#1 La Cusinga Rainforest Lodge

La Cusinga Rainforest Lodge is our top choice for ecolodges in Costa Rica. La Cusinga provides a near flawless model of sustainable tourism in addition to an amazing experience with nature and wildlife. For visitors who want to wake up to howler monkeys just a few feet from their bedroom window, see humpback whales passing through Ballena Bay, or explore the numerous trails on La Cusinga's 250 hectares of virgin rainforest by day and night, this is the place to be.

Location: Uvita. Uvita is located on the south pacific coast of the country. The region is rich and diverse in wildlife as it begins the stretch of pristine coastal rainforest continuing South to Osa Peninsula. The lodge itself is located a vast stretch of virgin rainforest (250 hectares) with trails that are well marked and maintained by staff. The lodge is also located adjacent to Ballena National Marine Park where pods of Humpback Whales feed and breed during their migration to the North and South. Access to Uvita is has been limited in the past due to the unpaved road connecting Quepos/Manuel Antonio and Dominical/Uvita but this has served to protect the area from heavy tourism traffic, preserving the area's wildlife and natural wonders.

Sustainability:La Cusinga sets the standard as far as we're concerned. The lodge itself is built from trees located on site. Any lumber used is replenished through a well-established reforestation project. The lodge also runs a wood shop producing furniture for the hotel as well as providing jobs for local residents. The lodge runs primarily on solar power and rooms include many green features including biodegradable soap and shampoo dispensers. The kitchen at La Cusinga is 97% organic, serving flavorful dishes that will leave you looking forward to your next meal. Organic waste is used as compost and food comes from the lodge's garden and local vendors. The majority of the staff at La Cusinga are residents of Costa Rica and share a commitment to conservation and preservation of wildlife. This is also evident through the educational programs run by La Cusinga on site with guests and off site, working with the community and local schools.

Overall Value: We give La Cusinga an A+ for overall value. The staff is warm, friendly, attentive, and well-informed. The lodge is located in the middle of the rainforest and just steps from beautiful remote beaches for visitors who enjoy hiking in the shade or relaxing in the sun. The list of activities available for guests are endless from whale-watching to enjoying a good book on your balcony with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. Guests may also arrange day trips to Corcovado and Cano Island, ideal for those who do not want to venture all the way down to the Osa Peninsula to enjoy the best of Costa Rica's wildlife. Your stay at La Cusinga is sustainable from start to finish leaving minimal impact on the environment. Sustainable and green features are integrated into your stay in such a way as not to drastically change your personal vacation style. La Cusinga is ideal for student groups and families.

Cost: $110 per night     |     Photos from La Cusinga      |      Make a Reservation       |      Add to your Itinerary

#2 Esquinas Rainforest Lodge

Las Esquinas Rainforest Lodge finishes second in our ranking of top ecolodges. Las Esquinas is for the true nature enthusiast seeking to encounter some of Costa Rica's best wildlife in one of the most remote and untouched regions of the country. Las Esquinas is one of the only lodging options providing visitors with access to the remote Piedras Blancas National Park and opportunities to experience the sights and sounds of the rainforest in a tranquil and undisturbed setting. Esquinas is part of a model project combining conservation, research and community development. The lodge offers a large variety of tours and excursions that lead through a jungle with a biodiversity equal to nearby Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park.

Location: Las Esquinas is located in the remote rainforest adjacent to Pierdras Blancas National Park in Southern Costa Rica. The closest town is Gamba located about 30 minutes from Golfito Airport. This provides easy access for visitors traveling by domestic air from San Jose and is also accessible by vehicle (3 minutes off the Interamerican Highway) A “biological corridor” around the Golfo Dulce between Corcovado and Piedras Blancas National Parks connects key natural areas and forms a 300 square mile protected zone collectively known as "The Osa". The Osa is home to more than 375 species of birds (of which 362 have been sighted in Piedras Blancas and the Golfo Dulce), 124 species of mammals, 40 species of freshwater fish, approximately 8,000 species of insects, and 117 species of reptiles and amphibians. The species recorded in the Osa represent up to 50 percent of the species known to exist in Costa Rica. Except for spider monkeys and tapirs, most of these animals can be found in the forest surrounding Esquinas Rainforest Lodge.

Sustainability: Las Esquinas boasts a strong model of sustainability headed by their non-profit organization: Rainforest of the Austrians. The organization has raised funds to purchase and protect previously unprotected parts of the Esquinas forest. They have also donated to the Corcovado Fund to supplement the salaries of park rangers as well as fund the scarlet macaw project in Piedras Blancas. In 2005, Esquinas Rainforest Lodge created the "La Gamba Fund" with the goal of bettering the living standard of the people of La Gamba by supporting community projects. The field station at Las Esquinas is the ideal place for students, scientists and amateur biologists to study a lowland tropical rainforest and deepen their appreciation and understanding of this complex and fascinating ecosystem.

Overall Value: We give Las Esquinas a final grade of A for their outstanding efforts to provide sustainable ecolodging in this sensitive region of Costa Rica. Nature enthusiasts will truly appreciate the countless opportunities to view wildlife during their stay at the lodge. Las Esquinas also boasts an organic kitchen with exotic dishes that will definitely please your palate (3 meals included in cost per night) We highly recommend this lodge for student groups and adventurous families. The only drawback may be the pricey domestic flight from San Jose, but its definitely worth it in our opinion.

