Reviews of Encanto Lodge

The breakfast was excellent . The view from the counter where we ate our breakfast was extraordinary.

We ha spent the night before in Coronado Park and were hoping for air-conditioning. There was a fan, not zircon.

I loved Encanto lodge! The hosts Edu and Sabrina are amazing and go out of their way to make your stay special - we felt more like family visiting than paying tourists! Food was home-cooked, delicious and fresh! The location is incredible - you're in the jungle and can take a row boat right from the property to go wildlife spotting on the estuary. Edu and Sabrina can also help with all the arrangements to visit Cano Island and Corcovado which made the whole stay so smooth and stress-free. I loved how remote the lodge is and that it only has a few cabins, making it also very private. Wondrous experience!

Would be nice for the shower to have a "shower head" as its just a pipe with large stream. It was a little difficult to adapt to not having A/C - but honestly this was part of the immersive experience!

Amazing location at the edge of the forest, next to a small lagoon and few minute canoe ride to beach

Its remote. Great for a one or two day stay.

The breakfasts we had were delicious. One morning we had to leave early to meet our tour and Edu graciously rose early to fix us breakfast- totally unexpected!

I don't have anything to say that wasn't positive. We had a lovely stay and would return if we traveled to Drake again.

If you want a peaceful haven with the opportunity to see wildlife without the crowds, stay at Encanto Lodge. We received such a warm welcome from Edu and Sabina. They are excellent hosts and cooks, using ingredients from their farm. We enjoyed paddling in their boat along the estuary to the beach and in the mangroves, viewing capuchin monkeys, parrots, macaws and other wildlife. They also arranged for us to visit Corcovado NP, which was a holiday highlight, plus a dolphin and whale watching tour. Top tip....read the advice on their website where they tell you what to bring for the excursions. You will need a 4wd car to get to the property.

Everything was great.

Very pleasant and helpful couple who runs this property

Far from Drake Bay! Very basic facilities

The hosts Sabrina and Edu are very nice and friendly people. My room was very clean, had a beautiful private terrace with the perfect view. The canu tour with Edu was amazing. I saw a lot of monkeys, lizards and birds from very close distance.

Sabrina and Edu were fantastic hosts. They went out of their way to make our stay a success. We loved our little house. The food was the best we had in Costa Rica, it was fresh, delicious and varied. There were interesting trails around the property and we had great fun in the rowing boat. We thought Encanto Lodge was a very special place and would have liked to stay longer. Pura Vida in Osa.

We met visitors staying elsewhere and we all had cold showers, presumably this is common in Drake bay and we did know when we booked. One we had acclimatised it was not a problem

Beautiful location. Very unique. Owners were very friendly and helpful. Wish we had more time to stay longer!

We loved the seaside view, the private cabana with two bedrooms and 2 washrooms. The food available there was the best we had in all of our time in Costa Rica!

It was a bit difficult without a vehicle but not impossible, especially if you book your tours through the property.

We were picked up from the boat by Edu in a very friendly way as we disembarked onto the beach. It was an exciting trip up river from Sierpe which is the main launch place for Drake Bay. He drove us the twenty minutes or so to the Lodge. Arriving there was one of the highlights of our time in Costa Rica. We picked up his daughters from school on the way which almost made us feel part of the family. Sabrina welcomed us to their lovely veranda style "restaurant" with a salad lunch as looked out over the lagoon and to the Pacific Ocean beyond. From there we were taken to our tree house which Edu had made using wood from the forest or the beach. It was beautiful with a lovely veranda almost filled by the double hammock. The accommodation was much more luxurious than we had been expecting. We had supper each night cooked by the family and it was delicious. There are only two lodges and so it feels a really personal experience. Everywhere is very clean but also open to the natural world. The setting is amazing with the forest surrounding you on three sides and then a wonderful view down to the lagoon. Edu will canoe you across to the beach where there is a wonderful walk along the Pacific and you are very likely to see red macaw and monkeys. He will pick you up later or you can just take a canoe yourself. His canoe tour of the local waterways is also magic. We did a trip to the Corcovado Reserve and saw a tapir which was very special. We went to San Pedrillo which is nearer to Drake Bay and a bit less busy than some of the other stations. Your hosts will organise this for you as it has to be booked in advance. Sabrina and Edu are just the most lovely people and do everything they can to make sure your stay with them the best time. We can't recommend this place highly enough and if we were going back to Costa Rica, we would definitely want to go here again.

There is no hot shower--but when we were there it didn't matter as you really only wanted a cool one.

The view and the place are stunning. The hosts are really kind and helpful, they will make sure you have everything you need! They will help you book tours, provide their own night tour (do this!) and lend you their canoe. Also be sure to include breakfast and dinner with your stay. They are both excellent cooks! The rooms are really tidy and clean, there is an excellent view from the rooftop patio and you can hear and see a lot of animals, especially at night.

Nothing really, but it is worth noting that if you are the kind of traveller that needs A/C and hot showers: realize you are booking a stay in nature, this might not be for you. Better to know in advance!

