My girlfriend and I stayed at shawandha while vacationing in Puerto Viejo. We chose to stay there based on previous reviews here on tripadvisor as well as various travel guides. After a long taxi ride to get there we felt like we had stepped into paradise. The grounds can only be described as beautiful, the location is a 2 minute walk from a secluded pristine beach and the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. It is one of the more expensive hotels in the area but if you feel like treating yourself this is definitely the place to stay.

My husband and I loved our stay at Shawandha Lodge! The bungalows were perfectly placed within a jungle-like forest. The heliconia, ginger flowers, banana plants, and even pineapple plants, were abundant. Our bungalow, or cabina, was great, the windows were all mesh so the breeze would gently flow into the room. The ceiling was peaked, the bed was great, and the huge bathroom were all great. Our cabina was the first one, closest to the restaurant, which wasn´t a problem. We were up early both days to explore the area. Breakfast was GIGANTIC!! We were given our own pot of coffee and the breakfast started out with a huge plate of cantalope, bananas, pineapple, papaya, watermellow, and passionfruit. This was followed by toast with probably the best blackberry jam we´ve ever had (the orange marmelade was good too, but I could have eaten the whole jar of jam if I wasn´t careful!) then we had our choice of eggs (fried or scrambled), and yes we skipped lunch both days!! We were so glad we didn´t stay IN Puerto Viejo. We spent the late afternoon and early evening lounging on our porch and sitting in our hammock. However, the birds, the insects and the monkeys tend to be a little noisy at night, so if you´re a light sleeper, consider ear plugs and an eye mask if the sun bothers you!! They really help!!

Playa Chicquita and Playa Cocles were MUCH better. We went into town on the first day, but then moved to Playa Cocles. We also went to the Butterfly Farm in Punta Uva, we would recommend skiping it, no tour guide, not a ton of butterflies.

As for dinner, La Pecora Nera (The Black Sheep) is the place to go. About 1 km back towards Puerto Viejo lies this restaurant about 200 meters inland, there is a prominent sign on the road just turn inward and you´ll end up in the parking lot. This utterly fabulous Italian Restaurant was so wonderful, we ate there two nights in a row!! The food was decadent, the portions supreme, and the afterdinner night-cap ended out night perfectly. My eggplant-goat cheese ravioli were probably the best ravioli I ever ate (even compared to Italy) and my husband´s spaghetti bolognese was divine (and I don´t appreciate meat!!). We brought our own bottle of wine the second night and were pleased to find that there was no corkage fee! La Pecora Nera is the place to eat!!

Meant to do a write-up months ago, but never got around to it. Anyway, we knew how much we scoured for a good description of these places so we wanted to help others out with their search.

We LOVED shawandha. We had struggled in picking between Azania and Shawanha and were SO happy with our choice. The web photos don't do it justice. After an arduous 4+ hour cab ride from the airport (the last hour is ridiculously pot-hole ridden and painfully slow) we arrived at this hotel and it was like a mirage. First we saw the beautifully elegant Balinese style restaurant then were lead through a softly lit manicured jungle path to our room which was ridiculously opulent compared to what we were expecting. .35 foot dark wood peaked ceilings, giant king size bed, gigantic bathroom with open shower (no walls, curtains). We were in heaven!! Note: some rooms are bigger, nicer and further set back into the jungle than others. Make sure to ask. We just lucked out.

The restaurant is really pretty and relaxed, but also pretty dead for any meal but breakfast. It's handy if you arrive late and need an easy meal. We'd hit the restaurant in the morning for a giant plate of fruit and eggs then walk down the little jungle path down to the beach. Before we arrived I was all hung up on having a beach front hotel, but trust me, it wasn't necessary. Walking 2 minutes down that path to get to a beautiful beach that's nearly deserted is amazing. Not so stimulating if you're travelling alone (though completely safe), but if you're in a couple, it's nothing less than paradise. Walk to the left and you'll find cove after cove of beach backed by nothing but raw jungle. People complain about the beaches in Costa Rica, but we loved this one.

You'll need to rent a scooter in town. It's about a 12-15 minute scooter ride to Puerto Viejo, but it would take less time if they finally got the road paved, as promised. Definitely not a walkable distance, but that's not a big deal. There's plenty of restaurants along the road to town worth exploring. Including one of the best italian restaurants I've tried - can't remember the name, sorry - just outside of town.

Puerto Viejo is a very cool little town. Lots of chill 70s reggae and several cute bars (one, an italian restaurant, with really extensive martinis and good downtempo beats). Head down the road towards the beach at night and you'll find a few dancing spots. The nice part about viejo no matter where you are, no one harasses you, even at roadside vendor stalls. This is nothing like the onslaught of harrassment you see in Jamaica. (no one's going to push weed on you here, but if you want some it's there, hell, this is the rasta coast) Very chill, friendly people here. We ended up going to more reggae shows in Puerto Viejo then when we were in Negril, only because we felt so at ease here! And this was off season!

Anyway, that's it for now. we want to post photos so you can see how beautiful it is. They say it rains 8 months of the year on this coast (green season), which is why it can be a little quieter than the other coast, but it's also what makes it more of a hidden gem. We were there in september and had 5 solid days of sun. it only rained the day we left and the day we got there. No complaints at all. Whatever you do, you HAVE to book a massage at the "Jungle Spa" - this little piece of heaven a 5-10 minute scooter ride towards town is pure bliss run by a few new york girls. they soak your feet in a copper bowl full of herbal water before your treatment and give you a little local chocolate when you leave, not to mention the massage room that opens onto the jungle and the chocolate wrap body treatments on hand. soo relaxing. perfect for a day rainy day.

PS the howler monkeys can get pretty loud around Shawandha at night, which is pretty cool, but bring earplugs. you'll sleep like a baby with them.

HAVE FUN!!

We stayed at the Shawandha Lodge for 4 nights and very much enjoyed it. The setting in the jungle is beautiful. The rooms are spot-less and the bathroom very spacious and very nicely tiled. The bed is comfortable and the room keeps cool at with the high ceilings, fan, and screened windows. The front desk staff is friendly and helpful for the most part (depends who is on duty). The restaurant serves good food and a full breakfast is included in the rate. The beach is a short walk away and the location offers easy access to Manzanillo and Porto Viejo. Overall great place and good value for money. If you are a light sleeper however I would suggest ear plugs but even those may not be enough to drown out the howler monkeys!