The lampshades were mouldy from the damp and the fan did little to help.

The rooms are basic with only a small fan which does not help when the heat and humidity is so high.

Hoever, note that it can get very hot and humid and there is no aircon in the room.

The fan is old and makes too much noise at night.

The only downside to the property is the lack of air conditioning.

It is a green hotel, which means in this case that there is no air conditioning,,

The rooms are rustic, no aircon, no tv, limited wifi - and for me, that was absolutely perfect here (because I wouldnt want tv etc.

But it really is unfortunate that there is no AC.

The accommodation is basic, 2 small double beds, a ceiling fan, safe, and basic bathroom

No air conditioning which I see as a necessity in this climate especially after a day out in the jungle

The only drawback was that there is no air conditioning

but clean and tidy and does the job - as stated elsewhere, no a/c but fans.

Although this is an eco-resort (no A/C) it is bearable because it rains so much that the temperature doesn’t stay too hot for too long.

but it was extremely hot in June so lack of A/C was a discomfort that we Houstonians definitely felt!

So,there is no air conditioning or hair dryers.

Obviously there's no air con as it's an eco lodge

Very basic rooms, without A/C and it was steaming hot while we were there.

Then on the boat he was again giving loads of bits of info as well helping us spot wildlife on the journey in.

Mauricio, our boat captain, could spot the smallest of creatures from miles away.

The hotel is very simple and rustic inserted in the middle of nature with exclusive access by boat.

Trip by boat around rainforest canals, trip to tortuguero village and kayaking through rain forest canals.

Spent 2 nights at the lodge making in a number of boat rides to see local village and wildlife.

The only way of reaching the property is by boat, and when we were leaving, the boat ride took well over 2 hours in the heat.

We flew in and a staff member was waiting for us at the airstrip and took us by boat to the dock, just a minute away.

Getting to the lodge is great fun (by boat), as are the excursions.

The motor of the boats scare away the animals and you wont see as much as in kayak.

I like being on boats and on the water and it was kind of a cool thing,

We also went on a boat tour and a hike at the Cerro with Jainer and Chito.

You get to see a lot of wildlife and trips on the boat were quite enjoyable,we did one with Jason and another one with Luis, they were quite good at spotting wildlife!.We went for a night walk with Carlos to try and spot some baby turtles, and we got to see them, so cute!

Reachable by boat, the anticipation of where you will land is rewarded by a great lodge.

The boat trips are good and we saw lots of wildlife.

Boat trip to get here taking in the sights and scenery was really nice

Boat ride through the canals was brilliant.

All your meals are included because you literally can’t go anywhere else except by boat.

Peaceful getaway no noise was from passing boats and birds.

Basically the price was for the boat to and from.

The trip back on the boat was thrilling as the water was racing and logs blocking the way.

The meals were plentiful and tasty and the staff that worked there were very attentive and helpful, I was really impressed!

- Breakfast was good, dinner was OK

Cons:
- Everything gets wet.

Full Board is included, and its buffet style.

Food was okay, buffet with few alternatives.

Breakfast lunch and dinner there was plenty of choice and all very nice.

but we stopped for breakfast on the way and had lunch on return .

Food was okay, it was full board so breakfast, dinner and tea were included.

Excellent hotel and staff and food was plentiful and tasty with many options.

We got to see the turtles laying their eggs, cover the next up and return to the sea.

The next night was really special, turtles coming on the beach to lay eggs.

Amazing experience to see a Green Turtle nesting and laying eggs, close up.

In the evening you can elect to join groups who visit the nearby beaches of the Caribbean where turtles emerge to lumber up on the sand in order to lay their eggs.

The wall between the rooms was so thin you could hear the neighbor breathe!

Ocean current is dangerous to swim in and dangerous animals in lagoon.

However during our second night a storm hit, and a big tree fell on our next neighbours lodge.

I removed a star for this and also for the construction of the lodges which don’t allow for privacy or sleeping if you’re next to loud neighbors.

The lodges were extremely basic, beddings were uncomfortable and you can hear everything from your neighbors.

though (you can usually hear your neighbors next door) and there are no glass windows instead just windows mosquito net .There was 1 night that we had no electricity for about 2 hours which also impacted the running water.

