Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Eco Sanctuary

I stayed at Playa Nicuesa with a group for a yoga retreat. We were able to book the entire lodge. I must say, this was an experience of a lifetime! The staff led us on several sightseeing tours, prepared great meals, and made our stay truly memorable. I look forward to visiting again and hosting my own retreats!

An absolutely unique and wonderful place. Forget doing a hike around a National Park in Costa Rica, stay in one instead! This place is part of Piedras Blancas National Park and has the lovely dual offer of a private beach as well as being completely in the jungle. You will not feel more remote very often and it’s a perfect place to truly switch off and get away from everything. We initially had to get used to the accommodation, as you really are staying in the middle of the jungle in an open lodge with just netting around your bed, but once we realised that the animals are more scared of us than we are of them, and that we were perfectly safe, we really enjoyed it and had a good night sleep! The activities offered by the lodge are really good, we had an excellent time kayaking and snorkelling, as well as birdwatching. My personal favourite was the kayaking tour along the mangroves - with some dolphins, snakes and crocs thrown in!- absolutely stunning! But what was probably the best about this place were the people who work there. They are all genuinely happy to work there and will go above and beyond to give you the best possible experience. The best example of this is that the kitchen staff invited our two daughters to come and bake biscuits with them, giving us time to pack our bags in peace. A simple gesture that went a long way, and the biscuits were delicious!!

If you are looking for a truly rustic "eco-lodge" this is the place for you. The lodge is fully contained, from supplying their own water to their laundry service that uses an incredibly efficient "solar dryer" and use of a fan instead of AC. All the bungalows are deep in the forest. Activities that we would recommend are the mangrove safari either by boat or kayak and the waterfall hike. Birds are abundant as are reptiles and various interesting insects. The people that work there make this a truly special experience. Our primary guide was Steven. He is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the flora and fauna that are found at the Lodge and in the neighboring national park. He is particularly adept at finding and identifying birds. Michelle is the yoga instructor and masseuse. She is exceptional. Having a great massage on a platform that is on the beach is terrific. The wait staff led by Caesar is exuberant and provide terrific service that is matched by tasty meals. Even the boat captain Memo, is warm and skilled at navigating the tricky parts of the mangrove estuary.

This is an eco, sustainability experience for the adventurous! The staff are amazing —professional, courteous and responsive! The food was outstanding and served at a communal table with other guests from around the world. The activities were well done and safe! We loved the dolphin tour, fishing experience and sunset tour! The commi**ent to sustainability and local food was great! Accommodations are rustic and open air (no air conditioning) with shuttered doors to close for the evenings.

Nicuesa surpassed all expectations. We were two couples aged 74 - 85, the eldest with advanced Parkinson’s and limited mobility and all very keen naturalists.. Costa Rica Expeditions suggested Nicuesa to us as our final destination and we spent 4 nights there. Flying into Golfito and then the 30 minute boat trip along the coast where the forest comes down to the Pacific was an exciting way to arrive. It was just wonderful to be in such a remote location surrounded by the sounds of the forest. The Lodge itself is designed so you can birdwatch over the canopy, cup of coffee in hand! It was wonderful to be able to wander along the trails leading out from the lodge as well as with the guides. A boat trip was among the highlights as well as snorkelling in water of 33C. Sadly global warming has bleached the coral. The food was outstanding and delicious freshly caught fish was always on the menu. The rooms were all well appointed with silent lazy ceiling fans and balconies looking into the jungle. Gera, the manager, and all his staff and guides were so welcoming and efficient and went to great lengths to make sure that we were well looked after. We were lucky with the weather and would have liked to stay longer. A truly memorable visit