Lapa Rios Lodge
Tucked into tropical greenery
Reefs and rainforest
Even in eco-obsessed Costa Rica, Lapa Rios Lodge in the Osa Peninsula stands out like a green thumb. The 17 sustainably built, largely open-air bungalows occupy sea-view perches amid 1,000 acres of protected rainforest – your closest neighbour is likely to be a howler monkey or a toucan. Take a wilderness tour of the hotel’s conservation zone, zip-line across the forest canopy, swim the pristine Pacific waters, or just sit back on the balcony and soak up that view…
Planes
The closest airport is the regional air strip Puerto Jimenez, a 45-minute drive from the hotel (transfers are included in your room rate). Sansa Air operates several flights a day to the region from San José’s Juan Santamaría International (SJO), the main air hub, served by most major airlines, including United and British Airways. Flights operate from New York, Madrid, Miami, Toronto and more. There's a departure tax of about US$29. If you’re combining your stay with a stop at sister stay Pacuare Lodge, it’s possible to charter a private plane for groups of four or more; and for an extra charge the hotel can pick you up from San José for a scenic seven-hour drive, sending a well-informed bilingual driver who knows the best photo stops.
Automobiles
Travellers wishing to see more of the country are best off renting a car, but be sure that it’s equipped with four-wheel-drive. Roads can be difficult to navigate in standard sedans. The hotel has free on-site parking. The hotel can give you detailed instructions on how to reach them, and their coordinates are 8º24’1” N, 83º16’50″W.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
The nearest town is a 40-minute drive along bumpy roads, but there’s so much to do at Lapa Rios Lodge that you’ll never be bored. Wake up early for a sunrise bird-watching walk (or wait until the sunset one preceded by a glorious natural light show) – there are more than 300 species, including scarlet macaws (which the lodge is named after), toucans and endemic ant tanagers. Later in the morning, hike the hotel’s rainforest trail (with a guide), there’s a staggering 2.5 per cent of the world’s biodiversity concentrated in the Osas Peninsula, so it’s even more of a creature feature than Noah’s ark. You’ll see cheeky monkeys, kinkajous, sloths, skunks, armadilloes, anteaters, opossums, bats, frogs, lizards, snakes and all manner of creepy crawlies – all of which keep the delicate environs in balance. You could also take the Osa Trail, which is studded with trap cameras, so you can pause to see which animal hijinx have been taking place in your absence; or head out after sundown to see shy nocturnes. The beachy headland of Matapalo is also run-wild with furred and feathered things, and is popular with surfers for its unbridled waves. Under-the-sea residents come to the fore on a Starfish Walk and you can unleash your inner mermaid on a Wild Waterfall walk, which meanders along by the Carbonera River until you hit a picturesque glade where you can dive and swim. For a deeper dive into sustainability, visit the hotel’s Carbonera School where the educate locals on green measures, plant a tree onsite, learn how to unlock the healing properties of plants and trees on a Medicine Tour, and follow the hotel’s journey to eco-friendliness (including how they protected their garden from hungry critters) on a Twigs, Pigs and Garbage Sustainability Tour. Adrenaline-seekers can arrange for a zip-line trip over the tree canopies or a horseback ride along Pan Dulce beach, watching whales and dolphins surface as if on cue. Those who want to spread a towel down on the sand and chill can take advantage of the hotel’s private-beach-club service with transport to the playa, snacks, umbrellas and loungers. If you’d like your own dip in the Pacific, arrange surf lessons with local wave-rider Pollo. By that point, you’ll have earned a visit to the spa, perhaps a curious glimpse at any cooking demos taking place, and a chair by the pool.
