Pachira Lodge

The Pachira Lodge is nestled in the rain forest on the bank of the river, and from the moment you step off the boat the staff are on hand to ensure that you have a wonderful time. The beautiful plants and trees are home to an array of exotic plants, birds and wildlife clearly visible whilst you relax and enjoy the facilities around the heated pool or wandering around the gardens. The boat trip along the river in the rain was an amazing experience and well worth the early start. I must thank Ray our guide, whose passion and knowledge was truly inspiring. He found so many birds, insects and animals for us to see in their natural habitat which exceeded our expectations. The rooms were clean and comfortable but the real magic was listening to the rain forest awakening all around you in the morning, something I will greatly miss.

This place is amazing! We had a group of 11 people, and everything went really well! The location and buildings, pool and jacuzzi, the food, were great! The ride to Tortuguero woth stops to learn about Costa Rica, the ride on the boat, the visit to the small town, the canals ride; everything was wonderful! Lots of animals, and knowledgeable people made the experience unforgettable.

A resort in the jungle! Sloths outside your room, what's there not to like. It's a 90 minute boat ride from the end of the road. What a way to start your stay. Lots of wildlife, boat tours etc. Excellent buffet for meals. Just in case you decide to go in the rainy season, get the best rain gear you can afford!

I did the 3d/2n package tour in Jan 2026 with Pachira that included transportation, lodging, meals, & tours. Everyone had a group tour leader that coordinated the times and provided the commentary, whether it was their own tour person or one assigned to them. What I liked: - Hotel to hotel transport from start to finish. - Well managed schedule for the whole 3 days. - Variety of wildlife sightings, especially a lot of birds on the Tortuguero park tour. - The immersive forest environment feeling very much in nature without urban roads & cities. - Wifi accessible from my room except for first night. - The food provided was better than expected since previous reviews mentioned lack of variety. What could have been better: - Room had visible mold (lampshade) but mold seems unavoidable due to humid & damp conditions of this area, and unfortunately my body was reacting to it. - Our guide didn't have a scope to zoom in on the wildlife like some other guides but I brought my own binoculars. - The bed & pillow made my neck hurt which was also experienced by another guest as well. - The hammocks were really uncomfortable & got mosquito bites but pool loungers were much better. Below is the itinerary I experienced, which deviated a little from what was listed on their web site. Day 1: hotel pickups (I was first at 6am), coach bus to breakfast @El Ceibo 1+hr, bus to boat port Cano Blanco 1h45m, boat to hotel 1.5hr, check into hotel, lunch, boat across to Tortuguero village, back to hotel, dinner Day 2: early morning boat tour Tortuguero park 5;45am, breakfast, property wildlife walk, lunch, free time afternoon (I opted for massage at spa) - optional hike up a hill that I did not do, dinner. Our guide offered a small group of us a free night walk around the property since a few of us asked about it. Day 3: breakfast, check out, boat ride to port Cano Blanco 1.5hr, coach bus to lunch @El Ceibo 1h45m, bus to San Jose dropoffs or transfers to other locations. I was last to get dropped off, at San Jose airport hotel, arriving around 4pm. Extra costs to prepare for not covered by my package: - Entry ticket to Tortuguero park $16.95 USD purchased online - Tips for drivers, guide (small bills) - Restroom fee at boat transfer pier $1 USD per visit - Optional drinks, spa services, etc Helpful items to have: umbrella / poncho, waterproof shoes, Airpods/earphones with noise cancellation and listening material for boat ride /bus ride. binoculars, phone/camera with good zoom, insect repellent.

Great location isolated from the world ! Very friendly people and good food, pool and bar. Convenient location to explore the NP and Tortuguero village. We had a Tour guide who came to pick us up from the hotel dock. Tortuguero is a must see place in Costa Rica to see animals. Do not miss the night walk in the village. Ask for Hugo for a French speaking guide (he is great!!)

Day 1 in. The rooms are decent. The doors are quick to shut and I have to be mindful not to slam them! So far lots of animals even just at the lodge. The trail is great. I'm glad I did my homework and prepared for the rain, because we are having lots of it! I love the rain, so it's not a bad thing. Looking forward to the rest of our stay, and already thinking it probably isn't long enough...

This place was amazing! It is in such a cool location and you are smack in the middle of the forest. The rooms themselves are pretty basic and rustic so if you don't mind the bugs, since you are in the forest! The property had lots to offer with a pool area and bar, a beautiful walk through the forest with lots to see in there and boats you can take to Tortuguero not far away. The food here was excellent and the staff were all very nice and welcoming! I would highly recommend this place.

Looking at previous reviews I got a confused picture of this lodge. To address some of the negative comments; Rooms: well ours was wonderful (#206) AC worked well and view of the jungle and monkies great. Felt like a prison: uh, no, water taxi to the village readily available, just ask reception. So although nothing in walking distance if you wanted to go to village it was easy. Positive points were the pool and pool bar at reasonable prices. Transfer by boat was also enjoyable. Point that needs working on: we went on the early morning boat ride to the national park. This in itself was excellent with an informative captain and guide. However, although we boarded the boat at the unearthly hour of 05:30 we didn't get to the park ranger's post till 06:30 (yes an hour on boat and we only got shown a tree and the lodge's other facility). Now the bad point: for me the "school dinners" type catering was awful. Bland, repetitive, boring, lacking choice ...... I could go on. If you go make sure to pack some snacks to see you through. Sadly the "restaurant" where they do the transfers was the same. 3 stars is a bit harsh but 4 too generous. To become truly excellent add an a la carte restaurant (foreign visiteurs to Costa Rica booking a facility like this are not poor) and sort out your trip organisation.