Location is out of this world! Sabrina and Edu are incredible hosts - so friendly, kind, and passionate. I’d describe the accommodation as an opportunity to be at one with nature… it’s fairly basic eco-style and all handcrafted - you really get a sense that you’re sleeping in one of the most biodiverse places on earth. It’s mega… I loved having a proper coffee in a hammock in the morning, listening to the sounds of the jungle and the crashing of the waves beyond the lagoon. Sabrina’s empanadas were delicious and she even prepared some fish for us that my husband caught on the lagoon - extremely kind, we didn’t expect that! I just wish we’d been able to stay longer!

The fans in the bedrooms are a little noisy.

everything, the room was perfect, the restaurant and food were excellent. The location made me feel like i was in a beautiful peaceful and remote oasis. Highly recommend this property.

absolutely nothing

We wanted our kids to experience a rustic, nature-focused lodge. This was perfect. The hosts were wonderful and great cooks. There was a button to push if we needed them but otherwise they let us enjoy the property on our own. They helped organize tours and taught us about the flora and fauna. No AC and very basic accommodations. But clean and very beautiful. The excursion into Corcovado was amazing. Good guide and saw many animals close by. Bring bug spray. Bring ear plugs because the parrots and howler monkeys are loud very early in the AM. Must have 4wheel drive for roads and river crossings.

We were very sweaty! Worth it!

The stunning location, set literally at the end of 20+ km of unpaved road, on its own lagoon, a few metres from the ocean, with only the sounds of the birds and frogs to disturb the peace. The owners, super helpful and friendly, sociable but never intrusive. The property itself, self-contained units with rustic simplicity and total privacy.

Nothing - idyllic spot. But don’t expect all the facilities of a 5* resort.

Breakfasts were varied, plentiful and delicious. Local cuisine, clean food, well presented, lots of fruit. We opted to eat dinner there most nights and that was great. The view was fabulous. The hosts, Eddie and Sabrina were absolutely delightful and went over and above to make us comfortable and accommodate our schedules. If you want remote, unspoiled, and authentic, and to get away from your devices, this is the place for you. The porch had various chairs and hammocks with a view of the estuary and the ocean. The kitchen was stocked with basics, and there was a small fridge. Fans in the sleeping rooms with private bathrooms. The host took us into town for our tours and dinner out. No McDonalds, Starbucks, or ATMs in town, just a row of small hotels and restaurants perched on the mountain above the harbor. The wild life was plentiful and the hosts are working to improve the accommodations. We were there in June and it rained everyday. One night the howler monkeys were singing in the rain and the toucans woke us up each morning about 4:45 AM. There were Macaws too.

This was more like glamping than a hotel. I am 71 years old with pins in my hips and a knee replacement and it was too rough for me but my 15 year old grandson thought it was altogether fanbulous. Screened in cabina with a porch and outdoor kitchen. No A/C, no hot water, no internet except at the restaurant. No TVs or access to the beach. To get to the cabina there was a rough muddy path and suspended concrete bridge over the swamp with baby crocodiles in it. Not for people with mobility issues or small children. While located right next to the airstrip, it was a 30 minute 4 wheel drive ride on really bad roads to town, crossing through the river on the way, a grueling trip for me, fun for the kids. It cost $25 for a taxi back, and one Saturday evening the restaurant called eight different drivers before finding one willing to make the trip. Prices for groceries and at the restaurants were not cheap, and there was no shopping. If you haven't been to Puerto Jimenez I recommend it rather than Drake Bay, pretty much the same excursions to Corcovado and the super pod of dolphins, and the Golfo Dulce, unless you are a young backpacker and want to go rough and rustic. Of course, as soon as they complete a decent road in then the tourists will multiply, the condos will be built, the banks and souvenir shops will open next to Starbucks just like many other accessible beach destinations.

Everything. Sabrina and Edu are exceptional and kind hosts. We felt we were welcomed into their little slice of paradise. Location: Perfect for those who want to slow-down and reconnect with nature Service and Activities: Thanks for arranging tours and excursions as well as shuttling us around for a smooth and stress-free trip. The property itself has so much to explore and do from paddling to wildlife watching, to hiking, to exploring the local surroundings. Fantastic Food: Every meal was home-made with items from scratch some of which with ingredients directly grown and sourced from the property! Ambiance: Waking up every morning to the sounds of a living breathing wildlife sanctuary... what more can I say?

There was nothing that we didn't like. Encanto Lodge struck the perfect balance for our style and pace of travel with hosts who are more than accommodating and welcoming.

Located on a lovely rustic farm with nice views of the lagoon and beach. There are complimentary canoes and kayaks to take on the lagoon. There is also a forest trail on the property. It was a pleasure to be hosted by Sabrina and Edu. Edu was kind enough to pick and drop us at the airport. Nice meals that were accommodating of our dietary restrictions.

Absolutely everything. The hosts Edu and Sabrina were totally amazing. We had the most delicious breakfasts and also ate dinner on 2 occasions. We stayed in the bungalow which had everything we needed plus more and the view was to die for. There is also a boat to take out at your disposal which was so peaceful.

There was nothing to dislike