If you are looking for unique accommodations in the La Fortuna/Arenal Volcano area, Rancho Margot is absolutely my top pick. You’ll be part of a true farm experience, and all your meals are included, so you can focus on fun in the area, and not on cooking or overpaying at local restaurants.

Pura Vida Perk: Get 5% off your stay at Rancho Margot when you book direct and use the code PURAVIDAMOMS at checkout. Rancho Margot has a two-night minimum stay. Check our DEALS page too if you are looking to save more money.

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About Rancho Margot, Costa Rica

Rancho Margot is a fully sustainable farm located near La Fortuna, Costa Rica, founded by Juan Sostheim, who is passionate about sustainability. The farm is situated in the primary forest near Volcano Arenal National Park, the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, and is the last privately owned land on the edge of Monteverde National Park.

The farm has been running since 2004 and relies on a mix of volunteers, paid local employees, and tourists to create an unforgettable experience for everyone involved with the farm. Here’s a quick overview of Rancho Margot, Costa Rica, from Sanjay Gupta of CNN.

Rancho Margot – Location

You can get to Rancho Margot either by leaving from downtown La Fortuna, or it’s also on your way to La Fortuna from Monteverde. To arrive at Rancho Margot, you will take the road that leads to Parque Nacional Volcan Arenal- it’s before the dam on the way to Tilaran from La Fortuna. From there, you will follow signs to El Castillo, or just keep right. It will take you about 45 minutes from La Fortuna to Rancho Margot during the dry season. There are lots of physical signs to guide you on your way, too.

Once you turn off the main road paved between La Fortuna and El Castillo, you will be driving on a dirt road. We did cross a small river on the way, too. Rental Car Tip: In the dry season, a 4×4 isn’t strictly necessary, but in the rainy season, a high-clearance vehicle is recommended. We love the Creta or any Adobe Rentacar Class G.

Note: I always recommend renting a car in Costa Rica for flexibility. If not, you can arrange private transfers to the farm. If you want to do a lot of off-site excursions, the farm is a bit out of the way, so it will be more expensive to get individual transport for tours. That said, we do a few nights at the farm and then a few nights at Volcano Lodge and Springs to be closer to the excursion action.

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Accommodations At Rancho Margot

The accommodations are Rancho Margot are free-standing cabins located in the heart of the rainforest. It’s like having your own little house- and it’s amazing. If you rent a bungalow, all of your meals will be included in the price of the room.

There is a rental house on site, which means you can make your own meals and stay with more people in the same house. If you rent the house, only Costa Rican breakfast is included.

For families, the best accommodation is a bungalow. It’s a self-standing room in the rainforest with two twin beds and a double bed, a sink, a shower, and an outdoor hammock and table. There’s a full wrap-around porch and railing- it’s truly beautiful.

The bungalows are situated off an uphill cement path and are very private and surrounded by tons of rainforest flora.  The ranch also has an electric golf cart for those who may not be able to walk up that path.

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Packing For Rancho Margot, Costa Rica

Rancho Margot is a farm! There are hiking activities, horseback riding, swimming, etc. But it’s not fancy at all! Farm visitors are mostly families and young solo travelers, and there is no expectation for dressing up for meals or anything.

In fact, you can expect to get dirty at Rancho Margot. The weather in the zone near Rancho Margot is generally hot, so pack for hot weather, and then you should be fine with just one long-sleeved shirt and a pair of long pants, in case it gets cool at night. You need:

– Sturdy shoes for hiking and horseback riding- we bring old tennis for this
– Lightweight clothes for the heat
– Ponchos or rain jackets (especially in the rainy season)
– Bathing suits for the pool
– Bug spray (I SWEAR by ParaKito)
– Long sleeves/pants for dusk and classes
– A sense of adventure!

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Food at Rancho Margot

Prepare to eat WELL. Every meal is included with your stay, and the food is healthy, simple, and incredibly fresh.

We enjoyed crisp salads with farm-grown greens, a daily vegan creamy vegetable soup, pancakes, Costa Rican desserts, and the best pizza I’ve ever had. Of course, breakfast included gallo pinto, and there were tons of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options.

UPDATE: Lunch and dinner were served plated as opposed to buffet-style during our recent visit, which made the meals feel extra special.

There is also a bar onsite that serves fun Costa Rican cocktails and beer (even Costa Rican microbrews). fare, as well as a great soundtrack and fun games for the whole family. (We played hours of modified Banangrams with my 5-year-old, which is where I found out that not only does she know the word culo, but she can spell it!)

So remember! Everything is included—from nourishing meals to twice-daily yoga—and you can save 5% on it all with the code PURAVIDAMOMS when you book directly.

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Activities at Rancho Margot

Not only can the staff at Rancho Margot set you up with all kinds of amazing tours and excursions in the La Fortuna area at a great rate (think zip line, hot springs, horseback riding, hanging bridges, etc), but the farm itself has tons to explore.

