My husband and I just came back from Poor Man's Paradise (PMP). We had a wonderful time and hopefully we will return soon.

I booked our trip by contacting PMP through their website. A travel agent with Sunny Travels responded and handled everything. She reserved us a hotel for our first night in San Jose. We stayed at Brilla Del Sol. It was perfect for staying overnight (room and bathroom were nice and we had a good breakfast -- pick up from the airport, breakfast and drop off at the local airport were included).
She also took care of our round-trip tickets with Sansa airlines (I just had to tell her when we wanted to fly), the reservations for a taxi cab from Palmar Sur to Sierpe and our package with PMP (the excursion vouchers and the round-trip boat fares). She charged our credit card -- because we booked so early, she didn't charge the trip until a few months later. All communications were done by email and faxes. We had no problems with our travels.

We arrived at Palmar Sur airport, where our taxi cab driver was waiting for us. He took us to Sierpe where we hoped on a boat to PMP. They put everyone's bag in large trash bags to protect them -- I think
they would have been fine without the bags but better safe than sorry.
The boat ride lasted about 2hrs, then again it went by so quickly that I am not sure. It is a bit rough when you reach the Pacific, but it all went smoothly. PMP has different size boats, and if in one of the bigger ones, you need to switch to the small one once you arrive in front of PMP. In the small boat, you then get to experience the ride to the beach -- as described by other guests before. SInce the waves can be pretty big and due to the steep incline of the beach (at least that is my explanation as to why they do it this way), the boat comes onto the beach full speed. First time is quite impressive, but you get used to it.

Katia meets everyone at the beach and provides general info to all new guests. Meals are at a set time (unless you are on an excursion or previously asked for sandwiches), etc. Katia was a sweetheart and was always available whenever one of the guests needed something. She organizes the excursions and provides all needed information the night before after dinner. She speaks German, English and Spanish.

We had requested an ocean front cabin, which we got. The ocean front cabins are actually a little more inland than we thought, but you still get the breeze. Since we were given a first floor room, we simply asked if a 2nd floor room was available. We went on a hike and returned to find that they had switched us to another cabin. It was great! It was only our preference to be on the 2nd floor. The first room we had was fine. We loved the porch and especially the hammock (I just wished there were two). The inside is fully screened and breezy. The room is large and the bed was comfortable. Bathroom was small, but worked very well. The water is obviously not heated, and the first shower is quite refreshing -- again, you get used to it. Since the ocean front cabins are at the bottom of the "water system", you may find yourself in the shower with no water -- just be patient, whoever is using the water will stop soon, and the water will come back. And yes, the showerhead is a PVC pipe -- water comes out just fine!

Food was good -- Conzuelo (daughter of the owner of the restaurant; she is also a great tour guide) made the best grilled ham and cheese I have eaten in a while. She even bake my husband a banana cake for his birthday. Youcan request vegetarian meals, etc -- you just have to let Katia know at the start of your stay what you cannot eat.

All staff there were friendly and professional. No complaints.

The excursions (we did the San Pedrillo/Corcovado National Park hike and Cano Island snorkeling) were great. We saw white-faced capuchin, howler and spider monkeys, a tayra, fresh water crocodile, etc. Conzuelo was our guide and we even went of fthe paths -- can't always stay on them if you want to see the fauna. Rebeca was our snorkeling guide -- we saw white-tipped reef sharks, tons of fish (parrot, puffers, "Scar" from Finding Nemo, and even a Hawksbill sea turtle).

We also hiked on our own around the lodge. We went to the snorkeling beach (about 30 min hike) and also to the fresh water river (maybe an 1hr further). We had no problems. I returned on the same path on my own (well with Reef one of the dogs from PMP).

