Wonderfully relaxing spot on a working farm. Very laid back with the family owners joining the guests at meal times.
Room was detached and roomy, albeit a smallish, but perfectly adequate bathroom.
There appeared to be only a few detached rooms, others must be half the size as the buildings are similarly sized, so be careful. (Think rooms 2, 3 & 4, only)
There were no real guides, so anything you see, you need to use guidebooks to find out what they are. Having said that there is a surprising amount to see, just wandering around the ranch. Walks are suggested, altho' the map is a little basic!
No real vegetarian (" well leave the meat" kind of attitude) - luckily there was a lot of vegetables. Typical Costa Rican fare.
It's a chill out place, miles from anywhere.
There's a swimming pool set in lovely grounds.
Boat trips offered to the mangroves in the gulf where there's a lot of bird life. Our boatman didn't speak English, but pointed out interesting birds and frogs. (Take photos and identify later!).
Horse riding and tractor rides offered too.

Situated with a stunning view of the Gulf of Nicoya. Small, modest rooms. Clean. Typical CR food. Pool. And, amazing outdoor massage room with the breezes gently passing through.

Stayed here for 2 nights on our tour of Costa Rica. This is a very nice and extensive working ranch where one is made to feel very welcome and at ease. Accommodation was basic but spacious, comfortable and clean. Very good food. The highlight was a boat tour of the mangrove swamps of the river delta where we saw lots of magnificent and colourful birds. The horseride round the ranch was also very enjoyable. Spectacular sunsets over the gulf of Nicoya. Howler monkeys just walk right by you and colourful Magpie Jays frequent the restaurant at breakfast.

On a birding tour offered through Road Scholar/Elderhostel in Feb., we stayed 2 nights at La Ensenada Lodge (ensenada means “cove”), in a lovely cabina looking out on the Gulf of Nicoya with the mountains of the Nicoya Peninsula in the distance. La Ensenada is located in a 900-acre wildlife refuge is part of a family-run cattle ranch, with nature trails and a lake.

La Ensenada is located in a lovely setting. We were in the group of cabinas toward the dock; we had a view of the dock and the cove from our porch. Each porch came equipped with a hammock. Although my husband tried it out, I sat contentedly on the porch, taking in the beauty, avoiding the strong hot sun, and marveling at the dry air. Delicious!

The cabina was amply sized with a decent-sized bathroom and firm mattresses. We had ample hot water for showers. No television, so bring a good book! I was a bit worried about the heat. At mid-day, the cabina was 92 degrees F. (Our travel alarm clock has a thermometer in it.) The cabina had no air conditioning—just a ceiling fan. Would that be enough for sleeping comfort? (Since we spent little time in the room during daylight hours, the temperature of the room didn’t bother me then.) By early morning, the room was 72 degrees F. Perfect!

At La Ensenada, your alarm clock is the howler monkeys. Around 4 a.m., the howler wake-up call began. The cabina walls were thin; the windows were open; I’m a very light sleeper. A troop was moving through the trees just behind and beside our cabina. No sleeping through that! (You might consider bringing ear plugs, although I wouldn’t have traded that wake-up call for anything—even another hour of sleep.)

Decent coffee (by my standards, anyway—moderately strong and flavorful) was ready and waiting long before breakfast. The dining area also has a water dispenser that delivers either cold or hot water 24/7—a nice touch for tea drinkers. Overall, the food was delicious—nothing fancy, but fresh and plentiful and served buffet style. You dine in a covered, but open-air dining area. White-throated Magpie-jays are likely to dine with you, looking for unattended food or scraps or leftovers—anything they can steal. When we were there, they perched in the rafters over the tables and swooped around at random intervals (random, at least to the human brain). Watch your plates and your heads!

They have a swimming pool. However, at least when we were there, it didn't have much shade (especially at mid-day). So it was quite hot to just sit out at the pool. Being in the water, though, was just fine. But be sure to use sunblock!

La Ensenada Lodge is a lovely facility in a wonderful location. You will not be disappointed! You can read more about the area in our trip report.

Tina
trip report at http://costarica201102.wordpress.com/