Our stay at Corcovado Jungle Eco Lodge was the best EcoTourism experience we’ve had. We love Costa Rica, and have many fond memories from previous experiences. However, our stay at the Corcovado Jungle Eco Lodge is at the top of our list.
My party of two adults and 5 teens had the whole three-story lodge to ourselves. The lodge is surrounded by pristine jungle. The top floor comfortably slept all 5 teens giving them the best view of the well landscaped yard containing multiple pineapple patches, an orchard, and views of the surrounding Parque National Corcovado’s densely green jungle hills.
The proprietors, Carlos and Marna, set us up with an extremely low priced private mini van ride from San Jose to Sierpe just south of Palmar Norte. Carlos, the lodge owner, deep sea fishing boat Captain, and area guide met us at the Sierpe River. Before he arrived, we were having a great meal, with fresh fruit juice, and typical Costa Rican dishes at a riverside restaurant that had a boat dock off of its back deck. Carlos walked into the restaurant, introduced himself, picked up the tab for our meals, and along with one of his staff members, loaded our luggage and lodge supplies into their boat. Shortly after the loading, we shoved off down the scenic, Mangrove laden Sierpe River to its mouth and into the Pacific Ocean on our way to Drake Bay. This boat ride is a must for visitors when you consider its potential for Whale and Dolphin watching.
After landing at picturesque Drake Bay, our luggage was loaded into a four wheeler and we were loaded into a Range Rover for the trip on a hilly dirt road from the beach to the small town of Los Planes and on to the lodge. The road is surrounded by pasture and jungle. An added bonus was the drive across a river on the way. This event added to the total beauty of the location and overall trip.
Once across the river, and up the hill, we arrived at the tastefully landscaped grounds of Corcovado Jungle Eco Lodge. Here, we had fresh, organic Costa Rican cuisine cooked daily that included breakfast, lunch, dinner, and healthy snacks that comes with the room reservation. From the lodge, we hiked locally to beautiful waterfalls and swimming holes. We rode through the jungle on horseback to the Claro river near Playa San Josecito and the Pedrillo river. Both rivers enter the Pacific Ocean. After lunch, and a swim, we raced our horses along the beach before entering the jungle for the trip back to the lodge for a great dinner of homemade soup, fresh baked fish, rice, salad, and unbelievably delicious lemonade made on the spot. The next day, we took the boat to a the Pedrillo Ranger Station of Parque National Corcovado where we had an outstanding hike through this breathtaking nature preserve viewing snakes, and a host of other mammals along the way. Our lunch consisted of organic fresh fruits and vegetables including sweet white pineapple from Carlos’ garden.
It was tough to say good-bye to this economical, pleasure for the senses, all inclusive location. I highly recommend you pay Carlos and Marna a visit – soon!
Corcovado Jungle Eco Lodge
New South Pacific Coast Location With Bungalows & Luxury Tents Available
FORBES MAGAZINE CROWNS LOCAL OSA PENINSULA NATIONAL PARK AS
"TOP 10 MOST BEAUTIFUL PARKS IN THE WORLD"
With over 25 years in the hotel business in Drake Bay we are specialists to offer you a chance to experience the Osa Peninsula and its' star attractions like Corcovado National Park & Cano Island Biological Reserve, some of the most amazing places on the planet in comfort from our friendly jungle eco lodge!
Imagine a place where spider, white face and congo monkeys play in the fruit trees.. scarlet macaws visit for wild almonds..morpho butterlies sip nectar from orchids in the botanical gardens surrounding the lodge..snorkeling in a marine wonderland full of dolphins!
You can choose from tours to Corcovado National Park, Cano Island Biological Reserve Snorkeling, Whale & Dolphin Tours, Canopy Tours, Deep Sea Fishing, Scuba Diving, Bird Watching, Mangrove Swamp, Kayaking, Jungle Night Tours and much more or just relax in a hammock in our botanical gardens and enjoy our jungle friends.
Rejuvenate in our 100 acre rainforest reserve! This Osa jungle reserve is close to Corcovado National Park is teaming with wildlife and features fresh spring mineral water springs and waterfalls with natural swimming pools.
