El Remanso delivers exactly what its name implies; pace, tranquility, rest.

The magic of this place rest in the fact that you can mold your time there at will, weather you decide to participate in the many activities offered ( hiking, horseback riding on the beach, waterfall rappelling or kayaking) or simply peacefully relaxing surrounded by the exceptional beauty of Costa Rica.
I did the latter.

After a period of very stressful work, I simply needed to let everything go, and recharge energies. And I can tell you, El Remanso has been better than any therapy.

As a young woman traveling alone, I am naturally concerned about safety; though found that Costa Rica is an ideal place to visit on your own.
Since my arrival to Puerto Jimenez, El Remanso´s staff took care of every tiny little detail I needed. From receiving me at the landing strip, making sure I got the most out of my ride up to the Lodge ( a beautiful ride, and the driver made it even more special by stopping along the way, and pointing out spectacular birds, butterflies and even monkeys we crossed on our path), to my warm hearted welcome by Silvia, who made sure I was comfortable settled in, and had clearly arranged for everything to go as smoothly as it did.
She gave me the most wonderful introduction to the Lodge, and you could see she clearly loved this place, and all that it represented, and that was definitely contagious.

Silvia made sure I had the experience I was looking for, and she nailed it!

The accommodations are exactly what I was looking for; comfortable, clean, spacious and most importantly, in complete harmony with the surroundings.
I enjoyed all the delicious environment conscious bath products the Lodge offers. I am very picky about what shampoos I use, and was delighted to be introduced to the chemical free products of El Remanso .

Every person I encountered at El Remanso contributed to make my stay the most pleasant one I have ever had.
Modesta, the delightfully smiling woman who looked after my cabin, was so sweet and caring, that I could not help to feel pampered as if she was my loving aunt.
Jairo made sure I had the most wonderful views during my meals, and that everything was set and ready for me to enjoy. I was in complete awe to meet Sergio; who not only has the most delightful attitude, but speaks fluent Flemish.
Gilbert and Geiner worked magic in the kitchen, preparing menus of healthy and delicious meals full with local flavor and color.

El Remanso´s team work together, making sure the whole experience of being surrounded by such beautiful sights, even more spectacular.

I will most definitely come back, and am sure each and every one of El Remanso´s visitors will so too.

We spent 5 days of our honeymoon in the beautiful El Remanso, and it was truly unforgettable. having used trip advisor extensively before travelling, I know I was looking for people to get to the point and give me the good, so I shall do the same :)

1) Service: From the moment we first made contact with them, Gabby made us feel like old friends, she is gracious, detailed and happy to answer every single question (and I had many). Upon arriving in the beautiful Osa, the service - from Gabby personally meeting us on the runway, to the welcome drinks and lunch be made ready as we arrived at the lodge, to everyone knowing our name, and every single day making every effort to making us feel completely at home (Sergio was amazing!) - the service and hospitality was the best we've ever experienced, and we have traveled extensively.

2) Location, location, location: We were in every way - in the middle of the rainforest - amidst all of natures wonders and glories. Surrounded by beautiful, lush greenery and fascinating creatures: red eye frogs, toucans, monkeys etc (Waking up to the sound of Howlers monkeys is a treat!). Yes, being real city folks it took some getting used to, especially deal with walking through a dark rainforest the first night back to our cabin. Warning: If you are here for a luxury beach resort: this is not the place for you. You are in the midst of nature and it is a beautiful experience.

3)Food: fantastic! Every meal was memorable!

4) The Lodge: spotless, absolutely clean. It is charming and very beautiful. Our cabin was gorgeous. The pool isn't much, but we weren't there for the pool. Now, something important to note is that the Beach is a good 20 minute hike through a rainforest path downhill (and ofcourse, uphill coming back). Once you get down there it is stunning, very Robinson Crusoe-esque - a completely deserted beach, stretching for miles. You cannot swim in the water, as the tides are just too strong. There are tidepools that you "can" swim in, but we didn't, as they were filled with creatures (fish, crabs) and sea urchins. It is amazing to see them however, and take cool pictures.

