, and he was an excellent driver. His extensive knowledge was really appreciated by us and was exactly what we had hoped for in a guide. I think the highlight for us was our day in Anuradhapura (7 hours of absorbing history and culture), but there was so much to learn and absorb every day. He also made several suggestions for things that he thought we might like that weren't in our itinerary, and then booked them for us. These included an ayurvedic massage after climbing Sigiriya, a cultural show (an hour of touristy fun!), reef snorkelling with turtles (a real highlight for me - I wish we could have stayed all day), a lagoon boat trip and visit to a cinnamon island, a turtle sanctuary visit, and a gemstone factory visit. He also managed to get us a private tour of Lunanguga, which Peter thoroughly enjoyed. We also really enjoyed the tea factory tour.
Our guide for the hike was also really excellent, and he and Lakshita made sure that our day was perfectly tailored to our (my) ability.
All our accommodation was also perfectly selected. Our favourite was the Ceylon tea trails bungalow (just perfect!), but The Villa Bentota came a close second as a perfect way to relax at the end of the trip. Our villa and the grounds at Uga at Ulagalla were also beautiful.
(Our only slightly disappointing day was the whale watching - no whales wanted to be seen on that particular day, plus I was very sea-sick despite taking meds! The tour organisers offered us a repeat day the following day, which we declined! Having said that, being out on the water was still enjoyable, up to a point...).
I'm sure I've missed out something - we basically loved it all and felt that the balance of the itinerary was perfect for us (we used the 'rest' day in Galle to do the snorkelling, lagoon, and turtles)
Thank you very, very much.
fiona g
reviewing Sri Lanka Highlights - Classic
on 27 March 2026