Time for Tabacon
Spa Expert Bernie Bert visits beautiful Tabacon and writes for Washington, DC Examiner: Steam swirls amid palm trees and waterfalls surrounding the Grand Thermal Spa at Tabacon, a resort at the base of Costa Rica's Arenal volcano. The rushing water lulls me into deep relaxation during a massage in one of the open-air pavilions where the magic of Tabacon comes alive.
Vibrantly tropical, Tabacon combines natural pleasures with lifestyle programs. There is a big swimming pool with waterslide for kids, and secluded adult-only pools. Spa treatments range from facials and massage to a cleansing ritual with a native shaman. The source of Tabacon's healing energy is thermal springs arising from Arenal, an ancient volcano which has hiking trails, a lake for boating and kayaking, and zip-line adventures. Shrouded in smoke, the peak lets you know there is thermal energy deep in the earth. And that energy is experienced in the spa's clay body wrap.
Within the resort's lush gardens, the relaxed pace is a perfect counterpoint for the frenetic tourist activity of Costa Rica. The open-walled spa pavilions provide privacy and natural beauty.