The beach in front of PMP is a little rough. If you are a strong swimmer, you should be okay. I swam and just got out when I had enough -- it is just a little difficult getting out because of the waves pulling you out and pushing you in ... worst that can happen is end up on the beach with pebbles in your swimsuit. My husband loves to body surf and beached himself a few times. He was fine =)

Overall, my husband and I had a wonderful time and had none of the problems mentioned in the reviews I read.

As others have written -- know where you are going .. It is a 2hr boat ride, realize that this is a place where you go when you want to escape.

PMP is a mix. The owners and staff are indeed aloof and not terribly friendly--on the other hand they are not really unfriendly. If you are looking for touchy-feely types or cheer leaders, stay away. There were lots of German guests. Pincho's wife is German, and her sister works there, too, so they clearly have travel industry connections back home.

The food was decent, the accomodations better than we expected--very basic/rustic, but fine. (Bring a flashlight as lights go out at 9:00 p.m.) The area is lush jungle and quite beautiful.

The beach sand is rather coarse, but diving booties or other beach footware take care of that. The waves are great, and the water is warm.

Prices for activities are a bit high, though we had no disagreement or problem with the bill when we left. We were treated fairly and professionally. Do be aware that almost all resorts in the area charge PER PERSON double occupancy.

All in all, we're glad we saw the area, but we'd probably not go back (so many other places to see!). The diving, which we'd heard was outstanding, was just so-so, and not as good as Herradura, near Jaco Beach. Corcovado was beautiful, and swimming in the rivers was refreshing, but we saw MUCH more wildlife on a river trip in Fortuna.

We've visited Poor Man's Paradise on two different trips to CR and plan to go back again. For the price you can't beat three meals a day and a beach all to yourself. We stayed in regular rooms there and, knowing there is no electricity in the region, were content even with the extreme heat. In fact, the no electricity was a huge draw for us goign to this part of the world. We found the food to be quite tasty and it's really easy to go out on any and all tours in the region. The beach in front of Poor Man's is quite rough and has very strong currents. I found myself being pulled when I was only waist high. However, it was nice to have an excuse to do a walk to Playa San Josecito beach, which is calm and beautiful. I am a professional nature photographer and I found that I also had lots to do just staying around Poor Man's photographing macaws. In fact, the two times we were there there were huge colonies of macaws that were very active at sunrise and sunset.

In fact, if you are an avid birder you will love this area. I went on a bird tour one morning and it was fascinating. There is so much diversity in this area. I've also done the park tour and it was awesome.

I found the family to be very accommodating and were very easy to get to know and they were very gracious. Personally, I'm shocked at some of the reviews here. In fact, on our last trip I decided to spend almost every day right around the resort because the macaws were so active. My husband signed up to do scuba a few times so I was at the resort almost alone and the family was completely fine with me hanging around. They would come up and talk to me occassionally about photography, tell me about macaw behavior, good spots to find other wildlife, etc. We have never had any of the ill treatment described in these reviews.

I'd recommend the place to anyone who is used to traveling off the beaten path. If you are expecting North-American style accommodations I would suggest you probably skip going to Osa/Corcovado entirely because this area of the world is for travelers who want to get away from other people and who enjoy roughing it a little bit. If you've never backpacked or don't enjoy hiking or adventure travel then you won't enjoy any of the places in this area. Another option is to stay in a more expensive hotel with more amenities, or perhaps go to Puerto Jimenez area (Matapalo is quite nice) since that part of the country has electricity but still enjoys close proximity to the park.

Our family has stayed at Poor Man's for two vacations and would not hesitate to return. Understand when you go; if you expect the Hilton or Embassy Suites you will be dissapointed. It is not those properties; it is an oasis of rustic civilization in the middle of tropical paradise. Relax, fish, walk, swim and enjoy the locals. From
the family owners to the local staff, you will find them charming and gracious hosts. The food is often locally grown or raised on the propery. A fare of local dishes that are unique and mostly delicious (sometimes not, but that is the charm and adventure of the experience). It's an organization that respects the environment and loves to share their amazing little corner of the world.