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About
4.5
#1 of 18 lodges in Tortuguero
Location
4.8
Cleanliness
4.5
Service
4.5
Value
4.3
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Surrounded by a network of the scenic canals, this Lodge is located in one of the most exotic regions of the world, characterized by its rich flora and fauna. This lovely lodge has 32 comfortable spacious bungalows with comfortable beds, private bathrooms, hot water and ceiling fans, also there is a beautiful swimming pool. Aninga Lodge has an excellent restaurant and bar service and we also offer bilingual guided tours throughout the Tortuguero area. While designing the place, our priority was to respect the environment, that's why 80% of the hotel is constructed 1.5 m (5 feet) above the ground. Restaurant, bungalows and walking trails are built on stilts, it allows not only to protect the natural habitat of animals but also lets you enjoy the panoramic view of the tropical rainforest. Moreover our determination to preserve the environment inspired us to create a Water Treatment Plant that prevents contamination of the waters in the area.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
Mid-range
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
Frente A La Laguna Principal Del Tortuguero, Tortuguero Costa Rica
Aninga Lodge
421 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
The whole trip to Tortuguero is very well set up. Coach pick-up from San José with a stop for breakfast/lunch (depending on whether you're on your way there and back), and a roughly 90 minute boat trip to the actual lodge. No roads are allowed to be built in Tortuguero national Park.
The lodge is very well run. Meals are all included and are a simple buffet every time but there is always at least 2 choices and everything we had was good quality. Staff were all helpful and accommodating.
The room itself was quite simple but very well maintained and cleaned. There are no glass windows, just mesh nets, which means it is always quite noisy from a host of bugs, birds, and the howler monkeys who like to kick off about 5am. But that's part of the fun and why you stay in the middle of a national park right? Also, especially considering this is a place in the middle of the jungle only accessible by boat, they had excellent Wifi coverage and all the toilet/shower facilities were really good.
Each group that arrives each day has a guide that goes on all the activities with them. There is a trip over to the local village, a short walking nature tour, and early morning boat tour that are included, and an optional short trip up to Sendero Cerro, a high viewpoint, which is a must do activity. The guides are extremely knowledgeable about all the local wildlife and are all local so very passionate about the area. One of the guides took us on a short night tour around the lodge when we said we wanted to see a specific animal (red eyed green frog) which we hadn't seen yet.
There is plenty of wildlife to see both on the organised tours and just milling around the lodge area itself. Within the lodge itself, just walking between meals or activities, we saw howler monkeys, frogs, Jesus Christ lizards, Green iguanas, and lots of different birds.
The standard trip seems to be for 2 nights, with everything well organised within that. I would say 2 nights is a good amount of time to see a lot of what Tortuguero has to offer and there is plenty more to see in Costa Rica. We stayed an extra night and in retrospect would have spent that 3rd night somewhere else as you are quite isolated with not as many activities to choose from as elsewhere.
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Date of stay: February 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sebastián Castillo, Marketing at Aninga Lodge
Responded Mar 7, 2022
Thank you for an amazing review and for your lovely comments. We're glad you got to live nature at its fullest and get to experience unforgettable memories. We wish you many adventures in the future and we hope to see you soon.
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The individual cottages are lovely and private located in the rain forest but elevated to avoid damaging the ecosystem. The staff was very helpful and our guide Lily was knowledgeable, warm and welcoming. Pick up and drop off was very chaotic and there was a lot of hurry up and wait so be prepared. The place you depart from charges a buck to use the bathroom, they have a captive audience.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Catalina Castillo, Marketing at Aninga Lodge
Responded Feb 25, 2020
Hello. We hope you are well. We want to thank you for such a wonderful review and great comments. We apologize for the inconvenience during the pick up and drop off. Also about the charges to use the bathroom, unfortunately the boat pier belongs to a different company and we don't have any jurisdiction in that area. We wish you the best in your future adventures
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Stayed here for 2 nights as part of TUI Grand Tour. The arrival by boat was a great start, down a muddy bank to board the boats then whizzing through the various canals in the forest/jungle. Lucky the rain stopped on the way and we were able to roll up the sides to get a better view. Each hotel has its own jetty and boats. Our boat load were met by Barbie who told us about the hotel and facilities, then off along the various stilted walkways to find our individual lodge. Pleasantly surprised and even the Wi-Fi worked, no glass in the windows just insect wire but that adds to the experience especially at night! No tv, no aircon, just a ceiling fan which was fine, no hairdryer either, you feel like you are in the middle of a rainforest, a brilliant experience. It’s a rainforest so it rains a lot, everything gets damp, there are large umbrellas around you can use as not all the walkways are undercover. The restaurant / dining room was buffet style, they serve you from behind screens, tables were allocated to the various parties. Food was adequate and not a lot of choice if you are a fussy eater. Rice and beans offered at every meal with omelette for breakfast, soup, meat/ fish, vegetables, a dessert for lunch/dinner. A bottle of wine wasn’t cheap but then I assume everything has to be brought in by boat as we didn’t see any roads. The hotel is over the river from the village of Tortuguera which is on the Caribbean coast and definitely worth a visit, the hotel arranges boats to take you over and also up the river to see the wildlife. These were smaller open boats, we were given heavy duty ponchos for the rain saw mainly birds, a caiman and some iguanas, got soaked again. When we got back we went for a walk ( in the rain) through the walkways to the sister hotel next door and then back to the pool and bar for cards and cocktails. The thought of trying to dry costumes put us off the pool. We got woken up in the night by monkeys dragging something across our roof! All part of the experience. On our last day all boats first thing in the morning were cancelled as the jetties had flooded in the rain. We managed to leave later in the morning.
