Hotel & Spa Quelitales - A Cloud Forest Sanctuary in Costa Rica's Highlands

About Hotel & Spa Quelitales

Tucked away in the misty highlands of Cartago province, Hotel & Spa Quelitales is one of Costa Rica's most enchanting hidden gems — a place where the cloud forest meets authentic rural hospitality, and where the rhythms of nature set the pace for an unforgettable retreat. Named after the quelital trees that shade the surrounding mountainsides, this charming four-star eco-lodge sits at an elevation of approximately 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) above sea level, surrounded by rolling green hills, ancient cloud forest, and the distant silhouette of the Turrialba Volcano. Far from the tourist crowds of Guanacaste and Manuel Antonio, Quelitales offers something increasingly rare in Costa Rica: a genuine, unspoiled encounter with the country's natural beauty and cultural heritage.

The property itself is a labor of love — a thoughtfully designed lodge that harmonizes with its highland setting while delivering genuine comfort and warmth. Stone pathways wind through gardens bursting with native plants, orchids, and organic herbs. The main lodge, with its exposed wood beams, crackling fireplace, and walls adorned with local artwork, feels like a warm embrace on the cool cloud forest evenings that characterize this region. Every corner of the property reflects a deep commitment to sustainability and respect for the land. The organic garden provides fresh vegetables and herbs for the restaurant kitchen, rainwater collection systems supply the property, and the hotel works closely with the local community to ensure that tourism benefits the region's families and traditions.

What makes Quelitales truly special, however, is the profound sense of peace and connection to nature that permeates the experience. Mornings begin with the haunting calls of the resplendent quetzal and the three-wattled bellbird echoing through the misty forest. The spa harnesses the volcanic energy of the Turrialba region, offering treatments with mineral-rich mud sourced from nearby volcanic deposits. Guided walks reveal a world of hummingbirds, butterflies, and rare orchids. And as evening falls, the cool mountain air invites guests to gather around the fireplace with a cup of locally grown coffee, sharing stories and savoring the kind of authentic travel experience that large resorts simply cannot offer. Quelitales is not just a hotel — it is a doorway into the heart and soul of Costa Rica's highlands.

Location

Hotel & Spa Quelitales is located in the highlands of Cartago province, in the eastern section of Costa Rica's Central Valley region. The lodge is situated near the Turrialba Volcano area, at an elevation where the landscape transitions from the lush agricultural lowlands into true cloud forest. The surrounding region is characterized by dairy farms, coffee plantations, sugar cane fields, and patches of pristine primary forest — a landscape that has remained largely unchanged for generations. The town of Turrialba, a friendly agricultural center known for its white-water rafting on the Pacuare River, is approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) to the east and serves as the nearest hub for supplies and services.

Getting to Quelitales is part of the adventure. From Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San José, the drive takes approximately 1.5 to 2 hours via the Inter-American Highway east through Cartago city and then into the highlands. The route climbs through some of Costa Rica's most beautiful rural scenery — terraced vegetable farms, flower greenhouses, and roadside stands selling fresh cheese and strawberries. The hotel provides detailed driving directions and can arrange private transfers from San José or the airport. For guests arriving from the Caribbean coast, the lodge is also accessible from Limón province via Turrialba, making it an excellent stopover between the highlands and the Caribbean lowlands. Public transportation reaches the general area, but a rental car or arranged transfer is recommended for the final stretch of road leading to the property.

Rooms and Accommodations

Hotel & Spa Quelitales offers a selection of room categories that blend rustic highland charm with modern comfort. Each accommodation is designed to embrace the cool mountain climate and the natural beauty of the cloud forest setting, with warm earth tones, natural materials, and thoughtful details throughout.

