At This Costa Rican Retreat, Your Room Is in the Rainforest

Ever come across an incredible hotel that stops you mid-scroll and makes you think, Wow, wouldn’t it be something to stay there? We do, too—all the time. Welcome to Friday Fantasy, where we highlight amazing hotels, lodges, cabins, tents, campsites, and other places perched in perfect outdoor settings. Read on for the intel you need to book an upcoming adventure here. Or at least dream about it.

The trailhead behind behind my villa is a tiny tunnel into lush green, marked only by a small black sign with the words “Tucan Trail” printed in sunny yellow lettering. As I follow the path from the resort’s clearing into the thick shelter of trees, trunks wound in giant, vining monsteras that make a mockery of my houseplants, I repeatedly remind myself that I am in the rainforest, a giddy thought and a now dreamlike reality.

Thanks to era illustrator Lisa Frank and the environmental education of the 1990s, the rainforest has taken up major real estate in my imagination since I was a kid. So when I had the opportunity to visit Soul Community Planet Hotel’s Corcovado Wilderness Lodge, the only resort in Corcovado National Park on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, visions of macaws and toucans rendered in rainbow flew through my head.

During my time at Corcovado Wilderness Lodge, I see both, along with capuchin monkeys, rotund tapirs, snuffling coati, a boa constrictor, and more. The real-life encounters are better than any of my fantasies—particularly when viewed through the resort’s lens of biological preservation.

The Lodge

Corcovado Wilderness Lodge’s 189-acre property is entirely off-grid and only accessible by boat. The rainforest, all 250,000 acres of it, borders the resort on three sides, the fourth being the palm-tree-peppered coastline. Four-wheelers transport guests up the steep, rugged rise from the coastline to the resort’s rooms, two pools, yoga shalas (though there’s one by the ocean, too), spa pavilion, and 360-degree, ridiculously beautiful views.

Wherever I wander, the environment is palpable. Monkeys swing through trees by the pool while tapirs nap beneath the Lodge’s risen walkways; flowering plants and fruit trees provide pops of vibrant color against all that saturated green; and the sounds of the rainforest never cease, the hum of insects and crystalline calls of native birds a soundtrack to every step.

“That’s the beauty of this place,” says Operations Director Blake Delatte, citing everything from the rich microbiome of the rainforest soil to the two big cats that occasionally saunter through the property. “Our whole world used to be alive, and it still is here.”

Immersion Is a Luxury

In the place of amenities typically required by a 5-star resort (most notably valet parking) the Lodge suggests that the ultimate luxury is the opportunity to vacation within, and help preserve, an exceedingly rare environment. Osa is considered one of the most biologically diverse terrestrial ecosystems on the planet, and Corcovado is among the last low-laying tropical rainforests in the world.

Rather than simply celebrating this, Corcovado Wilderness Lodge works to preserve the area through research, education, and guest participation. As an example, the property recently opened an onsite research center in partnership with Innoceana, a marine conservation NGO. The space allows Innoceana’s team of engineers, biologists, and divers to study (and better protect) the area’s marine ecosystems, and guests a chance to head out on expeditions and work alongside them—while receiving PADI dive certifications in the process.

“We wanted to figure out a way to fund the science, but also bring a different kind of education and hospitality experience to our guests,” says Delatte. “I envision the hotel as a means to create positive change; it’s a tool that allows us to do really interesting things for our local communities and the environment.”

Some additional partnerships and programs include the Namá Feline Monitoring Center, which keeps tabs on the aforementioned big cats; Pristine Playa, a beach clean-up program that transforms trash found on the beach into building materials used throughout the Lodge; and Innoceana’s Blue Warriors, an initiative that teaches local kids English while offering education around heritage, environmentalism, and sustainable tourism.

Adventure Intel

While walks through the rainforest are available to anyone via a network of private trails, a guided tour into Corcovado National Park helps ensure that you understand the full scope of your surroundings. Our hike comes with ample urgings to stop strolling and to look and listen, those pauses rewarded by monkey sightings, closer looks at plants and insects, and a reminder of the region’s vibrancy.