Cost: 3 night package w/ tours from $250 pp

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#3 Laguna del Lagarto Rainforest Lodge

Coming in at number 3 is La Laguna del Lagarto Rainforest Lodge, a bird lover's dream, located in another remote region of Costa Rica. La Laguna Lagarto sits on 1250 acres of virgin rainforest where more than 350 bird species have been recorded! Activities for visitors include hikes through 10 km of jungle trails, canoeing through the lagoons and swamps, butterfly garden, and a boat trip on the San Juan and San Carlos Rivers.

Location: The lodge is located in the Northern Plains region of the country close to Costa Rica's border with Nicaragua. The closest town is the small community of Boca Tapada. The lodge can be reached by bus or car from San Jose, however the lodge provides transfers as well for an additional cost. This region is one of the only places in Costa Rica where the great green macaw can be seen frequently.

Sustainability: La Laguna Lagarto is an environmentally sensitive ecolodge and runs under strict ecological guidelines. However the lodge receives its highest marks in sustainability for their work in the local community of Boca Tapada. German owner, Vinzenz Schmack has been instrumental in bringing infrastructure and resources to the small community in Boca Tapada since his purchase of the lodge in 1992. The lodge provides ongoing support through donations and organization of social projects to bring medical and educational supplies from abroad, to local clinics and schools in the area.

Overall Value: A solid combination of sustainability, remote location, and a variety of bird species, earns the La Laguna del Lagarto a B+ for overall value. Birders and those seeking the unique lowland rainforest, lagoon, and swamps will appreciate this lodging option. If you are searching for or studying the great green macaw this is place to be. Not the best choice for kids.

Cost: $50-$60 per night

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#4 La Amistad Ecolodge

Another fine example of ecolodging, La Amistad Ecolodge provides a unique model of sustainability focused on agriculture and ecotourism. The lodge serves as a base for hiking on 40 kilometers (24 miles) of trails. Guests can visit the nearby waterfall or go birdwatching before breakfast. Meals are served with food from organic gardens and prepared in traditional Costa Rican style. Visitors can hike, ride horses, or travel by 4X4 to camps in clearings deep in the forest. Resident naturalist guides (Spanish speaking) interpret the plants and animals you find along the way. You may see monkeys, quetzals, toucans, or the tracks of rarer animals. The grounds are home to jaguars, tapirs, peccaries, anteaters and many other kinds of wild mammals, although they are rarely seen. You will certainly see many of the 400 species of birds found at La Amistad, as well as some of the richest and rarest butterflies in the Americas, including the extremely rare white morpho.

Location: La Amistad Ecolodge, Rainforest Reserve and Coffee Estate is located at the extreme southern boundary of Costa Rica, bordering La Amistad International Park (declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Panama. It forms part of UNESCO’s Amistad Biosphere Reserve and Las Tablas Protected Area. The property is divided into small areas for coffee growing and organic agriculture, with 95% of the land dedicated to conservation and ecotourism. The coffee plantations are interspersed among patches of forest, rivers, springs and waterfalls. La Amistad Reserve is considered by many to be one of the most extraordinary forests in all of Costa Rica. It is home to quetzals, jaguars, monkeys, tapirs and more than 400 species of birds. Some of the world’s rarest butterflies are found here, as well as Costa Rica’s only species of nocturnal monkey. The forest ranges from premontane rainforest through alpine paramo.

Sustainability: La Amistad Estate produces its own shade-grown 100% organic coffee (well done!) They are also committed to rainforest conservation providing sustainable ecotourism as well as a balanced ecosystem.

Overall Value: We gave La Amistad a solid B for overall value. The jungle camps are a nice touch as you can explore the grounds on a multiday trek, staying in full sized walk in tents, running water, and toilets (staff provides meals at each site as well!). The area is great for birders. La Amistad Park is home to just about everything, however, the boundaries for wildlife is limitless, which unfortunately makes wildlife sightings rare for visitors to this lodge. If you really want to see whats inside La Amistad (including all six neotropical cats and more than 500 bird species) we suggest hiring a local guide and camping inside the park. Overall La Amistad Ecolodge in an excellent choice for travelers who want to support sustainability in this unique region of the country.

Cost: $85 pp (includes 3 meals per day and acces to reserve with local guide)

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#5 Chachagua Rainforest Hotel & Lodge

Standing out in a crowd of lodging options with high marks for their natural settings in the Monteverde/Arenal area, Chachagua Rainforest Hotel and Lodge emmerses visitors in the unique ecosystem of the Chachagua Rainforest, adjacent to the Children's Eternal Rainforest and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. This large protected area provides numerous opportunties for visitors to experience widllife living in the region. Chachagua Rainforest Hotel is the perfect base for travelers to explore numerous attractions of the San Carlos region including the majestic Arenal Volcano, the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, the Venado Caverns, freshwater fishing and windsurfing on Lake Arenal, white water rafting on the Peñas Blancas River, and the therapeutic benefits of varuios hot springs in the area

Location: Chachagua Rainforest Lodge is nestled in the eastern foothills of the Tilaran mountain range, one of the most biologically diverse areas in all Costa Rica. Chachagua is part of a large protected area and helps provide habitat for many of the threatened inhabitants of the rain forest such as tapir, jaguar, ocelot, and peccaries.

Sustainability: Chachagua is currently enrolled in the Best Management Practices Program offered by Rainforest Alliance for hotels seeking national sustainable certification through ICT.

Overall Value: Chachagua gets a B- from our panel. This is a great place for families. The kids will love the working orchard, cattle, and fish farms as well as the nature trails providing access to this unique humid rainforest. Pool with waterfall and restaurants as well as close proximity to popular attractions is also a plus for families. Another great option for birders as well.

Cost: $90-110 per night

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