Standard Rooms

The Standard Rooms at Quelitales offer a cozy and comfortable base for exploring the highlands. Each room features a queen or two double beds with plush duvets and premium linens — essential for the cool mountain nights at this elevation. Natural wood furnishings, stone accents, and locally woven textiles create an atmosphere that is both rustic and refined. Private bathrooms include hot-water rain showers (a welcome luxury in the highland chill), organic toiletries made with local ingredients, and fluffy towels. Windows frame views of the gardens or surrounding cloud forest, and each room includes a small seating area, free Wi-Fi, and an in-room safe.

Superior Rooms

The Superior Rooms offer additional space and enhanced amenities for guests who want a more elevated experience without moving to a suite. These rooms feature king-size beds, expanded sitting areas with comfortable armchairs perfect for reading, and larger bathrooms with both rain showers and soaking tubs. Private balconies or patios provide direct views of the cloud forest and, on clear days, the distant cone of Turrialba Volcano. A Nespresso machine, upgraded minibar with local artisan products (craft chocolate, dried tropical fruits, and highland coffee), and nightly turndown service complete the experience.

Cloud Forest Suites

The Cloud Forest Suites represent the finest accommodations at Quelitales. These spacious retreats feature separate bedroom and living areas, with the living room centered around a private fireplace — an irresistible focal point on cool, misty evenings. The bedroom includes a king-size bed with a handcrafted wooden headboard and views directly into the forest canopy. The bathroom is a highlight in itself, with a deep soaking tub positioned beside a window overlooking the gardens, a rain shower with natural stone tiles, and a selection of the spa's signature volcanic mud and botanical products. A private wraparound terrace with rocking chairs and a small dining table provides the perfect setting for morning coffee, birdwatching, or simply absorbing the profound silence of the cloud forest.

Eco-Cabin

For guests seeking a more immersive nature experience, the standalone Eco-Cabin is tucked into a secluded corner of the property surrounded by dense forest. Built with sustainable materials including reclaimed wood and locally quarried stone, the cabin features a bedroom loft with a king bed overlooking a cozy living space with a wood-burning stove. A covered deck with a hammock faces directly into the trees, and the sounds of the forest — birdsong, rustling leaves, distant streams — serve as a natural soundtrack. Despite its rustic character, the Eco-Cabin includes modern conveniences: hot water, Wi-Fi, and a fully equipped kitchenette for guests who want to prepare simple meals with ingredients from the hotel's organic garden.

Things to Do

Birdwatching in the Cloud Forest

The cloud forests surrounding Quelitales are a birdwatcher's paradise, home to over 300 species of birds that thrive in this cool, moist, biologically rich habitat. The star attraction is the resplendent quetzal — the legendary bird of Mesoamerican mythology, with its iridescent emerald plumage and impossibly long tail feathers. Quelitales is located within prime quetzal habitat, and sightings are common between November and April when the birds descend to feed on wild avocados. Other notable species include the three-wattled bellbird, emerald toucanet, flame-throated warbler, and dozens of species of hummingbirds that visit the lodge's feeders daily. The hotel arranges guided birdwatching walks with expert local naturalists who know every trail and every bird call in the region.

Volcanic Mud Spa Treatments

The spa at Quelitales draws its inspiration and ingredients directly from the volcanic landscape that surrounds it. The signature treatment is the volcanic mud body wrap, which uses mineral-rich clay sourced from deposits near Turrialba Volcano. This nutrient-dense mud is applied warm to the skin, where it draws out impurities, soothes muscle tension, and leaves the skin remarkably soft and revitalized. Additional treatments include coffee scrub exfoliations using beans from neighboring plantations, herbal massage using oils infused with plants from the hotel's garden, and a hot stone treatment using volcanic basalt stones heated to the perfect temperature. The spa's treatment rooms overlook the cloud forest, and the sound of birdsong and rustling leaves serves as the only background music you'll ever need.

