Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge — Hotel in Golfito

My sister and I recently returned from an unforgettable eight-day stay at the Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge on the OSA Peninsula. Our journey began with flights from New York to San José, followed by a short but very safe flight on Sansa Airlines – a truly unique experience in a small plane! A scenic 30-minute boat ride then transported us to this idyllic eco-lodge. The lodge's commitment to sustainability and conservation is palpable, adding another layer of richness to the experience.||||Lodge: The lodge itself is nestled within a breathtaking rainforest, teeming with wildlife. Our days were filled with incredible encounters: four monkey species, two dolphin species, pelicans, an anteater, a dazzling array of lizards (including the amazing Jesus Christ lizard!), vibrant butterflies, golden orb spiders, fiddler and hermit crabs, and a diverse collection of birds – hummingbirds, macaws, toucans, snowy egrets, blue herons, kingfishers, woodpeckers, ospreys, great curassows, tanagers, and many more. The lodge’s open-air rooms are beautifully designed; we especially loved the Crocodile room – a slight splurge well worth it. The intimate scale of the lodge, with a limited number of cottages and rooms, ensured a tranquil atmosphere, rarely exceeding 14 guests at any given time.||||Lodge staff:||The staff were consistently exceptional. Estevan’s gracious service and attentiveness ensured our dining experience was always delightful. Manager Caesar was personable, thoughtful, and readily available to address any needs. Hazel's warm welcome set the tone for our stay.||||Tours:||Our tour guides, Steven, Oscar, and Juan Carlos, were incredibly knowledgeable and passionate, expertly guiding us to remarkable wildlife sightings. Their enthusiasm was infectious! Memo, our charming boat driver, provided invaluable assistance throughout our various excursions.||||Our tours were the highlight of our trip. Pre-paying significantly streamlined our planning and allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in the activities. Our guide, Steven Acuna, was exceptional. His dedication to tailoring each tour to our preferences and needs was truly remarkable. He went above and beyond. He consistently providing refreshments – lunch, snacks, and drinks – throughout our adventures. We explored the rainforest on several occasions, including a memorable river tour involving a gentle kayak journey downstream. This allowed us to observe snakes, birds, baby crocodiles, dolphins, turkey vultures, blue butterflies, and pelicans. We even enjoyed the river tour twice, each time a unique and unforgettable experience. We enjoyed the snorkeling tour with a reintroduced coral reef (the snorkeling directly off the lodge pier proved impressive too!). The waterfall hike presented a unique challenge due to the dry riverbed and uneven terrain. While we didn't reach the main waterfall, the smaller cascade was a beautiful reward for our efforts. My sister participated in a birding tour, observing 12 different species. Steven wrote a list of all the birds they saw! We found the kayaking/coral reef tour too strenuous to reach the reef, but Steven accommodated us by shortening the kayak portion and taking us on a walk where the wildlife we encountered along the way was astonishing. The chocolate tour was great where we learned to peel, cook, and grind coco beans, adding many sweets that Steve brought including vanilla, honey, and coconut shavings for a truly hands-on experience. Memo's coconut-cracking demonstration was a fun and memorable moment. ||Steven also takes incredible pics including thoughtful ones of guests on tours creating even more memories. ||While the night hike with Juan Carlos was unfortunately impacted by heavy rain and mud, limiting our exploration, it still provided a unique and adventurous experience.||Overall, our tours were an unparalleled part of our trip, largely thanks to Steven's expertise and unwavering commitment to ensuring we had the best possible time. We are immensely grateful for his contributions to creating such wonderful memories.||||Beyond the tours, we enjoyed many simple pleasures: jumping and diving off the pier at high tide, relaxing yoga sessions and massages by the skilled and friendly Michelle, steps from the ocean. The rhythm of the rainforest, with its gentle morning and evening rains, created a peaceful ambiance. Evenings cooled pleasantly, requiring only the overhead and standing fans. We even made friends with Olive, the resident tree frog who lived in a wood table at the lodge where we ate, and Betsy, a bat who visited our room! The open-air shower, though charming, came with its own unique challenges – spiders, crabs, and other creatures seeking the fresh water. While we carefully avoided crushing the fiddler crabs, hermit crabs, and lizards, we learned to coexist peacefully.||||Some minor unavoidable inconveniences include bugs. Mosquitoes and sea lice were inevitable. The lodge's eco-deterrent proved ineffective for me. Next time I will use garlic pills and bug repellent. It helps to pull down the bed nets and using the overhead fan early in the day. The ever-present dampness meant clothes were perpetually slightly wet, though the lodge's laundry service was excellent and reasonably priced ($10.00/kilo). The solar drying room was also a helpful option. The dimly lit paths to some rooms added a thrilling (though occasionally unnerving!) element to nighttime navigation. The lack of clothing hangers presented a minor organizational challenge.||||The staff were exceptional, consistently friendly, helpful, and genuinely dedicated to ensuring a memorable stay for every guest. Their hard work and long hours are truly commendable, and we felt their dedication contributed greatly to the overall atmosphere. We highly recommend tipping generously, as many staff members use their earnings to support their families.||||Regarding packing, allow me to offer a few suggestions based on our experience. Light-colored, quick-drying clothing is essential. Think breathable fabrics like linen or moisture-wicking synthetics. Long pants and long-sleeved shirts are recommended for protection from the sun and insects, and you'll appreciate a lightweight, quick-drying towel for both showering and use on the boat. Water shoes are a must, and I suggest something lightweight and airy lilies Tevas or similar sandals; heavier options stay wet and can lead to discomfort. Avoid Keen sandals – we found them too heavy and cumbersome. Long socks are useful for the nighttime hikes.  The lodge offers welly hiking boots, and a wide-brimmed hat offers excellent sun protection. A travel mug is a good idea, as coffee is primarily served in the main lodge area. And don't forget reef-safe sunscreen, insect repellent, and a waterproof camera or GoPro to capture the stunning scenery and wildlife. A small headlamp is a must. ||||Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge offers an unparalleled opportunity to immerse yourself in the beauty and tranquility of Costa...