5) The Experience: Relaxing and romantic. You can't quite describe how majestic the rainforests are, and I really fell in love with the whole place. Take every hike you can, the guides are phenomenal, waterfall rappelling was a blast! It was an unforgettable honeymoon.

Tips:

1- Bring a flashlight, a good rain coat, watershoes, sturdy hiking shoes - you'll need all these items and will use them well.
2- Ask Gabby lots of questions, and even when you get there ask questions if you have them. The staff are very obliging, and really want you to have a great stay.

My daughters (ages 9 and 12) and I just returned from our vacation to Costa Rica. We stayed the entire week at El Remanso and it was amazing! Even before we arrived, the staff was incredibly helpful with all aspects of booking our trip. Gabby was so helpful and sweet :-)
When we arrived at Puerto Jiminez Gabby was there to greet us with a big smile and made us feel immediately welcome. We then jumped in the truck with Jose for our ride to El Remanso. Jose doesn't speak much English, but he was so friendly and patient with me while I practiced my terrible Spanish! Jose has a great eye for spotting wild life and we saw an entire family of Howler monkeys, and numerous birds before we even arrived at El Remanso!
Silvia and Tamar were there to greet us with big smiles and warm welcomes when we pulled in to the lodge parking area. We were brought in to the restaurant where homemade iced tea with mandarin lime slices was waiting for us (served by Rolvin (sp?). Silvia made us feel immediately welcome and then gave us a complete introduction to the entire facility.
Our cabin(la Vainilla) was absolutely stunning!!! I won't bother to try and describe it: the website photos are great.
Meals were a delight and our servers were all extremely friendly and helpful. If you have food allergies you WILL be well taken care of: my youngest daughter and I both have allergies and the staff went out of their way to make substitutions that were delicious! The restaurant is gorgeous!
We signed up for the Wildlife Explorer package and were extremely pleased! Our first activity was waterfall repelling with Gerardo: I cannot overstate how amazing he was as a guide and repelling instructor--within minutes he had all of us totally at ease (all first time repellers) and very excited to get started! Both my daughters had so much fun and each one wanted to go first on every waterfall!
We also did several hikes with Gerardo, all of which were the highlights of our trip. He is an extremely knowledgeable ecologist/naturalist and his passion for the forest is beautiful to experience. Gerardo was able to engage my 9 year old and field all her questions while also sharing a wealth of fascinating information with us.
One of the nights before dinner Silvia invited us a brand new event at the lodge: a cultural exchange discussion. Guests and staff gathered and shared information about our own cultures as well as the staff's roles at El Remanso. We had a blast and it made us feel like we were among friends for the rest of our stay.
I could go on and on about how much this trip meant to my family, but to say the least I would highly recommend El Remanso!! My family and I will be coming back as soon as possible!!

Rob P.

My husband and I have been to Costa Rica previously. This was our first trip to the Osa . We love hiking, wildlife, photography, and adventure. We have values in conservation of intact natural areas and seek places that are embracing "sustainabilility" practices. We do not speak Spanish, but I know a few phrases, and I used my phrasebook constantly to learn more. This was sufficient and really helped in some situations, such as when we had to go to a pharmacy in Santo Domingo. I highly recommend making the effort to learn a bit of Spanish, as it will simply make some situations go more smoothly. It is not necessary, but is a good opportunity.

We initially stayed overnight at Hotel Bougainvillea in Santo Domingo (part of San Jose MSA) to make our connecting flight the following day to the Osa. We HIGHLY recommend this place particularly if you love gardens. It was easy to catch a taxi to and from the airport. We've been to San Jose on a previous trip and spent some time there, so didn't feel the need to get into the city.

We love Gabby in El Remanso's booking office in Puerto Jimenez. She is efficient, generous and cooperative. We had a travel document crisis and had to change our travel dates. She efficiently rescheduled us. When she met us at the airstrip in Puerto Jimenez, we hugged her! That was the start to our fantastic experience. Gracias, Gabby!