The downside are the rooms have paper thin walls so you can hear everything your neighbours do or say!

And the windows were just mesh with shutters, so it sounded like our neighbors and those outside were almost in the lodge with us.

although there is a beach there it is not recommended that you swim (too dangerous), and, for us,  the dark sand and mist on the beach was not nearly as appealing as the pools.

The beach is a bit of a non event no facilities on the beach and the sea looks dangerous.

Be aware it is dangerous to swim in the sea here.

No glass in windows therefore little privicy or protection from noisy neighbours.

The rooms are quite dated and the walls between the standalone cluster huts (4to a cluster) are paper thin so if your next door neighbours are noisey then it can be hard to get a quite time here.

We were told that it is too dangerous to walk into town.

You will have thin walls and so best to introduce yourself to your neighbours on the covered wooden verandah upon arrival!

Unfortunately, it's too dangerous to go into the Caribbean at this location, so you can get your toes wet,

There is no hairdryer and the lodges have thin walls so you can hear your neighbors .

All of the activities were sort of booked last minute, and one of the guides said shady things like ".

So that you can go and walk on the beach, and search for turtles on your own, without having to go on a boat ride first.

It’s very unique in that it takes a van ride and then a one hour beautiful boat trip up the canals to get there.

You can only reach it by boat and the nearest village is about 5/10 minute boat ride away.

Access to the lodge was a 1 hour boat ride.

We didn’t do this as the early morning boat ride was enough.

Included in the room rate is a visit and tour of the village and a mid morning boat ride where your guide will point out lots of wildlife. There are also 3 other tours you can pay for, an early morning boat ride (highly recommended

We were picked up at our hotel by our guide,Sebastian.He was with us for the next 2 days.Sebastian was wonderful,entertaining, and very passionate about his job.Getting to the lodge was an adventure.It is a long boat ride

Whilst its a long journey, boat ride to get here it was well worth it.

We didn’t mind too much as the ride on the river was beautiful.

Nothing in the vicinity of the hotel, the village is a boat ride away.

It takes about 1 hour and ½ by boat to reach it (amazing and enjoyable ride)

Location:
Excellent away from everything, say hello to peace and quiet.

The pick-up schedule in San Jose was a little hectic and time consuming and the bus ride into the boat landing was quite long and bumpy.

After a 4-5 hour drive/boat ride, this needed to be good and it didn't let us down.

We had to ride on long boats and travel through the jungle where we saw alligators, lizards, birds, parrots, monkeys, sloths, turtles, and so much more.

The boat ride in had lots of wildlife and the boat captains were great at spotting things.

Day 2 began with a boat ride to Tortuguero National Park.

Boat ride to the river for bird / animal watching was very interesting.

On the first day we were taken to the nearby town to walk around for 1.5 hours.

walk on beach to town for great pizza at budah Cafe.

After the jungle the boat takes you to the tortuguero town so you can experience the culture and see how people from the area lives and you can even get a drink

The lodge does a wonderful job of arranging the tours to town and of the canal that were included in our stay package.

Just down the lagoon from the town of Tortuguero, Laguna Lodge offers understated comfort in private rooms built around a well cared for park-like area that includes a lovely swimming pool.

Now that we knew our guide the rest of the trip was great and he always made an effort to come and talk to us after that and make sure we were ok.

Town-
We paid the $45 to take a taxi into town, which was cool.

although the tourism keeps the town going, we felt uncomfortable being there with children.

We also enjoyed the visit to the Tortuguero town.

Go into town and the early trip into the National Park is worth getting up for.

One interesting feature of the town is something that we saw in most areas of Costa Rica:  loose dogs.

They took us into the local town one day for a bit of sounvenir shopping and we did some volunteering cleaning up the local school which was great.

Laguna Lodge offers a relaxed atmosphere where people and the environment are equally valued, where staff genuinely want to make your experience of their town positive and where you can feel as close to nature as any hotel-goer is going to get.

Also a trip to the main town, Tortuguero Village.

There are water bottle refilling stations in the restaurant 
-  There's a walkway to town that follows the power lines
-  If you need a hairdryer, ask at the front desk.

