Rio Perdido Hotel & Thermal River (Bagaces, Costa Rica)

About Rio Perdido Hotel & Thermal River

As it turns out, most of Bagaces County residents had never seen this amazing place. The bridge that had previously connected it to the county's more populated areas and the federal roadway system had fallen years prior. The bridge was never replaced, leaving the canyonlands disconnected, lost to the public. Additional exploration uncovered small pieces of shattered ceramic on or just below the surface of the land. With help from curators from the National Museum of Costa Rica, we categorized these pieces as authentic Chorotega artifacts, hundreds of years old. The Chorotega were one of eight indigenous ethnic groups inhabiting Costa Rica since the Europeans arrived 500 years ago. We realized that this stunning setting was an important gathering spot enjoyed by this ancient civilization. On the higher rocky areas, there exists a rare and beautiful "dwarf forest" ecosystem. Within the canyons, however, completely different species of flora are found. These robust trees have a yearlong source of mineralized water and grow to be just about as tall as the canyon itself. When all the foliage is dense and green in the wet season, the serpentine canyon practically disappears from view. Even a bird flying above the very canyon could miss the camouflaged river - hence its name, Rio Perdido, or "lost river."