Jose, "El Ojo", drove us to El Remanso on a rocky road. Along the way, he spotted many animals and pointed them out to us. He showed us a sloth that was descending from a tree to do his weekly business. We all just stopped and watched. We had no idea, until later, how special this was. If you go, pay attention to what Jose is showing you. Gracias, Jose!

At the resort, Rolbim (sp?), met us with a fruit/tea concoction, and our personal "cruise director", Tamar, gave us a briefing of how things work at El Remanso, and our itinerary for the week. Throughout the week she checked in on us, as did the on-site manager, Sylvia. Both were attentive, helpful and friendly.

We stayed for an entire week, Monday to Monday. We had the active package. This included multiple hikes with both guides, Gerardo and Renaldo, bird watching, waterfall repelling, and horse back riding. The short zip line to the breakfast platform was not in operation while we were there. We took advantage of the large, group size yoga platform and did yoga a few times. All hikes were wonderful. The guides were fantastic. Gerardo was our guide for the waterfall rappelling, which we had not done previously. I was nervous and shaky for the first descent, and I told him so. He was extremely patient, cautious, and the whole thing was really terrific. His assistant, Pocho, was also really helpful. I highly recommend the repelling. Keen sandals or those new toe shoes are perfect for the rappelling. It's a good idea to keep your toes covered. The hikes were amazing. We saw many things, including Fer de lance. We were never in danger, but I recommend wearing closed shoes as there is debris, ants, etc. If you do the river walk, definitely use their rubber boots and hiking sticks. I recommend exploring the beach and the tide pools, being sure to understand the tidal period when the tide pools are exposed. The return hike up from the beach is a workout, even for the fit. For horse back riding we were shuttled to a private horse owner. The trail was very muddy through the jungle and then opened to a beach with another area of tide pools, even more spectacular than those at El Remanso. On the beach, we were able to run the horses. Don't wear a shirt that you care about on the ride. The mud will splash up all over you and ruin light colored clothing. The horses were fun! Gracias Gerardo, Renaldo, Rolbim II, Tamar and Pia for exciting, educational, and fun outdoor activities!

We stayed in the La Guinda cabin. This cabin is perfectly simple and looks out directly over the rainforest to the Pacific. It's cleaned daily with fresh towels, and has flushing toilets, and a warm shower if desired. Biodegradable, all natural, Osa-made body wash, shampoo, and lotion are provided. We have no complaints about the cabin. It is warm and humid at night, and you will appreciate the ceiling fan. I recommend ear plugs if you are a light sleeper to dampen the outside noises of the waves crashing down on the beach and the insects, birds, monkeys etc. A flashlight or headlamp is definitely recommended for walking to and from the dining area to the cabin after dark. There are many steps.

The food was hearty, fresh and abundant. The dining area/bar looks out over the jungle. The staff are attentive and kind. We asked to set up a special occasion one night, for other guests that we had met, and the staff fully accommodated us with champagne, a special table, etc.

We also had the opportunity to listen to a presentation from the manager about the El Remanso sustainability practices, and we were quite impressed. If you are interested, be sure to ask. They are happy to share what they are doing to reduce their impact and protect what they have. Additionally, they are sponsoring two interns currently from Denmark, interested in sustainable hotels and tourism. Pia and Kris were a part of the staff and also a delight to talk to. Everyone with the El Remanso shirt was very friendly and attentive to guests. I left feeling as if I had a new family.

I could go on and on about our amazing experiences and tell stories all day. El Remanso may not be for every single person. The beach is not a swimming beach if you are hoping for time in the ocean, and the hike up from the beach is somewhat of a challenge. It is warm and humid, and it does rain intermittently. But all that said, I will continue gushing about our experience. We saw an incredible diversity of wildlife. We really liked the people who worked at El Remanso and their mission of sustainability. We found that we didn't lose much comfort to dramatically lower our travel impact, which made us feel really good. Thanks to all - Sylvia, Gerardo, Renaldo, Jaro, Sergio, Rolbim, Jesse, Tamar, Pia, Kris, Jose, Bert, Pocho, Gabby, the cooks, the gardeners, and everyone we didn't have a chance to meet, or people whose names I can't remember or spell :). I hope we can return someday. Pura Vida!!!!!!