Fonda Vela is set in tropical gardens at 1,400 metres in Monterverde Cloudforest. Rooms, all en-suite, with their wood-panelled walls, comfy beds and polished furniture offer cosy accommodation, and little touches like fresh flowers and colourful pictures, add a homely feel. Amenities include cable TV, phone, coffee maker and minibar. Junior suites are similar but offer greater space.

The 2 restaurants provide a choice of dining scenes. The larger Galleria, has banks of windows overlooking the cloud-forest, while the more intimate Fireside Room is warmed by a wood-burning stove and has a terrace for al fresco dining. The bar serves hot and cold drinks, and there's a TV where you can catch up with the latest news and sporting action. Recreation facilities include an indoor pool, 2 Jacuzzi and table tennis. Therapeutic massages can be arranged, ideal after lengthy forest treks.

From the hotel you can go for guided walks and hikes in Monteverde Cloud-forest Reserve and in the less-visited Santa Elena reserve where on a clear day you'll get views of Arenal Volcano. A series of suspended bridges and platforms offer views of the forest canopy. The hotel can arrange horse riding, visits to a local cheese factory, coffee plantation and women's co-operative where you can support the local community by buying locally made handicrafts, clothing and jewellery. There are butterfly gardens and a herpentarium where you can observe over 20 species of frogs.