The activities included are a trip into the town on the first afternoon, an 8:30am boat tour and a nature walk.

We also took an impromptu tour of the town and had a chance to eat a few snacks, including fresh coconuts opened on the spot.

The original boat ride you take to get there, plus the visit to the town, plus the early morning (5am) ride to see the wildlife is more than enough I think.

The afternoon was spent in Tortuguero Town where there is not a single car.

We also took in the visit to Tortuguero town

The walls are truly paper thin and there are no windows, only screens with shutters.

No aircon and the wall mounted fan was pretty ineffective.

It would have been nice to have air conditioning as the small wall fan simply circulates the warm air.

The walls and floor are all wood and there are screens on the windows which are shuttered.

although as others have stated, the rooms have thin walls and are quite basic.

The walls are thin and the top of them are just screen so you hear EVERYTHING your neighbors do.

The walls are thin, and yes there is no Air Conditioning - there is a fan that does a pretty decent job.

but walls are thin and visitors from other countries seem to think that 3 or 4 am is the best time to call home.

although the sound proofing isn't great you can hear your neighbour quite clearly through the walls.

Inside are two beds a very small table and a wall mounted fan, nothing else whatsoever and certainly no air-con.

The only complaint we had was the ants eating the wooden wall in the bathroom in our room.

but no glass in most windows, no walls in most public areas, the only parking area is the docks for their boats, etc.

Laguna Lodge Tortuguero

neighborhood

wall

boat

ride

town

The 'hot' shower was cold, there was no fridge, no WiFi, no aircon, which we were aware of.

The cabin was very hot as there is no air conditioning and was simple

We were apprehensive about the fact that there was no AC

If you don't mind having no A/C, no wifi except one small area of the hotel,  ice cold showers and the same exact meals daily,  then this is the place for you. Oh.

There is a ceiling fan and a large screened window front and back to get some air moving.

The room had no TV, no tea/coffee making facilities, no fridge or mini-bar, no air-conditioning (just an adjustable speed ceiling fan), no cupboard for hanging clothes (but only four hooks and three clothes hangers), no clothes drawers, no wi-fi in the room (but this was available in the bar, restaurant, reception and coffee lounge) and no phone (essential to take an alarm clock).

There is no air conditioning and the fans could only do so much.

Our room was a bit warm as there is no air conditioning.

The walls are paper thin and you can hear absolutely everything going on in your neighbour’s room including them switching the lights on and off.

Netting running along three sides of the room below the ceiling, as well as a ceiling fan, ensured the room was ventilated and cool.

There is no aircon and it was quite dark inside.

No air-con, fan is sufficient and the temperature drops during the night.

but rustic with no a/c and the walls between the rooms are paper thin.

The 3 ceiling fans did keep the air in my room circulating.

Some of the other comments are correct, the rooms are a little rustic and no AC, so most things are warm and damp.

bathroom: Bathroom was in poor condition.

but they fit the ambiance with the shower having open windows over the gardens.

The smell on the room is awful - as from the toilet.

Please do not handle the frogs as they will die if you have anything on your hands such as soap or lotions.

but there is no hairdryer in the bathroom.

The bathroom was basic, with a walk-in shower, toilet and large basin with no plug (remember to take a travelling basin plug) and we could only get cold running water in the basin.

We had beetle type creatures scurrying around our bathroom both nights.

Just one hand towel between two (plus two bath towels) and just a single cold tap in the basin.

although on the last day the hot water ran out and my husband had a cold shower.

Imagine the worst torrential shower you could imagine and then imagine that it isn’t a shower

Cold water shower, rooms simple and uncomfortable

Hot water is there only for the first 5 seconds, so do not expect long showers there.

The shower wasn't great in that hot water came and went and there wasn't much water pressure

Room wise the pictures are accurate - they are wooden sheds, bathrooms looking old and worn, netting needs replacing and zero sound proofing.

Be aware that the toilets at the dock are apparently privately owned and cost $1 to use!

The grounds are lovely, the staff are generally friendly, the breakfast is great!

-Staff: except for the breakfast and pool bar staff, that were kind and lovely, from the rest of the staff we got a vibe of indifference and flatness.