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Date of stay: December 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Take scented bin bags, tumble dryer sheets for your wet clothes, waterproof trousers or at least...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Catalina Castillo, Marketing at Aninga Lodge
Responded Jan 12, 2022
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We're glad that you got to experience Tortuguero's nature at its fullest, it was an honour to assist you during your stay. All your comments will be taken into account in order to improve our service.
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We stayed at this rainforest lodge for several nights when on tour in Costa Rica with Go Ahead Tours. We traveled from San Jose to the lodge by bus and then by boat from Caño Blanco. When we disembarked from the boat, we were warmly greeted and were served a welcome beverage. We were immediately captivated by the magnificent flora that surrounds the elevated walkways and individual bungalows. We found our bungalow to be quite spacious and comfortable. The shower was lovely. The room and bathroom were spotless. We had no issues with the WiFi in our bungalow and were able to upload all of our photos. There were sockets available for recharging devices, but there was no USB charging socket. There were screens on the windows and a ceiling fan. There was no TV to create noise... just the opportunity to appreciate the sounds of the fauna that can be heard (and also seen!) at various times of the day. We started each morning with the guttural sounds of howler monkeys, and we also watched monkeys traveling in the trees around the bungalows, iguanas anchored on tree limbs, crabs popping in and out of their holes along the walkways. It is a short distance from the bungalows to the turtle-shaped pool, the bar next to the pool, the dock, and the dining area. Drinking water is provided, and we brought bottles to fill. We enjoyed the food that represented both Costa Rican fare and international dishes. All members of the staff were warm and helpful. They arranged for our bungalow to be very close to the one reserved for the rest of our family. During our stay, we were able to board a boat with a wildlife guide for an amazing tour along the canal system, to kayak in smaller water paths (bring shoes and clothes that can get wet and dry easily), to visit the village of Tortuguero, and to walk the beach along the Caribbean Sea. Our stay included many delightful moments that today are memories of those outstanding experiences!
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Date of stay: June 2023
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sebastián Castillo, Marketing at Aninga Lodge
Responded Jan 25, 2024
We’re happy to know that you got to experience nature at its fullest and got to experience the nature of Tortuguero. Thank you for a great review; we hope to see you in the future. Your comments will be taken into account in order to improve our service.
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We (adult couple) spent five nights here and would have loved to have spent more time here. We booked directly through the hotel (full package of transportation from San Jose, guided tours and meals) and everything exceeded our expectations.
Staff members were friendly, flexible, professional and engaging throughout our stay. Barbi and Ana deserve much credit for maintaining the vibe of this place. They’re terrific hosts!
Our cabin (#1) was clean, comfortable and felt very private. We particularly liked not sharing walls with other guests - no noisy neighbor issues here.
Guided tours were superb and completed in small groups. We learned so much from our guide, Noel, and became better able to spot the wildlife around us when venturing out on our own during our time at Aninga as well as on the rest of our trip in Cahuita.
People seem to wildly disagree on food when writing reviews of hotels - we love to eat and will try anything/are not “picky”. Although not the biggest fans of buffets, we thought the food was terrific. We didn’t care that some items showed up again a couple days later since we enjoyed it the first time around!
We fell into a habit of spending some time at the pool each afternoon. The pool and deck area were always clean and well attended by staff. So relaxing! Both bartenders were fun to talk to - and kind with my attempts to converse in Spanish.
I spent a lot of time looking into several lodging options before choosing Aninga. I was 100% happy with my choice!
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Date of stay: January 2022
Rooms
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Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Catalina Castillo, Marketing at Aninga Lodge
Responded Feb 1, 2022
We're glad to know you got to experience the jungle at its fullest. Thank you for a wonderful review, it was an honour to accommodate you during your stay.
