Pachira Lodge — Hotel in Colorado

Our family of 5 (2 parents and 3 kids ages 18, 15, 12) stayed 2 nights, 3 days in 2 rooms at the Pachira lodge and it was a magical experience. Our rooms were right across the path from one another and I felt very safe having the kids in their own room. The rooms were clean, spacious and you felt like you were in the jungle. We were told we lucked out with the weather which was sunny during the day with some amazing thunderstorms at night. The lodge itself was tranquil with wildlife all around us. The guests were respectful and kind and there to enjoy the wildlife which made such a difference when compared to the guests we met in La Fortuna. On the grounds we saw spider monkeys, holwer monkeys, sloths, a land turtle and lizards galore. The food was abundant and there were enough choices for even the picky eaters in our family. The pool was the perfect temperature to cool off and relax in between adventures. Finally the included tours were amazing. Ray was our naturalist and I can not say enough about how amazing he was. On our tours we saw monkeys, basilisk lizards, crocodiles, caiman, turtles, birds gallor including boat billed herons, tiger herons, and tucons. Ray knew so much about the flora and fauna and even after 30 years of being a researcher and naturalist in Tortuguero he was still excited about every animal we saw. That excitement made our experience so much better. Thank you Ray for answering so many questions with no judgement and sharing in our excitement of every discovery. We also went on the turtle tour with Dennis. On that tour we saw a small group of researchers measure and tag a new turtle who was laying her eggs on the beach. There were a lot of people on the beach our night and it did feel a little like an assembly line seeing each stage of nesting. That said I would do the tour again just for the experience. Finally the boat and bus transportation to the hotel are seamless and an adventure on their own. Marcel provided so much information on our bus ride to the boat. I hope you get to see the Banana runners on your trip as it gave me a whole new appreciation for bananas. Overall Pacheria lodge was a safe and magical place that I would recommend to any family looking to see the wildlife of Costa Rica! You feel like you are on the real jungle tour Disneyland is trying...

We booked onto a two night, three day package with Pachira Lodge, including transfers, hotel, all meals, and all tours. The organisation of the trip as a whole was excellent - transfers were on time, guides knew exactly who they should be picking up and when we should arrive, and timings for meals and tours were exactly right. Transfers to and from Tortuguero were on comfortable coaches. The boats to take you to and from Pachira Lodge and on your tours appeared safe and in good condition, with dedicated drivers.

The Lodges are a little basic but very clean, they had nice bathrooms with eco friendly toiletries to use. We were a couple but were put in a room with two double beds, which gave us one bed to pack on which was nice! The grounds and gardens of the lodge itself are well kept but still allowed to be a bit wild, which encourages animals like howler and spider monkeys, sloths, toucans, tree frogs, and armadillos to visit the lodge. The pool area is beautiful and clean, and a particular highlight was sitting in the pool in the afternoon watching the monkeys, toucans and parrots feed in the trees around the pool area. There a self guided rainforest walk you can do in the lodge area in your free time, which was lovely to wander on our own without a big group.

Food is served buffet style but is of a good quality, there was always plenty available and you could order freshly made meals such as pasta and omelettes. There was always a selection of fruit and vegetables, being vegetarian wasn't an issue.

Our guide for our tours, Julio, was fantastic. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and informative. He has worked in Tortuguero for many years and clearly knew the area really well and cared for it deeply, which was lovely to see. I hope he continues to use his skills to guide tourists around this beautiful area for many years to come!

Tortuguero itself is stunning and well worth a visit when you're in Costa Rica. Because it's one of the rainier areas of the country, the rainforest is particularly stunning and very different from the Pacific side of the country. Overall we had an amazing trip and would definitely return next time we're...

Avoid, if you can.

Could have been great, but wasn’t. There is no sense of customer service here, nor the romantic and private experience many come to seek.

This lodge - and its sibling lodges likely too - cater to large groups of tourists and optimize for volume, not quality.

The problem is - many, like us, don’t know they are part of such group until it’s too late. We booked what was meant to be a private tour, yet ended up sharing each meal here with others. At fixed seats we were not allowed to deviate from.

But that’s primarily a travel agency responsibility. Still, Pachira does not make things better.

Lodges are decent. Kitchen and waiting staff do their best. But reception-, bar- and general management disappointed.

There is no possibility what so ever to find private seating separate from the tour operator crowds. At one point we considered paying extra to take a taxi to the touristic village (not worth a visit) just to get away.

Food was served from a high volume buffet. Quality varied from non edible to okay. Bar options are extremely limited but cocktails are good. There is no possibility to get food except during the buffets set at fixed times.

The venue is isolated. This would normally be part of the charm, to be connected to nature and inside a national park. Instead this place just makes you feel trapped.

Make sure you bring games, books and other entertainment. Pachira offers none. If the weather is bad, there is basically nothing to do but drink in the bar.

The jungle tour, captain and guide were a highlight. No idea if part of Pachira or the tour operator (or maybe they are one and the same) - but a pleasant break and reason for being in Costa Rica.

The bottom line is - you may have no other option than to stay here. But if you read this before scheduling your (guided, scheduled) tour - be sure to find...