"El Silencio is a beautiful, serene, and delightful retreat. We spent 4 nights here in early March. First, the people working at the resort were wonderful in every way and made our stay all the better. Our driver Nelson navigated the tricky drive to/from the lodge through the cloudy mountains like a pro! He even put up with us asking him to stop randomly to try to see cool birds. Fernanda made our check-in smooth and easy. Alejandro and Andres always took the best care of us in the restaurant. Everyone we interacted with was great. As beautiful as the property is, the people working there are what make this place really top tier. We loved the food at the restaurant, our compliments to the chef! In 5 days, 4 nights, we never had a bad meal. The bread in particular was always freshly baked and delicious (along with the dips that went with it at dinner!), and all the food was always fresh and tasty. The presentation of the dishes is gorgeous, something you’d expect from a 5 star restaurant. The variety they’re able to offer is impressive, given how difficult it must be to source ingredients in such a remote location. Also, don’t forget to see the bar! It’s a great place to unwind, with beautiful, cool decor and big TVs to catch a game on, and the bartender and the drinks are great! The mocktails I had were imaginative and delicious. We stayed in the Quetzal villa, which was stunning. Two bedrooms, 2.5 baths, hardwood floors, beautiful carved wood furniture. Gorgeous, spa-like bathrooms (with delicious-smelling bath products), a fridge and well-appointed kitchen. The porch had lots of beautiful typical Costa Rican rocking chairs and, of course, a hot tub. Took about 30 mins to heat up, and was a great place to sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine in that gorgeous, lush setting. For anyone interested in birding here, there are lots of great birds to see (this is Costa Rica, after all). We were greeted by a gorgeous collared trogon casually perched at the entrance, stunning golden-browed chlorophonia flitting around right in front of us at the restaurant, swallow-tailed kites soaring overhead, and even an adorable yellow-thighed brushfinch we got to help find his way out of the reception area, where he’d gotten lost trying to steal some coffee ;). We birded the property mostly by ourselves, but we also traveled around the area with Diego, the guide the lodge recommended (and who also sometimes does the lodge’s own birding tours) and he was fantastic. While we didn’t do any of the group activities, I was amazed at the great variety they offered, and other guests we talked to really enjoyed them. Oh, and the hikes! This place is a hiker’s dream. All in all, a great stay. Beautiful rooms, breathtaking scenery, great activities, and wonderful people."

"We stayed at El Silencio for a four-night mother-daughter retreat into nature. Everything about Ell Silencio was wonderful, especially the staff. Yes it is pricey, but it was worth it. Our villa was beautiful and comfortable with all the amenities we wanted. The balcony looked onto a wooded area and the jacuzzi was so relaxing. We slept very well in the comfy beds. The food was delicious and, when compared to other Relais & Châteaux properties, very reasonably priced. We especially enjoyed eating food that was harvested from the property, such as the trout, eggs and many of the greens. We participated in 4 activities: the mystic hike, magic waterfalls, private bird watching and Arenal Visit. For each, our guides were fantastic, with a special nod to Daniel and Estivan (with apologies if I am not spelling correctly). My daughter and I are fairly serious birders and we would not recommend the birding for first time birders, but for us it was wonderful. We were glad we brought light jackets, as the cloud forest can be quite cool, but this was very refreshing. We liked all the walking we did to get around the property and were so happy to get in "all our steps, and then some" while exploring the most excellent property. We give a shout-out to forest restoration. We were glad we had a guide for the waterfall hike, as without a guide we probably would have gotten quite confused about the paths."

"Despite some very unusual cold and rainy weather, we had a marvelous time. We stayed in a private, quiet two bedroom villa (#20) that had a gorgeous view of the mountains and rainforest, along with a variety of birds and a coati! The immaculate space had lots of glass for natural light, comfy beds, a large kitchen plus a steaming outdoor jacuzzi. Two in our party hiked to the waterfalls which they professed to be the best hike they had during our stay in Costa Rica. Bajos del toro is the land of waterfalls and well worth a visit to this remote location. Standouts at the resort were exceptional cuisine and service in both the restaurant and bar. Bryan, the mixologist was outstanding. Take advantage of the spa and wellness treatments. Linneth was a fantastic therapist! It is no wonder that this resort is part of the Relais & Chateau Hotels. Well deserved."