Hotel de Montaña El Pelicano
Family-run 12-room mountain lodge in San Gerardo de Rivas, the village at the foot of Chirripó, with a pool and bird-filled gardens
About this stay
Set in the mountains near San Isidro, Hotel de Montaña El Pelicano provides a serene escape with a focus on family comfort and outdoor activities. The elegant accommodations feature private bathrooms, free WiFi, and private balconies or terraces, offering views of the garden or surrounding mountains. Days here can be spent by the swimming pool, which offers scenic views, or exploring the lush garden. The hotel's restaurant and bar offer a variety of cuisines, from local to international, ensuring a pleasant dining experience for all ages. With hot springs access and a range of services like a tour desk, it's an ideal base for adventure and wellness.
- In San Gerardo de Rivas, 250 m south of the MINAE office, about 45 minutes from San Isidro
- 12 rooms: eight in the main building and four stand-alone cabinas
- Outdoor pool and restaurant with home-style Costa Rican cooking
- Certified under Costa Rica's sustainable tourism programme
- Gardens visited by fiery-billed aracaris and speckled tanagers
Our take
Hotel de Montaña El Pelicano stands 250 m south of the MINAE office in San Gerardo de Rivas, the last village below Chirripó National Park, about 45 minutes from San Isidro de El General. Its 12 rooms, eight in the main building and four stand-alone cabinas, have hot-water showers and garden or mountain views facing the Talamanca range. There is an outdoor pool and a restaurant serving home-style Costa Rican meals. It holds Costa Rica's sustainable tourism certification, and the gardens draw fiery-billed aracaris and speckled tanagers. I would book it the night before a Chirripó climb. The 9.1 score comes from 362 reviews.
- ✓Sleep here the night before climbing Chirripó: the village is the starting point for the trail, so you can be walking before dawn instead of driving up from San Isidro.
- ✓Book Chirripó permits through SINAC well before your dates; overnight places at the base camp are limited, and a room in San Gerardo is useless without them.
- ✓Cloudbridge Nature Reserve is a few minutes up the road, a good acclimatisation walk the day before the summit hike.
- ✓Bring warm layers: the lodge sits in the Talamanca foothills, and evenings are much cooler than on the coast.
- ✓Visit in the dry season, December to April, for clearer summit views; the green season from May brings more birds to the gardens and wetter trails.
Why we love it
- Elegant family rooms with private balconies
- Swimming pool with panoramic views
- Access to relaxing hot springs
- Lush garden and mountain surroundings
Why guests love itHotel de Montaña El Pelicano suits active families with older children who want to hike rather than lie by the sea. The pool is a reward after a day on the trails, the four stand-alone cabinas give a family its own space, and the restaurant can prepare vegetarian and special diets on request. Birds come to the fruit trees in the gardens, which keeps younger children busy in the mornings. The full Chirripó climb is a long, steep hike that only suits fit teenagers, and the village is small, with few other activities. No thermal pool on site is confirmed by the hotel's own description. I would book it for a family pairing Cloudbridge walks with birdwatching.