Pacuare Lodge by Böëna

We choose Costa Rica for our family vacation in search for adventure and a luxury wilderness lodge feel for my husband and I along with our 8 and 9 year old children. Pacuare Lodge more than deliverd and I cannot speak highly enough! Arrival- We arrived in SJO and stayed at Hotel Grano de Oro. The hotel arranged transportation for us from the airport and we were very pleased upon arrival. We were able to rest and prepare for the start of our adventure. Pepe met us on behalf of Pacuare in the lobby and was incredible! He was informative, funny and made us and our children so excited for the upcoming adventure. The ride to the lodge was great as he shared with us along the way and we stopped for breakfast at a great restaurant with beautiful views! The rafting in was amazing!! The children had not rafted before and this was a huge highlight for them. Pepe made it so special for the kids and us all. Danny was our safety kayaker and was nearby the whole ride. He took my phone to get some great action shots for us. The ride was adventurous, but we felt very comfortable with our children being there. Concierge- Upon arrival we were greeted with a delicious tropical smoothie. Eimy was the concierge and was so kind and welcoming to make sure we knew where everything was, explain what to expect and share with us all activities options and help us get our schedule arranged. Nia also assisted us during our stay and was so kind and helpful. We did two bags of laundry while on site and loved leaving with dry clean clothes. Having a dedicated person there all the time for absolutely anything we needed made us feel confident we were making the most of every minute of our stay. They went above and beyond! Room type- We were in Morpho which is a linda vista suite. It was high up and offered the most amazing views!! Waking to see sunrise was something I will never forget. The incredibly attentive staff delivered coffee and sweets to our room at 6:15am for us to enjoy while relaxing on the hanging swing. The room felt very spacious allowing my husband and I space while each of the children had their own beds. Soaking tub overlooking the views as well as an indoor and outdoor shower. Loved this room! The golf cart was so fast to take us anywhere we needed. I always prefer to stay as close to everything and did not know that I would enjoy taking a golf cart from my room, but highly suggested for the views and the golf cart system was extremely convenient and they came very fast. Dining- Meals were absolutely amazing! Each item we received was so beautifully presented and tasted incredible. Diana mainly took care of us for meals and made the dining experience perfect! She made us feel very welcome and attended to anything we may need. They offer so many delicious options and a nice wine list. Dining while overlooking the river with such amazing food was a highlight for us! Each member of the staff made us feel so welcomed and we could feel they wanted u

Not many places like this in the world. For our visit we were driven in via 4x4 then we rafted out down the river at the end of our stay. We had a suite in the gardens. It was excellent. Beautiful rooms, peaceful, nice layout, perhaps could have done with some more space for storing luggage (cupboard etc) but otherwise really on point. Liked the option for the indoor or outdoor shower. The terrace out the front was nice and we enjoyed our morning tea/coffee here and reading in the hammock. The rooms are settled in the rainforest and when you’re in your room you really feel apart of your surroundings yet the rooms are clean and generally bug free. Which given a few meters away there’s a humming jungle is pretty impressive. During our stay we did some of the included tours. The canopy zip lining is a real highlight. Dave and Gio were our guides and they were excellent – funny, professional and engaging. We saw so many different types of birds (sadly we saw no sloths or monkeys here although I’m told they do visit) and also insects, frogs, spiders etc. The night walk was great and we got to see a couple of snakes too. The loop walk to the waterfall we did with Alejandro was enjoyable too. He was very knowledgeable (all the guides were) and we learnt a lot about the local flora, fauna and people. Swimming in the falls was fun. Food was exceptional. One of the best places we’ve eaten in Costa Rica so far. As veggies it’s not always easy but the meals were not only satisfying but well thought out and inventive. I don’t think we met a single member of staff who wasn’t pleasant, smiling or otherwise happy to help us with whatever we required. The attention to detail really set them and the place apart. The staff quickly knew us by name and remembered things like what we ordered and how we liked things. Perhaps one downside was that the drinks are expensive (but then you are in a luxury resort and in the middle of a jungle). The only other constructive thing would be to put a couple of hooks in the bathroom for towels as we just hung them on the side after using. Really just nit picking. Breakfast up in the nest was a lovely idea too. Was great to be at the same height as many of the birds, seeing them in closer quarters while enjoying the great food. Our trip out was very smooth – despite it being white water rafting. Drivers took our bags to the end point while we spent several hours drifting down the Pacuare. We were a convoy of 2 rafts (one of 5 and one of 4) each with its own guide and also a safety kayak. The guys were great, professional yet fun. The lunch they put on was lovely. Given the limited space they had and the fact we were on a riverbank surrounded by untouched jungle it was great really. The river was low so the rapids were fun but pretty easy to navigate which I was happy with to be honest. Saw lots of bird life and the untouched jungle in the morning sun was one of the best natural things I’ve seen. Strongly recommend, it’

Love this place. Definitely for adventurers and not the meek. Zip lining is fab. Canyoning too but not if you’re scared of heights. Rafted to the lodge which was great but gentle rapids. Staff and guides are wonderful. Food is good but wish they had more choice.