Farm Tour & On-Site Tours

The farm tour is a must for anyone, but our kids had the BEST time with all of the guides. They made the tours super exciting for our girls aged 2 and 5 and kept things interesting for the adults too. We saw a myriad of plants, a red-eyed tree frog, and a baby hummingbird in its nest. We also saw chickens roosting, fed pigs and milked cows, walked through the gardens and the living pharmacy, and generally laughed and played a ton. There is a living compost on site, and it was amazing and gross at the same time. Generally, the farm tour was the highlight of our trip.

Night Tours

We did another walking tour at dusk, which I highly recommend. You can see the diurnal animals settle in for the evening, and you can see the insects and bats that come out to play when the sun goes down. We also did another night tour where we saw countless creepy crawlies such as frogs, toads, snakes, and more. We absolutely loved our time.

Yoga

Yoga is a huge deal at Rancho Margot, and twice-a-day sessions are included with your stay. We experienced yoga with one of the traveling instructors, who was professional and catered to all levels of yoga, even to my 8-year-old!

Hands-On Classes

You can do a soap-making class, a cheese-making class, guided hikes, and a microorganism workshop too. These are an additional fee, but are really well-done. I just had two clients come back from Rancho Margot who said the classes were better than ever.

We enjoyed the cheesemaking class and were able to make cheese that we could eat and that was used in the kitchen. We also did the soapmaking class and were thrilled to be able to bring home several bars of soap as souvenirs and gifts for others.

Horseback Riding

We did the horseback riding tour up to the volcano viewpoint near the village of El Million,/ and the horses were well taken care of, our guide was an expert, and we had so much fun.

Swimming & Pool

The swimming pool has been renovated and is now heated. It’s a delight to swim in, especially in the early evening after a long day on the farm.

Playground and Family Bonding

Right near the bar/restaurant, there is a typical Costa Rican play structure with a seesaw, monkey bars, and slides. This means mom and dad can linger over dinner and drinks while the kids play within eyesight.

My favorite part of the trip? It was connecting with the other travelers there—there were other families with young children at the ranch, and the kids had a blast playing! The bar had a set of dump trucks and mega blocks for the kids to play with while the parents socialized.

We made a very good friend named Jimmy from Amsterdam, who spoke to my girls in Dutch while the girls responded in Spanish. Talk about an amazing world schooling moment for everyone—we now have three new Dutch words in our vocabulary at home—pannenkoeken, coe, and our favorite: sinaasappelsap!

🧼🧀 Whether you’re stirring fresh cheese, swirling handmade soap, or saddling up for a horseback ride—your Rancho Margot adventure is even sweeter with 5% off using code PURAVIDAMOMS.

SEE ALSO: The ONLY La Fortuna, Costa Rica Guide You Need

The farm tour is a must for anyone- but our kids had the BEST time with the guide Aurelio. He made the tour super exciting for our girls aged 2 and 5 and made it interesting for the adults too. We saw a myriad of plants, a red-eyed tree frog, and a baby hummingbird in its nest. We also saw chickens roosting, fed pigs and milked cows, walked through the gardens and the living pharmacy, and generally laughed and played a ton. There is a living compost on site, and it was amazing a gross at the same time. Generally, the farm tour was the highlight of our trip.

You can book a farm tour without actually staying at the hotel- you will tour the farm and have a meal. It’s a great way to explore a local farm if you can’t or don’t want to stay on-site.

We did another walking tour at dusk, which I highly recommend. You can see the diurnal animals settle in for the evening, and you can see the insects and bats that come out to play when the sun goes down. I always recommend a night tour to families who are visiting Costa Rica, and this was a great one.

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The Bottom Line

Rancho Margot is at the top of my must-visit list for Costa Rica travel because it is a place that truly represents the culture, ecosystem, and commitment to sustainable living that is a huge part of daily life in Costa Rica. We will be visiting Rancho Margot for many years to come!

I will say that we stayed for two nights and it was not enough to explore everything the farm has to offer—I would recommend 3 to 4 nights as an ideal stay, and that is definitely what we will do next time.

Ready to book? Visit the Rancho Margot website and use code PURAVIDAMOMS for an exclusive 5% discount. Also, check out our DEALS page for lots of other deals only available to Pura Vida Moms readers.

🌎 Don’t forget to use PURAVIDAMOMS at checkout to receive 5% off your booking—an exclusive perk for our readers who want to travel with intention and joy.

Rancho Margot is at the top of my must-visit list for Costa Rica travel because it is a place that truly represents the culture, ecosystem, and commitment to sustainable living that is a huge part of daily life in Costa Rica. We will be visiting Rancho Margot for many years to come!

I will say that we stayed for two nights and it was not enough to explore everything the farm has to offer- I would recommend 3 to 4 nights as an ideal stay, and that is definitely what we will do next time.

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