Lapa Rios Lodge by Böëna

My wife planned this adventure to Costa Rica and my only requirement was that we would have Beach access. The beach was great. But it was great because it was natural. There wasn't a bunch of chairs with palm trees and servers bringing you watered down pina coladas. But I felt like I was in the movie castaway or an extra on Gilligan's Island. There was something extra magical about that. Don't get me wrong. You would see the occasional other person but ridiculously private and secluded.  We visited the beach three times during our week stay. One visit was to go surfing. The surf instructor that lives in the area was phenomenal. They provided easy to use surfboards and the waves where were surfer friendly to me. Props to my wife for even trying it as it was her first time. If you have sensitive feet, I would recommend bringing water shoes. I brought mine, but actually never wore them.   Temperatures were hot and it only took our bodies a day or so to acclimatize coming from Canada. We stayed in a basic room (no AC) and slept excellent with the ceiling fan.In fact, that when we got home we went to buy new pillows because we realized the ones we had at home weren't as good as the ones on resort. I can't say enough great things about the food. I think I actually lost weight eating here. If that's even possible. Everything was just delicious, healthy real ingredient food creations. I took pictures of the menus in the hopes that I could recreate some of the dishes served during our week's stay... And I tried items on both the plant-based and non-plant-based menus. We mostly drank water. And occasionally had evening drinks during the week but we also had one get drunk day. Cocktails were delicious and fresh. Beers were always cold.  I also will add that because this place is so remote, the other guests there became family during your stay. Like if someone saw a certain rare animal, they would come and tell everyone in the dining room what they saw. And everyone went out to go look at that animal... For us it was the sloth. Lastly, I can't help but want to thank the staff as well. Thank you for introducing us to your country. Your food. Your trails. Your unique animals.  I wish I had taken your sustainability tour but heard about it from other guests. My only recommendation to the resort would be to consider offering a cooking class & tour of the kitchen. Man that food was good. So good I'm mentioning it twice in one review. Yum yum yum.  This last comment is for those travelers who like to read all the reviews as I did prior to coming. (1) Phones: I was going to buy an esim before arriving, but ended up buying a 7 -day card sim card at the airport. It worked great on the beach but if it matters to you was sometimes spotty in-between the beach and resort. The resort had WiFi so that was nice too. I was very mindful of others when using my phone. For example, when calling family back home I did it in a public area versus on my balcony early in the

A truly special place for us to celebrate our honeymoon!! Everything about our 6 days at Lapa Rios exceeded our expectations. From the pickup at the airstrip in Puerto Jimenez that included fresh coconut water, to the insanely knowledgeable staff -everyone from the drivers to the servers to the guides seemed to know everything about the nature reserve - to the gorgeous canopy treetop settings with views of the sea (including from the pool), the food!!! the luxurious but still natural-feeling villa.....just an incredible experience. Do not miss the night hike, as you will get to see all kinds of wildlife that you would miss in daytime (red eyed frog, we saw a sloth up close!). The guides are amazing and knowledgeable about the many birds and trees and animals in the rainforest that is basically all encompassing around you constantly. We had three types of monkeys eating and playing on our deck daily, hummingbirds and macaws were a constant presence. Don't miss a beach visit, you can easily walk there but the lodge will drive you in a 4x4 and set up chairs and a cooler. It's basically your own private beach as the only other people we saw were surfing at the far end. Not the best for swimming with rocks and sandy waves but beautiful to walk and relax. The best thing about staying here is that you can be totally immersed in the hiking and birdwatching and sign up for multiple activities every day, or you can do a bit of it and relax the rest of the time. We enjoyed doing one hike a day and enjoying the views and relaxing at the pool or on the deck the rest of the day. A lot of walking is part of a visit to this magical place, so just be aware of that in advance. It's remote and feels that way, which is part of the advantage. Don't expect amenities (or an easy road)outside of the lodge, but they have everything so who cares. The concierge staff will set up anything and everything you need. We were there for the start of rainy season and it lived up to the name, very humid and rainy once a day, but it's a rainforest so that's just part of the magic. Plan for quick dry clothing and make use of the natural insect repellent they provide in your room. Special shout out to Jafeth and Enrique who made our stay so fun. We cannot wait to return.