We can set you up with bungalows or new luxury tents in the rainforest location just minutes away from pacific ocean and fresh water river beaches.
Shuttles from area airports, bus stations and boat docks available
All Drake Bay area tours organized
All accommodations are cleaned daily with fresh linens and towels provided.
Room service is available.
Free national phone calls. International calls with phone cards-credit cards or collect.
Laundry service is available.
BUNGALOWS Prices per/night, per/person
Double $100 /Triple $80 /Quad $75
Prices include full meal plan.
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NEW LUXURY TENTS Prices per/night, per/person
Double $85 /Triple $75 /Quad $65
Prices include full meal plan.
MEAL PLAN
Meal Plan is included in the price and includes three delicious meals a day with refreshments. We specialize in serving international and local dishes prepared with fresh exotic organic fruits, veggies and nuts and local sea foods. All meals are served with fresh fruit juices, delicious Costa Rican coffee and medicinal teas. Many of the organic products are harvested from our botanical gardens surrounding the lodge. We have planted many exotic fruits surrounding the restaurant and are often joined by our jungle friends while dining. Kinkajous, monkeys, pizotes, tayra and lots of butterflies and birds are among our frequent guests!
In the evening enjoy dining with candlelight and torches then go for an exotic night cap with a native guide on our Jungle Night Tour!
Come and experience the enchanting sights, sounds and aromas of this magical rainforest reserve in our friendly jungle eco lodge.
Here's what our guests have to say:
In 30 years I have searched for the "ideal" cultural and natural experience. My passions are adventure, controlled danger, nature, finding a non traditional tourist environment, and personal day to day cultural interaction. Corcovado Lodge, Carlos and Marna, and Los Planes on Peninsual de Osa exceeded my expectations. Extensive 7-10 hour back pack hikes daily were of my choosing. They could have been less demanding, and the value would have been as great. Carlos and Marna listened to what I searched for, and provided the choices for 1/2 day, full day hikes, fishing, over night rain forest stay, water fall hikes with picnic lunches, sea turtle sightings (at least 20-25), over night back packing at the beach, slept in hammok on the beach, night fishing and rain forest excursion, and almost more photos than I can process. Biggest suggestion; plan 3-4 days if not more, and don't rush through. I stayed 10 nights, and could have stayed many more. Expect to interact with nature and its' elements. Few insects, and far less than what I encounter in Delaware on the east coast of the USA. If I saw 10 mosquitos in 10 days, that was a lot! Imagine landing at the last leg of any air service on a landing strip followed by a 4WD ride down paths, across rivers, passing walkers, local horseback travel, an occasional scooter or 4 wheeler, and arriving at the edge of the jungle. Parrots, McCaws, Tucans, humming birds, howler monkeys....and much much more a daily experience without stepping foot off the grounds. Hiking with Carlos, and an overnight 3 kilometers in the rain forest are as casual or intense as you choose. Carlos, Alfredo, Juanmar, and Bella, all were guides who took great care to point out species of many plants, animals, insects, tracks, and no rush to get through the tour and hike. Meals of fresh seafood, fresh fruits galor, often picking and eating while hiking. Unique for me was traveling solo, first time ever, and the interaction with the families, was the start of a continued relationship for me. Never have I been so touched, and so sad to leave a place and people. If you speak a little Spanish, use it and learn more. It is not a must, as Marna is fluent English and Spanish, and Carlos knows much English. I am planning my return, as I have found this place, and the people, to be for me, most special.
“Experience the Jungle Amongst Friends”
Took the trip of a lifetime in Feb/10 to beautiful Corcavado Jungle Eco Lodge, Costa Rica. It was everything you could hope for and more with the most hospitable, knowledgeable and friendly hosts and staff. Even the food was presented in a wonderful appetizing way. Our hosts Marna & Carlos arranged many of the day trip adventures that we took during our stay. Ziplining is literally only minutes down the road. The most refreshing waterfalls are worth the hours hike. Even the wildlife will stay for a photo appearance. Will most definitely have fond memories of this trip for years to come. Thank you Marna & Carlos.
