Casa Cayuco Eco-Adventure Lodge

I am so glad I chose this ecolodge! The location and the scenery are beautiful and the whole package is great. The lodge’s collaboration with the nearby village is evident. Alondra and Paola could not be kinder, engaged and thoughtful. I loved the trips on offer, particularly the bird watching with Ramon. He basically has created a bird sanctuary on his land. I strongly recommend it.

What a beautiful well-run place. We loved it. On a secluded side of Bastimentos, facing the Zapatillas. We stayed in Mono which was tucked into the rainforest. It was the right choice, we saw a sloth the day we arrived and two the day we left. Jose is a star. He runs the water-based activities and we loved him. Very nice communal areas and a cute bar. All activities are great. Picking one is tricky but I'd have to say the mangrove snorkelling was really special. Also, go see Gary at Green Acres Chocolate Farm - a keen and active environmentalist. Be sure to take a kayak out, use the rock anchor provided and snorkel - just out in front and to the side of the accommodation. You need to go out at least 300 metres as Casa Cayuco is on a shallow, still sandy bay - not unlike a giant swimming pool. With thanks to Alondra and Paola and their team. We aim to return one day.

I want to start by saying that I would give our stay at Casa Cayuco 10 stars if I could! It was an epic experience for my extended family. Alondra and Paola were incredible warm hosts and made our experience very special. We travel a lot across the world and try to visit the "Best of Best" locations based on Trip Advisor reviews. I can confidently say that if there was a category above "Best of Best", Casa Cayuco would deserve it hands down.  Here are more details and tips that will help others. We were a group of 6, 2 parents, 2 grandparents, and 2 kids. - The accommodations were spacious, well furnished (lots of shelves to keep our belongings), good mosquito nets, water was warm in showers, bed mattresses comfortable, and pillows that were perfect. We occupied two locations: Tortuga and Rana. It was great. (We also met another family that took the big house with 3 air conditioned rooms that was also very luxurious.)  - The food was healthy, plentiful and delicious everyday. I loved the fresh squeezed juices with every meal. The table was beautifully set and decorated with flowers each day. We were there for 5 days and there was no repetition in the menu. One night they set out a meal on the waterfront deck for us under the stars. I liked how they accommodated the vegetarians in my family. For my kids they even kept the sauces on the side so that they could mix them in if needed. There were snacks each day at 5 pm, brought out to you wherever you were. They were so yummy that we had to make sure no one took more than their quota :). The cocktails and milk shakes were to die for. Very reasonably priced and humongous. When we returned back home we commented how we ate no junk food, and still felt so full and good all day. - There are one or two activities everyday. Alondra plans them based on weather conditions. We did all of them, but the ones that really stood out were snorkeling around a secret mangrove island and watching the Hawksbill turtle's hatch. The visit to Salt Creek was very educational. If there was any activity that I would skip, it would be the snorkeling at Zapatilla island. Sorry. Too many people, and boom boxes. (Luckily, Alondra sent us there early and we left before it got too crowded.) - My kids (12, 15) enjoyed swimming, kayaking, boogie boarding and paddle boarding at Casa Cayuco. All the equipment was functional. I liked how they created wooden tags for our snorkeling gear. (We brought them back as mementos). Snorkeling about 200 m off the coast where the waves break was incredible. It takes just a 10 minute kayak ride to get out there. The water is warm and gentle. You can just zone out watching the fish, nurse sharks, and coral for hours. Far, far, far better than Zapatilla. - Alondra and Paola were amazing hosts. They greeted you each day at breakfast and discussed the activities. There was never any pressure. They again saw you at night at dinner, elegantly dressed and asked you about your day. I liked how they always