My husband and I planned a trip to Costa Rica in mid-February and knew that we wanted to go off the beaten track and explore the Osa Peninsula. We looked into all of the major wildlife lodges in the area and decided to go for El Remanso.

The pros of staying at El Remanso:

8) the "no fuss" attitude: we really appreciated that at an administrative level - ie at booking and check-out, everything regarding logistics and costs were well disclosed and there was no fuss. It was simple, straightforward and frankly, although the stay is not budget but any means, it was worth every penny.
7) the guests: we found all of the other guests to be like-minded, eco-conscious (but not obnoxiously so), responsibly, worldly people.
6) the activities: the activities offered were diverse and we enjoyed the one's we did. We LOVED the sunset kyaking trip (where we saw dolphins on the Gulfo Dulce) and the Surfing lesson was also good fun. Although the activities cost extra, it is worth it to try out a few. The staff take on the work of booking the activity and transportation and as always made everything easy and breezy.
5) the hiking trails: wonderful hiking trails for all levels. We did at least one and sometimes 2 trails a day and there was never a dull moment and can only be called a great adventure as we experience and actively explored the amazing flora and fauna of the Osa rainforest
4) the accomodation: we stayed in Casa Poniente deluxe suite with ocean views. Truly a place to "get away from it all" which is what we desperately needed coming from our busy lives in New York. We felt it important that all of the buildings were made of fallen local wood.
3) the food: breakfast, lunch and dinner was provided daily and was impeccably fresh. The meals were light but fulfilling and always delicious.
2) the location: high above the canopy in the Osa Rainforest, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We were right in the middle of the most pristine and beautiful place - the word "paradise" came to mind as soon as we arrived
1) the incredibly staff: who all perfectly balance attentive service, genuine friendliness, and letting you have space and privacy

The cons of staying at El Remanso:

......none, nada, zip, zilch.

.... ok fine this is just to show that I actually thought hard about this... I would have liked to have been provided shampoo because I was dumb and forgot to pack it but thats mainly my fault and princess tendencies...

Summary: If you enjoy getting away from it all, but also have an adventure and not merely sit on the beach for your whole vacation, be fed great food and be taken care of properly (though not utterly spoiled), please don't ever, ever go to El Remanso... It's essence is of purity and nature, and frankly was our definition of paradise. I have big plans to return, and would hate for it to be destroyed by mass tourism so please don't go!!

We just returned from an unforgettable one week stay at El Remanso in the Osa Peninsula. This was the best vacation my husband and I have ever taken, and here are some of the reasons why.

It all started at the Nature Air terminal in San Jose, as we were waiting for our flight to the Osa (I highly recommend flying, esp. in the rainy season). I consulted the weather forecast in the Tico Times, and it was not promising: rain and thunderstorms for the next week. This alone would usually be enough to ruin my vacation, but upon our arrival at El Remanso, we were greeted by Adriana and Daniel(the owners) like old friends, and this was the way they treated us and every guest that stayed at the lodge for the entire duration of our stay. (a note to remember-we experienced very atypical weather for Costa Rica for the dry season)

We stayed in the La Vainilla cabin, which, for nature lovers such as my husband and myself, was the cabin of our dreams. This is a 2 storey spacious, cabin, overlooking the pacific ocean and the rainforest, and we chose to stay the entire time on the second floor which is completely open to the elements, except a mosquito net over the bed, which we did not even need. I will never forget our first evening as we were sitting down with a drink, taking in the gorgeous view. We heard some rustling in the trees, and we felt incredibly honoured to be the capitive audience of a family of spider monkeys, swinging from tree to tree, little bodies hanging by tails on branches, mothers jumping with babies on backs! This went on for a good 20 minutes, and we knew right then that we had chosen the right lodge, and definitely the right cabin.

Meals are served at a stunning open-air restaurant, where we could usually find the resident nature guide extraordinaire, (Gerardo) looking through his telescope, and commenting on a variety of wildlife sightings, mostly scarlet macaws, red lored parrots, and monkeys. We took the ridge trail hike with Gerardo, and his passion and knowledge for all types of wildlife is infectious, and we learned so much about the rainforest! On our hike, we spotted a poisonous dart frog, and also huge anteater climbing a tree!

We were also fortunate to be staying at El Remanso at the same time that a yoga group was holding a retreat. What can I say? How do you convey the incredible experience of doing yoga as the sun is coming up in the rainforest, with parrots and monkeys in the treetops above you? The yoga teacher was from New York, and she was top notch. We ended up bonding with the yoga group over the week, it added an unexpected delightful edge to our vacation.

The hike down to the beach and back is quite the trek, but worth every sweat bead. And what a beach!! This is a beach out of paradise-you could walk for miles without seeing a soul, the waves crashing the surf, the most puffy cotton like clouds framing the entire scene! Do check out the tide pools at low tide. They are like sitting in your own private hot tub. Amazing!
Do not miss the waterfall! Just before you get to the tide pools, you will come across a little estuary that flows into a river. Just follow the river to the waterfall, and let the water rip over your body!

It's been a week since our return, and I miss El Remanso, and all the great friends we met there, and I really miss Adriana, Daniel, Shanta, Gerardo, Elyer and Michael. This is not your typical package vacation on a touristed beach in the Caribbean, but if you dare to go off the beaten path a bit to El Remanso, I promise you will come back somehow enlightened through the proximity to the natural world, and the deep ecological commitment that Adriana and Daniel bring to this little piece of paradise.

We really enjoyed El Remanso. I would describe the hotel as “simple luxury”. We stayed in one of the deluxe cabinas, which is one large room with an open shower area and a small water closet. The cabina was very clean and spacious. It had a deck with a hammock and two chairs. From our cabina the view was mostly jungle and a bit of the Pacific. The best view was from the main lodge/restaurant. All meals were included and the food was excellent, though I think they should serve larger portions. I am an active person and I was never completely full after a meal. Other than that I have no complaints. The service was excellent and everyone was very friendly. The staff helped us make arrangements to do anything we wanted. The grounds are very nice – with several different trails to hike, waterfalls to visit and tide pools at the beach in front of their property. We saw lots of wildlife, including three species of monkeys and lots of different types of birds. We were warned about poisonous snakes when we checked in, and sure enough we saw a Fer-de-Lance on a trail that very night. But that should not put anyone off; after all, it is a jungle!

This is not a luxury retreat but it is still a gem. Our stay was too brief (2 nights). The whole family enjoyed the water fall rapelling and exploring the rock pools on the deserted beach down the hill. The rougher edges (compared to some more upmarket places nearby) added to the experience. Open air rooms bring you closer to the jungle sounds. The trail system is extensive and adventurous.