We absolutely loved this place. We’d looked at it many times but I’d always dismissed it as thought it didn’t have any air-conditioning and whilst I don’t mind the heat, I do like to be able to sleep in cool temps. We suddenly discovered the Matapalo Suites do have air con. There are just two of these to the right of reception. They have a flat board walk so are ideal for anyone not liking lots of steps or I’m sure they are designed for wheelchair access too. We’ve driven all over Costa Rica but didn’t want to spend the time on the long drive down, as we’ve done half that busy highway before, so opted to catch the flight to the small airport at Puerto Jimenez. We booked ourselves and it was an easy transfer from San Jose. They do weigh you and your luggage (inbound and outbound flight). (We left some luggage at the Marriott in San Jose). The airport is literally a runway ***** that pulls up next to a cemetery! The drivers meet you at the edge of the runway ***** by a gate, so it was easy to find the driver wearing a LR shirt! They have a private building where you can get a drink and bathrooms before your drive to the resort. It’s quite a bumpy road. Not far as the crow flys, just bumpy with pot holes. I was told if you drove there, they’d provide detailed instructions about the bridges you can drive over and the ones where you cross through the river. I imagine after heavy rain this could be quite exciting. The drivers know every pot hole. It takes about an hour. It’s really not a long distance it’s just the road or lack of! We arrived at the most wonderful place in the forest with birds flying around and monkeys in the trees. The property is really pretty and nicely designed. There are two main areas for dining, either the main restaurant or by the bar area just up from the pool. Both have amazing scenic views down to the sea. The food throughout our trip was fantastic and whilst the portions are not massive, there’s so much food with three courses we had more than we needed! It’s not only delicious but presented beautifully every time. It was a delight to eat every meal. Our favorite pudding was the passionfruit cheesecake. But we loved breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was such a relaxed experience and a pleasure to just sit and look at the view and the wildlife. The menu changed daily and there were lots of choices and a particularly thoughtful and exciting vegetarian menu. I’m not vegetarian but several times I chose this option as they were so creative and delicious. (We were also in the bar one day and the chef asked us to try a couple of dishes they were planning to add to the menu and asked for comments!). The service was great and the staff friendly and very attentive. They quickly learnt our names and our preferences. I was even brought a drink before I'd asked for it by one of the team who knew what I'd order! We had a great time talking to the team. You could order a bottle of wine and if you only drunk

Lapa Rios is fantastic. We stayed in the Matapalo suite for four nights in May, took several onsite hikes/tours, went to the beach on our own, and did the Corcovado by land trip for most of a day. Everything was topnotch and the birds and wildlife are incredible. The lodge is on protected land including primary forest and we saw scarlet macaws close up every day, toucans, four species of monkeys, poison dart frogs...and plenty more. The guides were fantastic. The sustainability tour was an unexpected highlight for me, interesting to anyone who wants to know how a place like lapa rios operates. We were in one of the two suites with air conditioning. We didn't use it at night because we wanted to hear the forest, but we cooled the room during the day. There is a good breeze so I don't consider A/C necessary, but it was nice to have. One thing to be aware as noted in some other reviews is that some rooms are quite a few steps down from the main lodge/dining area. If you have mobility issues that's worth taking into account and getting a closer room. The food was excellent, very well prepared, creative. The staff is very friendly and helpful. If you're looking for the best nature experience in Costa Rica I don't think you can do better that Lapa Rios, particularly if you go into Corcovado.