Coffee Plantation Tours

The highlands of Cartago are part of Costa Rica's premier coffee-growing region, and Quelitales offers guests the opportunity to experience the journey from bean to cup firsthand. Guided tours of nearby coffee plantations take visitors through every stage of production: from the shaded hillside groves where coffee cherries ripen on the branch, through the washing and drying process, to the roasting room where green beans are transformed into the aromatic coffee that Costa Rica is famous for. Guests learn about the differences between arabica varietals, the importance of altitude and volcanic soil in flavor development, and the sustainable farming practices that make Costa Rican coffee among the most ethically produced in the world. Each tour concludes with a cupping session where participants taste and compare different roasts and origins.

Hiking to Turrialba Volcano

The Turrialba Volcano, one of Costa Rica's most active volcanoes, rises to 3,340 meters (10,958 feet) and offers spectacular hiking opportunities for adventurous guests. While access to the crater itself is managed by park authorities and may be restricted during periods of volcanic activity, the trails leading through the surrounding páramo ecosystem — a high-altitude grassland unique to Central America — provide extraordinary scenery and a sense of truly wild, untouched landscape. On clear days, hikers are rewarded with views stretching from the Caribbean coast to the Central Valley. The hotel can arrange guided hikes with experienced local guides who understand the volcano's current conditions and know the best trails for both scenery and safety.

Organic Garden Experience

One of the most charming aspects of a stay at Quelitales is the opportunity to engage with the hotel's organic garden. Spread across terraced hillside plots adjacent to the main lodge, the garden produces a remarkable variety of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers that supply the hotel's restaurant kitchen. Guests are welcome to tour the garden at any time, but the most rewarding experience is the guided garden workshop, where the hotel's gardener shares knowledge about organic cultivation techniques, companion planting, composting, and the traditional agricultural practices that have sustained highland communities for generations. Guests can harvest ingredients and deliver them to the chef for incorporation into their evening meal — a true farm-to-table experience.

White-Water Rafting on the Pacuare River

The Pacuare River, widely regarded as one of the top ten rivers for white-water rafting in the world, is located just a short drive from Quelitales. This stunning river carves through a deep jungle gorge, with Class III and IV rapids that provide thrilling excitement for both beginners and experienced rafters. Between the rapids, the calm stretches reveal a pristine tropical landscape — waterfalls cascade from the canyon walls, toucans and macaws fly overhead, and the jungle closes in on both sides. Quelitales can arrange full-day or multi-day rafting expeditions with reputable local outfitters, including transportation, equipment, guides, and riverside lunch.

Dining

Quelitales Restaurant

The hotel's restaurant is a celebration of Costa Rica's highland culinary traditions, reimagined with a modern sensibility and an unwavering commitment to fresh, local, and organic ingredients. The daily menu is built around what is available from the hotel's organic garden, supplemented by produce and proteins sourced from neighboring farms. Breakfasts feature farm-fresh eggs, homemade bread, organic fruit preserves, local cheese, and exceptional coffee grown in the surrounding hills. Lunch and dinner menus evolve with the seasons but might include trout from highland streams with herb butter and roasted vegetables, slow-braised beef with coffee reduction and garlic mashed potatoes, or a hearty vegetarian stew of squash, beans, and chayote from the garden. The restaurant's stone and wood interior, candlelit in the evenings, creates an atmosphere of warmth and conviviality that perfectly complements the highland setting.

The Fireplace Lounge

On cool mountain evenings — and they are all cool at this elevation — the Fireplace Lounge becomes the heart of the lodge. This intimate space, centered around a large stone fireplace, serves as both a bar and a gathering place where guests share stories, play board games, and savor after-dinner drinks. The bar offers a curated selection of Costa Rican craft beers, local wines from the emerging Central American wine scene, and specialty cocktails featuring highland ingredients like blackberry, mint, and coffee liqueur. The signature drink, the "Quelital Cloud" — a warm cocktail of local aguardiente, coffee, cinnamon, and raw cane sugar — has become a guest favorite and the perfect nightcap before retreating to your room beneath heavy duvets.

