Hotel Magic Mountain

You can enjoy a postcard-pretty view of Arenal Volcano’s perfect cone while lying in bed in most of the rooms at Magic Mountain. But even if you can’t see it from your pillow, every room comes with a private balcony or patio with a volcano view (junior suites have the view from a private Jacuzzi). Try to land a room on the second or third floor if possible, and the end units are especially well-placed. The grounds feature flowering gardens that let out onto a large free-form pool with a swim-up bar, and a couple of Jacuzzis. Magic Mountain is located at the far end of town, so a rental car comes in handy, though one could conceivably walk into town. The Lina’s restaurant here is quite good, and there’s a separate sports bar.