Unbelievably good set of lodges on the Osa Peninsula. Run by the Boena group this is a truly exceptional lodge. The self contained lodges are clean and well maintained with outdoor and indoor showers, balcony and large balcony. The food at the lodge is wonderful and the staff are very friendly and helpful. Our lodge was a bit of a trek from the main building which could be an issue for less able patrons. The hotel pool is good with waiter service and comfortable loungers. The eco credentials of this lodge are second to none and the tours offered as part of the experience are well worth taking. Did not want to leave.

Lapa Rios - A Magical Communion with Nature The Lapa Rios experience starts right at the Puerto Jimenez Airport… we were 2.5 hours ahead of schedule when we landed and we showed up at their small office right by the airport. The staff was very efficient and 20 minutes later our private ride arrived to pick us up. It was a 40-or-so minutes smooth ride in a comfortable 4x4 during which we already saw scarlet macaws, colorful birds of prey and multiple species of singing birds. Arrival with a welcome drink and a smile, and our room was ready ! The room we took overlooked the Golfo Dulce with screened windows on 3 walls: the tropical forest comes alive at dusk and we were right in it throughout our stay, all the way to the howler monkeys at 3:17AM, as well as feeling the humidity. The room we took had electricity but no A/C. That was by design to fully enjoy nature, but if anyone is sensitive to heat and humidity you may want to take an upgrade. We took many included excursions and all the guides were super knowledgeable… one of them a former park ranger at Corcovado National Park who came across part Indiana Jones, part Crocodile Hunter… he was awesome ! All in all, we saw at least 25 different species of birds, amphibians and mammals and it was a truly memorable experience all around. The food menu has 3 different rotations for lunch and diner and we ate alfresco every day, with spider monkeys spying over us but never approaching our tables and that’s the amazing thing… for all those years the animals, while habituated to humans, but don’t approach the tables at anytime. The Lapa Rios experience ends the same way it started: your private 4x4 ride during which we saw more animals and birds, our driver accompanied us to the Sansa Airline desk and confirmed we were all set. We waited at the Lapa Rios office with A/C until our flight departed. This establishment is noted by name in the travel book “A Thousand Places to see before you Die” and the experience was worth every penny. Thank you !!

We spent 3 nights at Lapa Rios Lodge in March. It was one of the best travel experiences we have ever had. Our room had a huge deck with an outdoor shower and fantastic water views and complete privacy. Our guide Frank Chaves was phenomenal. He was knowledgeable, patient, enthusiastic and fun! We went on early morning bird walks, the Osa hike, night walk, and swam in the pool and ocean. We saw all 4 types of monkeys, sloths, armadillo, coatis, enormous iguana, and over 80 species of birds. Some of the best wildlife viewing was from our deck. The food was incredible. Great fish, fruit, desserts, soups, and always many delicious vegetarian options. The service was amazing, especially Vilma who delighted us with her friendly hospitality and her gentle way. Our drivers to and from Puerto Jimenez were very friendly, pointing out sights and telling us stories along the way. The staff all seemed genuinely interested in sharing their Osa Peninsula with us. We would love to return one day.

Lapa Rios is a very special place. Reached after a 40 minute transfer by 4x4 its as part of the rainforest and absolutely amazing. The rooms are beautiful with stunning views and the sounds of the rainforest all around. The stall, all local people, could not be more helpful or friendly. The food absolutely superb. You can take part in the many organised activities or just chill and let nature surround you. We loved it.

This is the most amazing place! I didn't even know you could stay in the rain forrest! I got the matapalo room so I had AC! It was nice when I was hot after hikes or sitting the balcony to be able to go in and cool off for a few minutes before going back out to the rain forrest! The balcany had a nice lounger that I laid on and just listened to all of the sounds around me! I did the morning and evening hikes. I got to see a sloth, all 4 types of monkeys including a baby howler, and lots of spectacular birds! Food was amazing! Every single thing I had was the best think I ever ate! The beach was beautiful! I loved all of the large rocks and the black sand. They even brought my lunch down for me one day! Highly recommend! There is nothing that could have been better!