Nicuesa is quite a unique experience, the boat ride to the property is exhilarating and having no road access seems very remote and with nature, the rooms are hidden away in the forest and you have the use of snorkelling and fishing equipment as well as kayaks and paddle boards so there is plenty to do. We had a wonderful 4 nights at Nicuesa in February 22 but there are some negatives that I think people should be aware of.

This is not intended to be criticism of Nicuesa as it is truly a great place but in some respects I think it does not live up to the high bar it sets itself.

Nicuesa gives the impression of being sited in Pristine Rain Forest within the Piedras Blancas National Park but in truth it is a reforested cacao plantation, does this make a difference, for many people perhaps not but if you have visited a natural rain forest you will notice the difference. It is suggested that there are miles of scenic walks in this rainforest to waterfalls but in truth there are 4 or 5 rather uninteresting walks within the grounds and a hefty $40pp charge for a guided walk to the waterfall which some found unremarkable. Having said that it is set in a tropical forest and there is lots of wildlife close at hand so there is lots to like.

Nicuesa majors on its dining saying ‘Experience a unique culinary adventure at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge’ but in my view the food was not very interesting or particularly good quality. The evening meal was unbelievably rushed with plates being removed even if someone else at the table was still eating and the next course served as soon as the first one removed. Rather than a nice relaxed dining experience we were rarely in the restaurant for more than 20 minutes in the evening. Lunch and Breakfast were more relaxed but again the food was OK but not as good as we had experienced at other Eco Lodges in Costa Rica.

Nicuesa talks a lot about its Eco credentials and 15 years ago when it was built I am sure they were state of the art but by today's standards they are lacking. It is true they are off grid for water and power but with today’s solar technology it is inexcusable to heat water with gas, not be able to serve really cold drinks or provide decent lighting in the rooms. Nicuesa apparently have their own spring water but when we visited they were awaiting a new filtration system so drinking water was delivered in plastic bottles, not very eco.

Nicuesa’s pricing ‘suggests’ a premium experience but having stayed at several Eco Lodges in Costa Rica it is only average, the rooms are tired, we found screws in the wall where a towel rail should have been, thread bare towels and a not very clean room. This together with average food and warm drinks is not what I expected from an eco lodge that charges 4 times what a comparable lodge we stayed at charged.

To be fair we visited Nicuesa at the end of a three week holiday in Costa Rica so we had already experienced several other excellent Eco Lodges so if this had been our first stop we might have felt differently about it but it is a competitive market out there and businesses need to work hard to deliver the dream.

As I said at the top, we had a wonderful stay at Nicuesa and I wouldn't want to put anyone off going there but I just don’t think they deliver...

My daughter and I just arrived back home after four rejuvenating nights at the Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge. She is heading off to college in four weeks, and I was hoping to spend some time with her to reconnect before she starts the next chapter of her life. Nicuesa provided the perfect environment for us. ||The trip began with joyful Oscar meeting us at the Puerto Jimenez airport and whisking us to the dock and joining us for the boat trip across the lovely Golfo Dulce to our new home away from home. The trip took around thirty minutes, and along the way we spotted dolphins and kept our eyes open for humpback whales and turtles (which we were lucky enough to see later in the trip). Caesar met us on the dock with a warm smile and tropical drinks and provided a tour of the grounds, which were mindfully designed to pay homage to the natural beauty of the jungle. Along the way, Caesar reviewed the many activities which we would later enjoy, including beachfront yoga, a chocolate tour, and a night hike (all on the grounds) and kayaking and snorkeling (both from the dock). ||We had inadvertently booked our trip during the “wet” season, which turned out to be a huge blessing. Although there were brief downpours at dusk each day, the cloud coverage during the days kept the heat in check and the rain kept the scenery vibrantly green. The “wet” season also kept the lodge below max occupancy, which resulted in my daughter and I having the trails behind the property all to ourselves. I was amazed that the staff at Nicuesa kept the many miles of trails so well maintained and easy to follow. We did not run into any other people during our hours on the trails, but we did share our hikes with toucans, squirrel monkeys, anteaters, leaf-cutter ants, a green dart frog, and the sounds of howler monkeys in the distance. For three of the four nights, we practiced yoga in an idyllic setting with the sounds of the jungle behind us and the lapping of the waves in front of us. Although these were group sessions, my daughter and I were the only participants in two of the three sessions and had the full attention of the wonderful yoga instructor, Delinina. ||The activities at the Nicuesa gave my daughter and I something to look forward to each day and reflect on each night. However, it was the people of Nicuesa that made our stay so special. Oscar, Stephen, and Hazel deserve the recognition they received elsewhere in Tripadvisor, but I will say that every member of the team (their cooks, cleaners, boat drivers, maintenance people) all shared a warmth that made us feel like members of their family throughout our trip. I am very grateful for Nicuesa sharing the piece of...