Garden Terrace (Seasonal)

During the drier months (December through April), the Garden Terrace opens for al fresco dining among the organic gardens. Long communal tables are set among the vegetable beds and flowering bushes, and multi-course dinners featuring the garden's harvest are served family-style under string lights as the highland sunset paints the sky in shades of rose and gold. These garden dinners are among the most memorable dining experiences in the region — intimate, convivial, and deeply connected to the land.

Why Stay at Hotel & Spa Quelitales

• Authentic cloud forest immersion — Experience Costa Rica's magical highland ecosystem from an intimate eco-lodge surrounded by pristine forest, organic gardens, and the calls of quetzals and bellbirds.
• Volcanic spa experience — The spa's signature volcanic mud treatments and botanical therapies harness the geothermal energy and natural riches of the Turrialba region for deeply restorative wellness.
• A genuine hidden gem — Far from the tourist crowds of the coast, Quelitales offers an unspoiled, authentic encounter with Costa Rica's rural heritage, coffee culture, and highland traditions.
• Farm-to-table dining — The restaurant sources ingredients from its own organic garden and neighboring farms, delivering cuisine that is fresh, seasonal, flavorful, and deeply connected to the land.
• Gateway to unique adventures — From world-class white-water rafting on the Pacuare River to hiking the volcanic highlands and birdwatching in cloud forest reserves, the region offers experiences found nowhere else in Costa Rica.

Explore more Costa Rica hotel options in our Top 10 Hotels in Costa Rica guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the weather like at Hotel Quelitales?

Due to its elevation of approximately 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) above sea level, Quelitales experiences a cool, temperate climate that is quite different from the hot, humid conditions found on Costa Rica's coasts. Daytime temperatures typically range from 18°C to 24°C (64°F to 75°F), while nights can drop to 10°C to 14°C (50°F to 57°F). Mist and light rain are common, especially in the afternoon — this is a cloud forest, after all. Guests should pack layers, a light jacket, and a rain shell. The hotel provides warm blankets, and rooms with fireplaces offer a cozy retreat from the mountain chill.

Is Hotel Quelitales suitable for families?

Absolutely. Quelitales welcomes families and offers a range of activities that children love, including garden tours, birdwatching walks, and cooking classes. The Eco-Cabin with its kitchenette is particularly popular with families. However, parents should note that the cool mountain climate and nature-focused activities make this a better fit for families with children who enjoy outdoor adventures and nature experiences rather than those looking for a beach-and-pool resort. The staff is wonderfully accommodating and can suggest age-appropriate activities.

How far is Hotel Quelitales from San José?

Hotel Quelitales is approximately 65 to 80 kilometers (40 to 50 miles) from San José, depending on the exact route taken. The drive takes about 1.5 to 2 hours through Cartago and into the highlands. This relatively short distance from the capital makes Quelitales an excellent option for travelers who want a nature-immersed experience without a long journey. The hotel is also a perfect first or last stop on a Costa Rica itinerary, allowing guests to decompress after a long flight or enjoy a final night in nature before heading to the airport.

Do I need a 4x4 vehicle to reach the hotel?

While the main highways to the Cartago region are well-paved and accessible with any vehicle, the final stretch of road leading to Quelitales can be unpaved and may be rough during the rainy season (May through November). A 4x4 vehicle is recommended, especially during the green season, for peace of mind and comfort. During the dry season, a standard sedan can typically make the trip without difficulty. Alternatively, the hotel can arrange private transfers from San José or the airport in comfortable 4x4 vehicles, eliminating any concern about road conditions.

Is the hotel eco-certified?

Yes, Hotel & Spa Quelitales holds Costa Rica's Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST), the country's official sustainability rating for tourism businesses. The hotel earned a high rating for its practices in environmental management, community engagement, and cultural preservation. Specific sustainable practices include solar water heating, rainwater harvesting, organic gardening without chemical inputs, composting of food waste, employment of local community members, and support for local schools and cultural programs. The hotel's commitment to sustainability is not a marketing add-on — it is woven into the fabric of everything they do.