El Toucanet Lodge & Restaurante

I highly recommend the Toucanet Lodge. I stayed four nights in one of the Cabins and would certainly go back and will recommend El Toucanet to friends and family. The cabin in which I stayed was clean and comfortable. Local Costa Rica. Coffee on the porch in the morning was a great way to start the day. The Lodge and dining room were spacious and well appointed. I love the pictures on the wall of the local attraction, the Quetzal. I also appreciated having wildlife guides and birding books to help me know what I had seen during the day. The grounds were well kept with plenty of flowers that attract hummingbirds. The grounds include an extensive trail that went up to much higher elevations. I was able to walk more than a mile and found a forested section with large cedar trees and eventually found a spot to see the entire valley. I took several photos. The food was excellent with many choices. I especially enjoyed the trout fillet and the two different ceviche appetizers. The amount of care taken in the meal preparation, local natural ingredients used and the table service were outstanding. Jonathan, the chef, has excellent skills and showed creativity in every meal he prepared. Taking a few minutes to share a conversation with me after each meal made the experience more personal, warm and friendly. Michael did an excellent job as host and manager. Each morning Michael was available and constantly checked in on how I was doing. From my initial contact with the lodge, Michael was able to answer my questions, make some suggestions and always handled my requests with care. I was able to have the best of vacations because of Michael’s assistance. I wanted to see birds and other wildlife. Michael was able to arrange local guides to assist. Both guides that were arranged were great. Both knew the places to go and when to be there. I was able to see six Quetzals, a couple of Capuchin Monkeys and the Costa Rican Pigmy owl. In addition to these highlights, I saw many more birds and have some of the best coffee Costa Rica has to offer. The guides made the experience seem effortless and I am now left with great memories. Both Michael and Jonathan are excellent ambassadors of the fine country of Costa Rica and the Dota region. I highly recommend El Toucanet Lodge.

This was a great birding location and we saw many species sitting outside our cabin. We chose one of the two suites and it was very cozy! Staff are wonderful and always helpful. Michael, the manager and Lourdes, always checked on us! . The food was decent. Michael arranged a bird guide and we happily met some new people as well. Walking into town, was great! It is a very peaceful setting and gorgeous views of the valley!