“WHAT NO BUGS! AN ADVENTURE THAT TOOK MY BREATH AWAY!”
5 of us rented 4X4 (with Marna's help) & drove down the coast & into the Corcovado Jungle, arriving at night. Not wise but sooo much fun on the roads. There were at least 6 fords thru streams & rivers (that I walked thru to check the depth!) You can also fly & boat in but we wanted the SUV so we could be free. Marna did a great job organizing everything for us & had us fed whenever we straggled back to the Lodge. The wide variety of food was delicious & delicately flavoured. We fished, picniced & snorkelled at Cano Island & off another beach/boat tour. We also hiked to a fresh water lagoon (Rio Claro) & waterfalls & kyaked, canoed, swam, picniced & hiked to a huge waterfall near the Lodge. It was so powerful it was hard to breath! We rode horses & Zip Lined/ Canopy Tour. We were in safe hands with our gracious guide Gravin (?), who also spoiled us by bringing ice...to our verandahs). We didn't use our mosquito net ever & didn't even see anyone with bug repellant!! This amazing trip of a lifetime was adventurous but still doable by city folk. We met wonderful people from around the world, sharing meals in the open air dining room, where even the Kinkajoos could come & snack on bananas hung for them! ( Hi to Paris, Germany, Belgium, US...) We all loved it. PS my excellent ratings of rooms & location is taking into consideration that we were up in the Tree House with the Makaws & monkeys - excellent for an out of the way rustic environment! Thankyou Marna & Carlos Looking forward to a return trip! Ciao
My friend and i stayed at Corcovado Jungle Eco Lodge for 3 nights. Carlos, our local host and guide, greeted us at the boat dock on Sierpe river. the boat went down on the mangrove river and into the ocean, which gave us a real sense of adventure. (if you are planning to go to drake bay, i highly recommend to start your adventure from Sierpe river, instead of taking the plane right into the drake bay airport.) i saw many lodges along the coast of drake bay. after getting off the boat, however, we then took a 4x4 into the jungle before we found a beautiful tropical garden and a 3-story house. getting there itselt was, as everyone says, the real adventure.
Carlos gave us the "tree house" with magnificent jungle view to stay for the next 3 days. there was no windows but the room was well covered with screens. (actually i didn't find a single window in the house. they used screens instead of windows.) i loved the idea because i fell asleep to the mysterious sound of jungle night, and woke up to the bird-singing. Although i was inside the house, i felt like i was in the midst of jungle because the place was filled with beautiful sound and smell of the surrounding jungle. Carlos and everybody else were very nice and friendly. they live in the house, so sometimes it gave me the feel of homestay, especially when everyone (even two dogs!) in the family went hiking to the beautiful waterfall with me and spent the afternoon there. because of the location of the lodge, i didn't see any tourists but only the local people in the area. since the lodge is not in the tourism oriented area, there is absolutely no shopping, bars, or any of the kind. (we were served nice meals 3 times a day.) if you want true adventure, relaxation and tranquility, however, this isolated place right in the jungle is the best because the only thing you can hear at night is the live sound of creatures of earth. it was way too beautiful and touching. since rooms are not accommodated with own bathrooms, we used the second floor toilet and the shower the family uses. they were well maintained and clean, and i had no problem with them. (Carlos told me that they are near the completion to build more bathrooms with hot shower for the guests.) i cannot say the house was bug free, but no matter where you are in Costa Rica, you see bugs, and that is part of the experience. (believe me, i am scared of bugs, but it didn't bother me much because there were not many bugs or mosquitos in the house.) they grow fruits and vegetables in the garden, and that is what we ate. they were very fresh and flavorful.
