Lapa Rios Eco Lodge

A rainforest retreat where the Pacific meets Golfo Dulce

Rainforest rises around Lapa Rios Eco Lodge where the Pacific meets Golfo Dulce. On the southeastern tip of the Osa Peninsula, the lodge’s private 1,000-acre reserve makes nature the organizing principle of a stay. Look out from a balcony, follow a trail into the forest or spend time by the pool; this remote escape rewards travelers who want the landscape to shape their days.

Lapa Rios occupies a rare lowland Pacific rainforest setting. Recognition has included National Geographic’s Unique Lodges of the World, and the lodge is part of the Boena Lodges collection. Locally gathered building materials, including naturally fallen trees, express its aim to limit environmental impact; community jobs and education extend that purpose beyond the forest reserve. Three undeveloped beaches are within hiking distance, bringing another side of the Osa into the stay.

Plan the journey

Lapa Rios is exquisitely situated at the southernmost point of the Osa Peninsula where the Pacific Ocean meets Golfo Dulce. Surrounded by rainforest, the lodge is within hiking distance to three pristine, undeveloped beaches. The remoteness of the area is most easily accessed by an airstrip roughly 12 miles away in Puerto Jimenez. San Jose’s international airport offers 5 flights per day that take approximately 50 minutes each way. Please note that all in-country flights have a 25lb baggage limit per person. Included in your stay, Lapa Rios’ friendly staff will meet you at the Puerto Jimenez airport with a cool refreshing drink and shuttle you to the lodge roughly 45 minutes through the jungle. Driving from the country’s capital takes approximately 7 hours one way and is not advised after dark.

Explore the forest at your own pace

Nearby diverse Corcovado National Park deepens the peninsula’s appeal. Guided outings such as the Starfish Walk and Early Birds tour range from easy to challenging and lead into landscapes of rivers, waterfalls and rainforest. Horseback riding, swimming, kayaking, surfing and fishing offer other ways to explore. The area protects scarlet macaws, jaguars, pumas and harpy eagles; that conservation setting is a reason to visit, rather than a promise of a particular sighting.

Meals and guided walks

Hotel amenities feature a lovely pool, slide shows at happy hour, rooftop lookout, plus 3 meals a day are included and made from fresh organic ingredients. Massage, Reiki, Yoga and Chi Kung are all available on-site. Lapa Rios includes 2 guided hikes free for guests staying at the lodge. Additional guided hikes from the hotel help support the cost of trail maintenance and land acquisition.

Thatched-roof bungalows extend over three ridges along a steep trail, 350 feet above the ocean. Private balconies open onto jungle and ocean views, bringing the surroundings into the quieter hours of the stay. The height and rocky nature of the setting are material considerations: Lapa Rios welcomes children aged six and older. Nature-focused families, honeymooners and solo travelers comfortable with this terrain will appreciate the separation and outlook that come with it.

Why choose this stay — and what to plan around

• A remote, 1,000-acre lowland rainforest reserve where the Pacific meets Golfo Dulce makes Lapa Rios a destination for forest time, with three undeveloped beaches within hiking distance.
• Recognition has included National Geographic’s Unique Lodges of the World. Local building materials, naturally fallen wood and community jobs and education give the high-end lodge a conservation-minded character within the Boena Lodges collection.
• Three daily meals made with fresh organic ingredients and two guided hikes are included; extra guided hikes contribute to trail maintenance and land acquisition.
• Puerto Jimenez airport pickup is included, with a roughly 45-minute drive to the lodge. Allow for the journey when arranging flights and the start of your stay.
• Plan flight baggage carefully: the stated in-country limit is 25lb per person. The road journey from San Jose is about seven hours and is not advised after dark.
• The steep, rocky setting spans three ridges 350 feet above the ocean, so choose it with the walking terrain in mind; children must be six or older.
• Private balconies open onto jungle and ocean, while guided hikes range from easy to challenging; Starfish Walk and Early Birds outings are among the ways to explore.
• A pool, rooftop lookout and happy-hour slide shows offer gentler lodge time; massage, Reiki, yoga and Chi Kung add other possibilities without making them included services.
• Corcovado, forest waterfalls and rivers, and regional surfing, kayaking, fishing and horseback riding broaden a nature-focused itinerary; threatened-species habitat does not promise sightings.