The breakfast at the hotel is excellent and the waiting staff are friendly and attentive.

The staff was really friendly and professional and the food has been simply delicious, with hummy and healthy options to suit all tastes.

I think this hotel has a very good organized package which includes the pickup by bus from San Jose, breakfast on the way, the boat trip to the hotel, full-board, a couple of excursions and the return trip.

The food was delicious and Daniel, our waiter, was friendly and informative (unlike any other waiters we had).

Pro tip: select your dinner table at lunchtime or breakfast and reserve your table then.

The lunch and breakfast and evening meal was good.

But we ended up watching a turtle laying eggs at the beach just right outside Mawamba Lodge.

At about 100 metres from our room a sea turtle came to lay eggs at night on the beach.

Generally it felt like especially people at breakfast weren’t really happy to serve us, with a few exceptions of course.

After an hour long boat ride we arrived at the lodge and were welcomed with a delicious refreshing drink.

At breakfast we saw 3 Scarlet Macaws, 4 Yellow-throat Toucans and lots of Montezuma Oropendolas.

Brunch (and lunch on return) was at the Rio Danta restaurant which served delicious buffet style food in a pretty garden terrace.

The breakfast selection was reasonable with freshly cooked omelettes and eggs.

but clean it’s definitely a ‘lodge’ vibe.

The boat trip to the lodge is an adventure in itself - we saw a sloth, crocodile, caymans and monkeys before we had even arrived at the lodge.

Amazing lodge in the heart of the Tortuguero National Park, a dreamy place we already miss after just a few days away from Costa Rica.

This is one of the biggest properties in the area, the gardens are beautiful and well maintained, there is a hike entrance right at the lodge.

We took a lovely dinner cruise from the lodge which was fantastic!

Coming from New York, it was refreshing not to be surrounded by our country men, as much as we love them :-)
The lodge exudes authenticity and love of and respect for the natural surroundings.

The lodge is well managed and the staff are very engaging and helpful.

A pleasant lodge situated in grounds close to the forest park canals and the Caribbean.

The lodge itself was clean and beautifully laid out between the lagoon and the sea.

The lodges are very comfortable and the garden tour was wonderful with so much wildlife to discover without leaving the grounds.

The journey is fascinating and the lodge is in a wonderful setting.

The lodge arranged transportation from San Jose to Tortuguero and back to a pit stop Rio Danta.

but have access by foot, and this lodge fit the bill.

On the plot of the lodge we saw many big iguanas, a sloth, toucans, green maccaws and red-eyed tree frogs.

The staff of the lodge was generally very helpful and kind.

I did both the night walk (not to be missed) and the morning boat tour with the lodge and Steve, the resident biologist who leads the outings, is fun and knowledgeable to listen to.

We were in lodge #5 which is close to the Tortuguero Canal.

The lodge site is perfect: on the channel, at one minute from the ocean (you won’t have to pay an overpriced taxi every time you want to walk on the beach, like in some of the upscale lodges), not too far from the airport (if you don’t have too much luggage, it’s a nice 40 min walk) and not too far either from the village.

Great food, especially considering the lodge is in the middle of nowhere.

To get into the lodge you must arrive in Pavona and take the boat - Mawamba has a private boat ($20 USD) or you can take the public one.

but certainly wasn't relaxing either for the price.

Mawamba Lodge is overall not well maintained to justify the high price.

The boat taxi the hotel provides is expensive

(5.30 start) These come as an extra cost ($62.5 p.p.)

Awful experience for kids plus you don't even know until last minute whether you are getting the 8-10pm or 10pm-12am tour until 6pm (after you've paid - it's a lottery system).

but quite pricey with so-so service; we usually chose to eat in town.

If possible pay in USD (but they will convert into CRC if necessary).

Drinks - as you would expect, fairly pricey - bottle of wine $28 and a small beer $4.5.

but no more than you can expect for the price, you are not paying for the Ritz.

but you will have to pay them directly, not a single offer of help.

There is laundry available for a fee, we did not check it out though.

but payment in cash is required for all of them and the cost varies.

but a second try should be offered for the cost.

Expensive and poor service neglecting staff.

We preferred eating in the town & would recommend the Patio.

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