Carlos was also a great tour guide. he took us to Corcovado National Park and showed us lots of fauna and flora. other than the family hiking (to me, the trail was not so easy but it was soooo much fun!), Carlos took me to a night walk in the jungle. that was something you have to experience yourself because my words are not good enough to explain the amazing experience i did have. again, Carlos was really knowledgeable and kind.
if your expectation is to have a full room serve in a laxurious hotel, Corcovado Jungle Eco Lodge is not a place for you. but if you want to experience something different and adventurous, this lodge is the best. people who are open minded, curious, adventurous, kind, and love nature, will adore this place and the staff. i am so glad that i stayed at this lodge and met such cool people there. i fell in love with Costa Rica, and would like to go back there in a year or so. then, i will definitely stay at Corcovado Jungle Eco Lodge again!
“Wonderful experience at the Corcovado Jungle Eco Lodge”
FILL OUT A RESERVATION REQUEST NOW!
My 8 year old son and I stayed at this lodge for 5 nights. While we were there we had the best eco-experience ever. It all started from the minute we stepped off the plane in Drake Bay where Carlos the owner met us to take us on our adventure.
Once we arrived on property after a short ride he brought us to our bungalow which was our own private piece of paradise. The bungalow was clean and comfortable.
The grounds were simply beautiful , there was so many different types of flowers, trees and animals on porperty, and lots of land to explore.
Carlos was our host and tour guide for the week. Every tour that we wanted to go on he set up for us with 24hrs notice and he took care of all the details for us all we had to do was pack our stuff for the day and we were off !
There are plenty of things to do, we took a hike 3km into the jungle to the most amazing waterfall and swam there for the afternoon, we went on a snorkling tour to Cano Island, took a day just to swim at the beach , and our favorite was when we got to go horseback riding thru the jungle and to the ocean. At first my son was scared but Carlos even took care of that and in no time my son was riding like a pro !!! There is also a Canopy Tour pracitcally right next door and you can do Dolphin tours and a National Park in the Rain Forest.. So much to do...I wish we could have stayed longer !!!
My son is 1/2 Costa Rican and Carlos was amazing on explaining and pointing out to him every little bug, flower, tree , animal and all the heritage of this beautiful country.
We had wonderful Tico food daily and my son who is a picky eater loved most of it and when he didn't like something it was not a problem, they just made him something else ! We had plenty of fresh fruit every day and anything else we wanted or needed we asked and then got it. !
All I can say is SIMPLY AMAZING !!! They are attentive to what you need to have a great vacation and I would definately reccommend this lodge and plan to stay there the next time we go to Costa Rica.
My boyfriend and I really enjoyed our stay at the Eco-Lodge last week. It was an amazing experience. Carlos was so knowledgeable about the area, its plants and wildlife, and and Bella took such good care of us. Beautiful location w/tons of animals everywhere. Macaws flew around our head and we got to see a kinkajou steal fruit out of the kitchen! We went hiking in Corcovado and snorkeling at Cano Island. Definitely make the trip down to Corcovado and check out the Corcovado Jungle Eco-Lodge.
Just got back from the Corcovado Jungle Eco Lodge in the southern part of Costa Rica. What an amazing experience!
We stayed at The Corcovado Jungle Eco Lodge - a warm and welcoming place that provided a comfy bed and a hot shower. Why mention a hot shower? Because it's the only resort with one in the jungle - it was a HUGE luxury! We were greeted by Marna and her two sons. (Carlos, her husband, was out catching the evening meal on his fishing boat.) Marna's a Southern Ontario girl who has built this wonderfully rustic resort with her husband over the last 20 years. She speaks fluent English and Spanish, and helped us immensely. Whatever we wanted to do, Marna had it arranged.
My most exciting experience was the zip lining trip - we walked there - it's a leisurely walk down a dirt road where children are playing and moms are cooking their fresh fish in open kitchens. The zip lining had 13 stops, and at one point you could see the South Pacific while you're gliding over the top of the jungle. It was awesome!
I said my most amazing experience was the zip lining, but as I'm remembering all of the things we did, it's really hard to place one experience above the rest. The horseback riding, for example, was incredible. We blazed a trail through the jungle right down to the ocean, went swimming on a beautiful beach, and had a great picnic. We got to go snorkelling around rock formations sticking out of the ocean, and I saw the biggest lobster, schools of fish, sting rays, the list goes on and on, and I looked back at the beach and saw our horses under the shade - I felt like we were in a Hollywood movie. And this is an area of Costa Rica where there are virtually no bugs!
