I Spent 4 Days At This Stunning Hot Springs Resort & Never Felt More Relaxed

No matter how much I travel, each trip is always a unique experience. I travel a lot for work. I also travel with my family every once in a while, which is fun in its own way. I've traveled extensively with my boyfriend and friends, and those trips are always quite adventurous. When I travel on my own, I look for a variety of things, including: new experiences, immersion in a different culture, and of course, time to unwind. Recently, I stayed at Tabacon Resort in Costa Rica for four days and honestly never felt more relaxed. This getaway allowed me to take a much-needed mini sabbatical, and of course, I also had the opportunity to snap incredible pics for the 'Gram.

Tabacon sits at the bottom of the Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna de San Carlos. Because of the thermal waters from the volcano, the resort is well-known for its beautiful hot spring pools guests can take advantage of. To make the area even more picturesque, the hot springs are remotely set in the lush jungle vegetation, which makes for some pretty epic photos. I've had the immense pleasure of indulging in a variety of hot spring experiences around the world, and I have to say, Tabacon has been my favorite by far.

The resort's hot spring pools are connected by cascading mini waterfalls, so the water is constantly moving. Bathing in them felt like I was sitting in a warm river that gently massaged my body as it passed. If I rested my head at the top of a waterfall and let my hair flow back with the current, it felt like I was getting the best head massage of my life.

I also took advantage of wearing my plush bathrobe everywhere. It felt so luxurious to be able to walk around the resort's campus with nothing on but my bathing suit and a robe that I could shed whenever I wanted to hop into a hot spring pool.

In addition to the gorgeous springs, the resort has a wonderful spa that makes use of the volcano's resources so I was able to indulge in even deeper relaxation. The treatment I booked was an 80-minute massage that used clay from the volcano to gently exfoliate and moisturize my entire body. It was so calming, I even fell asleep in the middle of it.

To finish off the treatment, I rinsed off the clay with running water from the hot springs. The warm water relaxed my muscles even further and left me feeling totally zen.

Though the hot springs were definitely the highlight of the trip, I also loved how many activities I had the option of partaking in the hotel's surrounding area. I strongly believe that excursions can make or break a trip, and I really enjoyed the ones I was able to do.

I took a horseback ride around Arenal Volcano, which was definitely adventurous and thrilling — especially when my horse started galloping — but still relaxing and incredibly scenic. I also went on a coffee and chocolate tour to learn more about Costa Rica’s agriculture. The best part? After the activities were over, I returned back to Tabacon and jumped into the hot springs to relax after a long day out in the sun.

Even though my trip to Tabacon was short, it was well-worth the long flight to San José from Los Angeles (and the three-hour drive to the resort from the airport). I was able to spend four full days letting the Costa Rican hot springs wash away my worries, and left feeling unbelievably relaxed.

Though I know that this won't be my last experience in a hot spring, I hope that every one after this measures up. Tabacon set the bar seriously high for me, and it's a trip I'll remember for the rest of my life.