Aninga Lodge

Beautiful lodge! The little huts are very comfortable and tucked away in the woods, offering a true sense of immersion in nature. Waking up to the sound of howler monkeys is an unforgettable experience. The hotel also organized the turtle nesting tour, which was a real highlight of our stay.||The front desk lady was incredibly friendly and welcoming. Her colleague, a bit less so—but the warm and cheerful personality of the barman more than made up for it.||If there’s one area for improvement, it would be the food. The overall offering could be better, and breakfast hours should be extended—a 7:00 a.m. start is just too late for busy explorers heading out early.||Overall, a wonderful stay that I would strongly recommend!

The trip to the hotel was already an adventure in itself. Our taxi boat dropped us off at the wrong hotel, and we had to take a “water taxi” for $12 to reach Aninga Lodge—even though we told the captain at least three times where we were going. Of course, this is not the hotel’s fault, but be aware: the journey from Pavona to Tortuguero can be quite an adventure.||The same happened on the way back. We waited more than an hour for a boat to Pavona, even though the reception staff had called both the day before and again on the morning of our departure. Again, this isn’t the hotel’s responsibility—but travelers should be prepared for some unpredictability with transfers.||The rooms were very tidy, with two single beds and plenty of space. There are no real windows—just mosquito screens and curtains—but it stays pleasantly fresh without being cold. I really liked the atmosphere of the rooms. It could be a bit brighter inside, which matters on rainy days (and we had one with heavy downpour). The porch chairs were very comfortable, and we made good use of them during the rain.||The pool is great, though the barman didn’t speak much English (fair enough—we’re in Costa Rica and should make more effort in Spanish). The staff overall were friendly, if not very talkative, which was perfectly fine for us.||The breakfast buffet and evening meals were a bit disappointing. The food was good, but quite plain, and the organization felt more “camping style” than restaurant. We even saw guests bringing their own breakfast.||Tortuguero itself can be visited in two to three hours; in my opinion, it doesn’t offer much more beyond that.

Cute lodge. It’s more like glamping than a hotel. The breakfast was included but not the dinner. Rates were reasonable. $20 per person for the buffet. The food was above average. We booked the turtle nesting tour the first night . It ended up being a bust which was fine. What I didn’t like was that we had to stand in the same place for 2 hours waiting for scouts to let us know if we would be able to see it. Ended up being some family bonding time. Also the tour said 10 people max but there were more like 60 people.||The following morning, We went to the next hotel pachiga I think and there was a nice short hiking trail there. We saw howler monkeys there.

A review I'm long overdue for. Planning my 5th visit to Aninga Lodge on January. The Aninga Lodge and Spa is absolutely fantastic! The staff is always friendly and helpful; they make sure everything is perfect. The food is always good; the rooms and cabins are spacious and comfortable. The last time I was there, they had remodeled them. The pool area is wonderful and relaxing, with a good bar, There is spa services that I highly recommend. There are several families of monkeys around the cabins, easily visible for photos. (spider, howler, and capuchin monkeys). Barbie in the office, Shaila in the spa, are Great ! I can't remember the names of the rest of the staff, they always keep me informed and help me find the wildlife they see around. Thank you all. Edith Bannister

The Aninga Hotel and Spa is absolutely fantastic! The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful, and the meals they prepared were absolutely delicious! The rooms/cabanas are spacious and comfortable (note: there is no AC), and the staff takes great care to make sure everything is perfect! The pool area is wonderful, with a nice bar, and there are spa services which we did not indulge in. There were quite a few times when there were groups of monkeys in the trees around the hotel, easily visible and photographable.|The town of Tortuguera is a nice visit across the river, and we took a kayak trip, which was a lot of fun!

We where there for 3 days and it was fantastic. Our guide Brandon was very good. He found many animals and told us much about the natur and animals. It was very interesting and we would go there again any time.Brandons english is very good. He even saw a swiming sloth. The pool was in a shape of a sea turtle and big. They even gave us a welcome drink. The drinks at the bar where very tasty and delicious.

This was our 3rd visit to Aninga Lodge, this time for four nights. The wildlife on site is amazing and we enjoyed monkeys, green macaws, butterflies, many birds and more. The staff are amazing and courteous and very much contributed to a great visit. Special shout-outs to guides Johnnie (he's amazing) & Margel, the best boat captain ever - John, Barbie & Emelin in the office, Henry & his teams in the dining area, and also Deikel who handled all our booking needs with kindness & professionalism. Thanks to all of you and all the staff for making our visit so special again. See you next time!

Very clean, workers hosing down pathways throughout the day. No windows just screens, no air con or heat. Well maintained, lots of wildlife. Village is on opposite side of river so you take a boat across. Food and bar service is good. You get woken up by howler monkeys and the thunderstorms shake your room which are all separate cabins.