We stayed in Secret Garden for several days last week. Overall we are satisfied with our experiences, but several things could be done to significant improve our stay. I would probably rate this a 3.5 and not a 4 star, but since the owner was so nice, the rooms big and clean, the shower warm and pressurized, towels changed daily, the internet was consistent and fast, a pleasant common area, good location, usable kitchen, and mossie nets were included we were overall more happy than not and I prefer to give the place the benefit.

However, the owner would be wise to follow two suggestions.

1. New mattresses and pillows. The sheets are clean, but the mattresses are gray and kind of musty. After a few days I was keen to move somewhere with a clean mattress.

2. Thoroughly clean the kitchen. The shelves holding dishes were filthy, with copious cockroach droppings and cockroaches both dead and alive. The dish rack was gross. The table top was gross. The fridge full of old stuff that hadn't been cleaned.

I understand that people should clean up after themselves, but ultimately its up to the hotel owner to make sure the kitchen is a clean and sanitary place to cook.

I will stress though, that the size of the rooms, some with TV's, shelves, and full length mirrors and all with floor fans and of a good size with private bathrooms are good and quite clean.

If the owner took the time to scrub the kitchen down on a weekly basis and get new mattresses, this would be an EASY excellent choice and she could probably charge more!

Big rooms, nice relaxed hostel..
Friendly staff ,very close to the national park

Cahuita is so worth your while..the reef snorkeling, national park...island vibe small town...I had a pleasant stay here! Simple yet colorful, clean and friendly!

I stayed here in April 2012, travelling alone. The hostel is located very near to the National Park, the "center" of Cahuita and the bus stop. I got a single-room for 15$/night. The room was good, with a big bed covered by a moskito-net (which you need!). The bathroom was part of the room, a bit unusual, but nothing to complain about. I felt absolutely safe here. The rooms are tidy and are cleaned daily.

The owner named Willeke, a Dutch hippie in her 50s, is absolutely helpful, she even picked me up at the bus stop, The hostel in general seems very well managed, the community area is lovely and the garden very colorful. However, Secret Garden is not really a hostel, with lots of the guests being couples. So don't expect to meet a huge party happening- well, there is not much to party in Cahuita anyways. If you want to cook a lot in the community kitchen you might want to choose another hostel, because the kitchen is small and was a bit dirty.

All in all I would recommend Secret Garden to everyone visiting Cahuita!