The tours aren’t limited to the ground: up the canopy, researchers study rare orchids and epiphytes typically only accessible when a tree falls. Guests can join in, or visit the tree climbing area to get a new perspective sans science. And for sea lovers, trips to the Isla del Caño Biologic Reserve are an essential. Caño, located just nine miles off the coast of Corovado, is a marine sanctuary surrounded by coral reefs and an abundance of sea life such as rays, sea turtles, and a rainbow of tropical fish.

Led by Laura Vanopdenbosch, one of Innoceana’s resident marine biologists, our group takes to the waters of the Pacific with hopes of monitoring humpback whales and hearing their surreal song via hydrophone. The giants elude us, but pods of leaping dolphins and a few snorkeling sessions around the reefs showcase the area’s teeming life. Afterwards, over lunch, we test water samples collected on our jaunt. Guests are also invited to partake in coral data collection, helping the team place sensors while enjoying a dive.

Choice Rooms

I was lucky enough to experience two of the hotel’s room types during my stay: a suite in Oceanview Village and a villa in Rainforest Village. For privacy, tapir sightings, and one of the most beautiful bathtub views you’re likely to find, the network of ocean view rooms is impossible to beat. Meanwhile, Rainforest Village finds you closer to the pools, gardens, and your neighbors, an outdoor shower guaranteeing that you can still enjoy an al fresco cleansing moment.

Eat and Drink

Corcovado Wilderness Lodge has two open-air restaurants, which is good, because a trip to town for a meal is a big ask (you’d need to schedule a boat ride to leave the resort).

Los Vitrales is centrally located near Rainforest Village, the pools, and the lobby, while Terra Kitchen and its epic vistas can be found closer to Oceanview Village. Both restaurants feature plant-forward menus that are constantly shifting, the better to showcase the Lodge’s own fruits, vegetables, and fresh catches.

Grab a cocktail or sip on wellness elixirs (the Blue Lotus infusion gave me some lovely vivid dreams) from Anima Mundi Herbals crafted from the region’s plants to ease or energize your mind and body, depending on your mood. Founder Ariana Ayales was born and raised in Costa Rica, and uses her knowledge of the area’s plant life for inspiration.

When to Go

Corcovado’s dry season runs from December to April making this the most popular time to visit the region. Still, dry is a relative term in the rainforest. During my January stay, we had several showers and one riotous thunderstorm. Keep in mind, September and October are considered Corcovado’s wettest months.

How to Get There

The journey to Corcovado Wilderness Lodge is an adventure all its own. A flight into San José is followed by an hours-long drive to Sierpe. From there, the boat ride, which doubles as a wildlife tour, is just over an hour. (Alternatively, a flight into Drake Bay is followed by a 45–minute boat ride.) Scan the mangroves for monkeys and sloths, and enjoy the approach to Corcovado from the waves. A final, smaller boat delivers you from the tour boat to the shores—expect to get a little wet.

Don’t Miss

Chilling by the pools or at the beach is an easy way to unwind, but for some extra pampering, the Four Elements Spa offers a menu of massages, facials, and more in (surprise!) an outdoor setting. Massages are conceptualized around the Corcovado experience, with options like Fresh Soul, which uses aloe and a quartz massage to soothe sun-soaked skin, and the muscle-releasing Rainforest Delight, an ideal post-hike option. Though in-room services are available, the view from the spa pavilion is among the most epic on the entire property.

Still not relaxed? Yoga props (mats, blocks, bolsters) are available for use at either the oceanfront yoga shala, a deck with a thatched roof at the far end of the property’s playa, or the forested shala. I’d opt for the latter—a dusk practice at the edge of the rainforest, the sounds of animals rustling through the brush and calling through the trees, is an experience I won’t soon forget.

Details

Price: Starting at $1,500 per person. This includes a three-night stay (which is the minimum), transportation from Sierpe or Drake Bay, all meals, a snorkeling excursion to Caño Island, and a guided hike through Corcovado National Park.

Address: Puntarenas Province, Drake Bay, Costa Rica

To Book: Book at SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge