El Remanso Rainforest Lodge

Costa Rica is such an awesome country and then to top it off we spent our last 3 nights at El Remanso Lodge - the perfect place to end our holiday. The food from all our meals were so very delicious and enjoyable (5 star), the accommodation will take a lot to beat with our views over the jungle down to the Pacific Ocean, the guides we used on our various expeditions were so knowledgeable and a pleasure to be with. A TRULY MOST ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE!

We had a wonderful stay at El Remanso. We stayed four nights so we had three full days. The staff is great, every one from concierge to wait staff to guides. Our villa was comfortable and situated so it felt more isolated than it actually was. It was spacious & open and the walls are half screens with a double-door that opens up the whole place to the expansive deck. From our deck we saw a dozen bird species, had three species of mammals walk by and a monkey showed up in a tree. In the distance we had a great view of the Pacific. Coffee and tea were delivered before dawn each morning so we could sit with a drink watching the jungle come alive. The villas are spaced out so there is a lovely walk to the restaurant and lobby. All meals were in the restaurant which is a beautiful, open-air, well-designed platform looking over the rainforest to the sea. The breakfast menu has about ten (?) choices. Lunch and dinner menus are each about the same size but alternate by day. The food was universally tasty with interesting flavors and well presented. We found ourselves chatting with other guests in the restaurant and occasionally joining others for meals — it is that kind of atmosphere. We found ourselves sharing the resort with others who appreciated nature. We enjoy nature, especially birds, and we appreciated the trails on the property. We decided against any off-resort activities and were glad we did. Staff tour guides were excellent. They helped us find and identify many great birds. The guides were amazing. Some can do bird calls that are indistinguishable from the actual birds. We like birds but are also generally interested in nature and the guides responded by giving tours that were much more than birds. Notably, we did see the red-capped manakin moonwalk. You don’t need to reserve the resort’s activities ahead of time but it is good to look them over before you arrive because scheduling your activities is something you do upon arrival. We did the forest walk, the morning garden bird walk, the night walk, and the river walk. On our own we hiked to the beach (400 stair steps each way). We also did the sunset drinks halfway to the beach. The resort is really well managed. Staff are consistently friendly and helpful. The facilities are well maintained. Often a manager will cruise through the restaurant talking to guests to get feedback on how their stay is going. There is a lot of attention to getting details right. While fairly expensive, you get a lot for your money as nearly everything is included (alcoholic drinks are a notable exception): food, on-site activities, transportation to and from the airport. and coffee & tea delivered before dawn. The place is in the rainforest and provides a simple luxury that we appreciated.

Super mooie omgeving, op het terrein van het hotel is veel te zien aan wildlife. Leuke excursies met gidsen die erg veel kennis hebben. Het eten is super en alle medewerkers zijn erg vriendelijk en behulpzaam. Voor ons zeker een hotel die bij onze top hotels behoort. Mochten we ooit nog een keer naar Costa Rica mogen gaan dan gaan we zeker weer naar dit hotel

Amazing place with an array of wildlife on your doorstep. With knowledgeable guides, fantastic food and just lovely staff and service. A truly once in a lifetime experience. Rooms were massive, opening onto gardens full of bird and wildlife. Guided walks and trips included with guides who were passionate about their environment. Saw to name but a few scarlet macaw, all 4 types of monkey, sloth, snakes, tarantulas and much more. Couldn’t recommend more highly.

We thought El Remanso was exceptional. It was our final destination and we had enjoyed so much of what Costa Rica has to offer but here you were able to experience something special. They take good care of you, always asking if there’s anything they can do and going out of their way to make your stay better. The location is exceptional, you are immersed in the jungle and its accompanying soundtrack. The deluxe villa is wonderful and the sunsets are magical.

A fantastic immersive rainforest experience. We spent 5 nights, and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Everything from being picked up to reception, room, food, service was excellent. The guides were keen to share their knowledge, and we even had some interesting presentations in the early evening, to provide more context to the conservation, ecology and environment. The wildlife was magical, the shows put on by the spider monkeys and white faced ones on the site - were wonderful, the birdlife and other 'creepy crawlies' added to the atmosphere.