My favourite story to tell is my fishing story. Marna and Carlos arranged for us to take a Panga boat for a half day private charter deep sea fishing experience in the South Pacific. Within two hours, we caught six Yellow Fin Tuna's, the smallest being 14 pounds, and a 35 pound Dorado, or Mahi Mahi. I guess they're called different names in different oceans. The Dorado took 1/2 an hour to land - I couldn't brush my hair the next day because I couldn't lift my arms above my head! But it was worth every exhausting minute bringing that fish in. The way it jumped 40, 50 feet out of the sea was just incredible. Oh, and all this time, there was a Humpback whale and her baby about half a mile away from us putting on a show.
We fed all of the guests that night with the fish we caught, and the cooks prepared fresh tuna sandwiches for the next day. We're really into deep sea fishing, having chartered many a Hatteras off the coast of Key Largo, but I've never had a fishing experience like the one we had on the South Pacific. It's true, the boat didn't have a galley, or a sun tanning deck, and the first mate and captain only spoke Spanish, but this only added to the memories, as it truly was all about the fishing.
All of these experiences could only be made possible because of Marna and Carlos. They've got connections! When we were back at the airport sharing stories with other tourists, ours was the best experience, and I could tell there was some envy going on from those tourists who spent a LOT of money for a deep sea fishing adventure, or a whale watching tour, and never caught or saw anything!
The Corcovado Lodge is a place I will return to every year. The food is fresh every day, and is good for you! A local farmer comes by with fresh watermelon and fruits with names I can't produce. I never felt healthier. They do some international dishes but mostly local dishes and you'll have the best fish, rice, beans, and fruit you've ever had. And the coffee is exceptional! There's a lookout deck on top of the main house that looks over the Corcovado Jungle on one side, and the South Pacific Ocean on the other - it's breathtaking. The cabins are all different, and built along the edge of the jungle. There's a private bathroom in every cabin, along with a coffee maker, and a mini bar fridge. Oh, and did I mention a hot shower? What an unexpected treat in the middle of the jungle. But I liked heading down the planked walkway to get to the outdoor restaurant for coffee in the morning. Sitting there listening to the Spanish ladies preparing the day's meals with the jungle coming alive in the background is a time I will never forget. I've never written a review on a trip before, and I've been to Bermuda, Australia, Italy, the Florida Keys, and all of the Caribbean. But the Corcovado Jungle Eco Lodge was such a special experience, I feel I had to share it.
Corcovado Jungle Eco Lodge is located in a wonderful and fascinating part of Costa Rica. It is a great place for enthusiastic bird watchers, tropical nature lovers, and off the beaten track travellers who want to experience rural Costa Rica.
The Lodge is located several miles from Drake Bay on a plateau near a soon-to-open entrance to the Corcovado National Park. It is in an undeveloped area with a primary forest reserve across the road, near a tiny settlement and traditional farms.
The accommodations are quite simple but comfortable. They are fairly new and are being improved. The food is excellent. Everything is healthy and fresh -- lots of local fruit and vegetables as well as fish and meat.
Marna, who owns and manages the Lodge, is a lovely woman -- extremely well organized and very helpful to tourists. She is fluent in English and Spanish. Her husband, Carlos, is from the area. He had a bad leg when we were there but is reportedly an excellent guide. Their children, Carlitos and Drake, both bi-lingual, are smart, good kids who were very nice and good companions to our grandchildren.
My husband and I spent a great deal of time bird watching. We had a superb guide -- also from the area who spoke excellent English. Marna organized a number of trips for us to Corcovado Park, a beautiful beach, an island in Drake Bay, a jungle river etc. Other options were available such as scuba diving, canopy zip trips, deep sea fishing etc.
Our family rode the small horses of the area which was a special treat for our grandchildren (ages 9 and 7).
We would recommend Corcovado Jungle Eco Lodge to anyone wanting to experience rural Costa Rica and the many national park, jungle and ocean activities available.
