Playa Cativo Lodge — Hotel in Golfito

My wife and I spent 3 days at Playa Cativo and had a great stay. We were there May/June in shoulder season when there is low occupancy and we had the grounds almost completely to ourselves. We stayed in a screen enclosed private casita on a hill, that was quiet with a hammock, plunge pool and outdoor shower. The full board, all inclusive meals were very good and the chef was quite accommodating. The staff were fantastic including our waiters (Kailyn and Kendall) who went out of their way to make for an excellent experience. They were very friendly and open when asked about their own life experiences. They also gave us mini-lessons in Spanish during the meals. Luis, the resident guide, is very knowledgeable, having spent 10 years guiding in Corcovado before guiding at Playa Cativo. The property is in a unique location. It sits on the Gulfo Dulce, north of Gulfito and is completely surrounded by Piedras Blancas National Park. Playa Cativo is only accessible by private boat, and the concierges (Theresa and Andrea) traveled with us to and from Puerto Jiminez. The property has easy access via a short kayak to an excellent and long snorkeling reef. There are trails to Playa Cativo's organic farm, which we toured, and to a nearby waterfall. There are also trails leading into the National Park but they require a guide. The beach area is wide and water is warm, calm and quiet. We have been to beaches on the Hawaiian islands, Cozumel and St Johns - and this would rival those places for swimming beaches (albeit not the typical white sandy beach - these are more rocky). What those other places have however is far more people, far less pristine setting, and less friendly; Playa Cativo instead offers solitude in a peaceful, safe resort. Staying here is not inexpensive, but it buys your own private beach...

What can I say about this fabulous lodge? The setting is sublime being located a reasonable boat ride away within a national park. The facilities are fantastic and the rooms large, airy and beautifully furnished and prepared.

The staff here are extremely friendly and highly knowledgeable about the history of the lodge and it's surroundings. During our stay they were always polite and attentive without being intrusive.

The lodge is eco friendly, with water turbines helping to provide the power. They are also in the process of repairing the ecosystem to restore and preserve the fragile coast line which is in danger of disappearing.

The wildlife is literally on the doorstep with signs on the footpaths alerting you to presence of the wildlife. It truly is in the wilds here. The dawn chorus, and the howler monkeys ensure that you enjoy the most of your time at this environment. There is more than ample wildlife to satisfy the most ardent naturalists. Tours run by the staff are highly recommended, especially the dolphin tour, which literally blew us away, being lucky to encounter a very large pod.

Do note though that to get the best of these tours I thoroughly suggest that you join the early morning trips. This appears to be the main time to view the wildlife as they are quite active at this...

Cannot fault the staff, food, drinks and the comfort of the room, but this place is isolated, if that’s what you want you will love it. I stayed for 6 nights, which was probably 4 too many for me. I didn’t like the open screens around the rooms, the noise of the rain was deafening, as was the dawn chorus at 5 every day. Additionally if you are imagining a golden beach for sunbathing and relaxing it isn’t there. Also the sheer volume of biting insects around the pool area does not make for a relaxing experience. The excursions are ok, water ones better than walking ones, the guides are super knowledgeable. In hindsight I think the website is misleading, we were expecting many more opportunities to view mammals including wild cats, we didn’t see any wild animals apart from monkeys, however there are hundreds of birds. It didn’t help that there was a torrential down pour at 3 every afternoon which lasted well into nightfall, making for a short day, I actually found it very depressing and am pleased to be away. If you want unspoilt solitude, give it a go, I am afraid it...