Best Jungle Lodges for a WILD Costa Rica Adventure Vacation
The best jungle lodges in Costa Rica offer the unrivaled chance to immersive experiences in pristine wilderness and have an array of fantastic activities on offer. Ideal for honeymooning couples and families looking for adventure, the country’s best jungle lodges bring the WILD right to your front step. Eco jungle lodges are often deemed to be exorbitantly expensive but, in reality, there’s a wide array of budget-options in Costa Rica. That’s because the sheer idea of a jungle lodge was probably concocted right here, in a land where sustainable and immersive tourism reign supreme.
We have a Costa Rica jungle lodge to suit your desires (and budget) and, because this is adventure land supreme, you can be assured you won’t be missing out on any of the fun.
Here are just a few of our favorite Costa Rica jungle lodges:
Rafiki Safari Lodge – Puntarenas
The Costa Rican gem with the Swahili name is nestled deep in the Savegre Valley, due east from the Manuel Antonio National Park. This is an exceptionally sustainable paradise, with its imported luxury tents set on wooden platforms and its dedication to ensuring your WILD honeymoon adventures simply never end. The daily array of activities is extensive and includes whitewater rafting, hiking, horseback riding and wildlife watching among other fun excursions. For downtime relaxation, you’ll have a crazy water slide and jacuzzi in which to indulge as well as gourmet dining, SPA treatments and magnificent scenery to admire. This UNIQUE jungle ‘glamping’ experience is second to none and absolutely screams Costa Rica adventure honeymoon.
Lapa Rios EcoLodge – Osa Peninsula
One of National Geographic’s Unique Lodges of the World, Lapa Rios is one of the eco-friendliest jungle lodges in Costa Rica and also happens to be one of its most astonishing. Set in the Osa, the least developed peninsula in the country (of Corcovado National Park fame), Lapa Rios comprises just a handful of amazing bungalows featuring outdoor rain showers, private terraces boasting jaw-dropping views and even hammocks thrown in for good measure. The lodge is set in a 1000-acre swath of private reserve, is self-sufficient and off the grid. This is the place you come to when you wish to be woken up by howler monkeys in the morning and not the beep of your mobile phone. You’ll have an array of outdoor adventures to enjoy, amazing local food and just an immersive wilderness experience that you’ll never forget.
El Silencio Lodge & Spa – Alajuela
This stunning 5* property is nearby San Jose yet somehow feels like it’s a world away from the rest of the world. Surrounded by the magnificent Bajos del Toro reserve and its many stunning waterfalls, El Silencio, as the name implies, is a haven of pure tranquility. The cloud forests drench this place in an ethereal fog of a morning and the sound of the wilds are a constant companion. With two national parks on either side of the lodge and a wide array of fantastical adventure sports to be had, El Silencio is ideal for those who want peace and adventure in equal measure. You’ll have a wellness spa and farm to table dining experience here, as well as yoga classes, authentic cooking classes and plenty of waterfall chasing dreams to realize.
Pachira Lodge – Tortuguero
One of Costa Rica’s remotest jungle lodges is only accessible by boat and if that’s not enough to entice you to visit then do please read on. Drenched in a bio-diverse haven of exotic flora and endemic wildlife, Pachira is right at the doorstep of the Tortuguero National Park, revered for its nesting turtles and for being one of the most isolated and pristine corners of the country. Your jungle experience can begin in earnest, with the property offering an abundance of animal spotting chances right from your front door. With communal tables, an intimate setting and rustic décor (you are, let us remind you, in a very isolated area here) Pachira suits those who want nature to take center stage.
Tortuga Lodge & Gardens – Tortuguero
A more upmarket option in Tortuguero, the Tortuga Lodge & Gardens is a glorious riverfront choice that offers daily outings to spot wildlife in the pristine rain-forest that envelopes the property. With a 3.5* rating, excellent meals, friendly service and a handful of gorgeous inclusions like a saltwater pool, riverfront viewing platforms and fantastic guided walks, Tortuga is among the best wild jungle lodge experiences you can have in Tortuguero. Rustic wilderness experiences have never looked so inviting!
Pacuare Eco Lodge, Limon
A stunning choice for rafting enthusiasts, the Pacuare EcoLodge is set on the shores of the most famous rafting river in Costa Rica. A dozen separate cabins make up the property, which blends seamlessly into the primary and secondary forests that frame the Pacuare. You can arrive here on a multi-stop whitewater rafting trip (imagine that!) and the whole place is set up for adventure lovers, primarily. Delicious communal dinners are served by candlelight and the guides will take you on walks around the lodge to spot more elusive wildlife and visit nearby waterfalls. This is one of the most untouched regions of Costa Rica and to have the chance to raft the Pacuare and enjoy the glorious setting of this totally wild lodge is out of this world.
Why Choose A Jungle Lodge For Your WILD Costa Rica Adventure Vacation?
Costa Rica is revered for being the birthplace of the sustainable-tourism scene and jungle lodges are something the country does superbly well. Put simply: if you don’t stay in a jungle lodge here…then where? Jungle lodge stays are an iconic Costa Rican ecotourism experience and, although the country is seeing a rise in fancy all-inclusive resorts, eco-lodges remain the most sustainable way to promote tourism in this pristine, wilderness-infused nation.
The True Essence Of Sustainable Tourism
Moreover, the ‘eco lodge’ tag isn’t just a gimmick here. It’s not like you can install a solar panel for electricity and have the job done. Costa Rica’s most revered eco-lodges are testament to the amazing benefits of sustainable tourism – they endeavor to leave a minimal footprint, to use sustainable materials and to disturb the nature as little as possible. That’s why so many comprise various detached cabins – cabins are built where they can be built, not where trees have to be cut down and wildlife disturbed. The food served is locally sourced, the strain on the environment is kept at bay and all those extra luxuries so many take for granted (like air-conditioning or paved roads) are done away with, in order to keep energy consumption low and the immersive experience high.
Getting Back To Basics
A jungle lodge stay in Costa Rica is about reconnecting with nature, primarily, whilst having as little an impact as possible. Head here to admire and learn, to enjoy and soak up and your Costa Rica adventure vacation will be a truly unforgettable experience.
There’s A Jungle Lodge For Every Budget
Various levels of luxury also mean that you can enjoy a jungle lodge experience no matter your budget. Although eco-lodges are, by their very nature, simple and rustic, there are plenty of astounding options offering 5* luxuries as well, whilst still maintaining their eco-friendly integrity. We love these luxury lodges because they prove the point that sustainable tourism doesn’t have to be rough and ready. It can be sublimely comfortable, luxurious and totally opulent too.
The Wilderness and Wildlife Experiences Are Unsurpassed
It certainly figures that if you choose to stay in a rustic jungle lodge, as opposed to a gargantuan all-inclusive resort, your experiences in nature will be more intense. You’ll have toucans eyeing out your breakfast and monkeys laughing at dad’s corny jokes. You’ll have a host of adventure sports and excursions that start right from your front door and will feel like you’re actually living the jungle not merely admiring it from afar. Many of the lodges are adjacent to national parks but, fact is, just as many have enough attractions in-house to keep you entranced for the duration of your stay. Jungle lodges are also fantastic places for learning about the environment and the social impact of tourism on local communities. Immersive, interactive and educational: this is what sums up a jungle lodge stay best.
Ask us about including a stay in a jungle lodge on your next Costa Rica adventure vacation and you can look forward to the trip of a lifetime.