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Lovely little lodges in the rainforest. I was concerned about there just being nets rather than glass windows, but it wasn't a problem. Very atmospheric hearing the torrential rain at night! Not easy getting your wet clothes to dry but it's something you get used to. There's no hairdryer in the bathroom, but I think you can get from reception if you don't have one of your own. I really enjoyed the food there, you can also get coffee and biscuits if you are heading out on an early tour and then get breakfast when you come back. Their tour guides know what they are looking for so you're guaranteed to see a variety of birds, lizards, frogs etc. I also did ziplining which they can organise for you - the guys there were great and a lot of fun - they'll look after you well if you're new to the experience.
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Date of stay: November 2019
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from GrupoPachira, Public Relations Manager at Aninga Lodge
Responded Feb 5, 2020
Hello, SheenaG753 We really appreciate your lovely comments and we're happy to know that you had an amazing experience with us. We wish you the best in your future adventures.
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We got to experience some beautiful and well orchestrated wildlife excursions, the most memorable of which being the nighttime turtle egg laying. I'll remember that surreal and magical experience for the rest of my life. Our boat tour guide Bernardo was great, and the captains are so talented at spotting camouflaged animals and navigating the canals. The pool was a great spot to unwind after a day of adventuring.
Additionally, the staff at the hotel was so generous, kind, and friendly, especially in the dining hall. Chef Francisco went out of his way to make me personal vegetarian lunches and dinners, which were delicious and often quite different than the regular buffet! I was touched by his care and attention to guest needs. I appreciated there was filtered water available so that we didn't have to add to plastic waste with bottled water. Overall, the place feels committed to keeping this sanctuary ecologically pristine and thriving, and that was the best part.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sebastián Castillo, Marketing at Aninga Lodge
Responded Jan 25, 2024
We’re happy to know that you got to experience nature at its fullest and got to experience the nature of Tortuguero. Thank you for a great review; we hope to see you in the future. Your comments will be taken into account in order to improve our service.
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Spent two nights here with Llama travel from the UK. It is on the 'river side' rather than the coast side so there is not much to do other than walk the boardwalks or use the pool in between tours (If I was to book this area myself I would book somewhere on the costal side so that I could walk on the beach and also go into the town area at my leisure). As others have mentioned, it is very humid, everything gets incredibly damp so keep stuff in your suitcase and keep it closed. If you have sensitive skin be aware this environment may cause it to flare up. There is no air conditioning, only fans which blow hot damp air around (it is the rain forest, if you are prepared for this then this is fine) Breakfast and dinner for vegetarians was mediocre and repetitive (rice and beans, plantain, pineapple). Meat eaters fared better. There are no tea/coffee facilities in the room but by the restaurant there is water, hot water coffee etc. Our evening walk through the area was limited by the large size of the group which meant we could not hear too well what the guide was saying (we asked for him to speak up a few times). We saw much more when we went for our own walk. Shout out to Leo the boat driver who was great at spotting wildlife on the early morning boat tour, and also to Johnny who is very entertaining with great English. Johnny was great at explaining the history of Tortuguera and his families links to the place. Also the guys behind the bar were very friendly and entertaining. However the bar has a 'honey trap' for the natural bee's that do no harm (a glass of sweet water which they land in and then drown). It was sad to see a 'nature place' treating the harmless and useful bee's this way. Other places we stayed at explained all about the bee's and used fans to keep them away from food in a more natural way. The bars also use plastic straws which we felt strange for a place which claims it is eco-friendly. It is an experience to go to Tortuguera and is worth a visit, but perhaps two nights max)
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Date of stay: January 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:Everything is incredibly damp, no problem if you are prepared but not so good for skin...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Ivannia Pérez, Marketing at Aninga Lodge
Responded Feb 2, 2024
Thank you for your review of Aninga Hotel & Spa. We appreciate your honest feedback regarding the humidity and lack of air conditioning, as well as the limited vegetarian options. We apologize for any discomfort this may have caused, as well as any inconvenience during the guided evening walk. We are glad to hear that Leo, Johnny, and the bar staff provided friendly and entertaining service. Regarding the treatment of bees and use of plastic straws, we will take your comments into consideration as we strive to improve our eco-friendly practices. We hope that overall you enjoyed your stay and the unique experience of visiting Tortuguero. Aninga Lodge
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There is no enough space to say all I want to say about this lovely, magical place, and I have NEVER used the word "magical" to review something. The hotel staff, from the front desk to housekeeping, is friendly, helpful, and professional. Barbie and Deikel made us feel like we were important guests, and their level of service is unmatched. The restaurant staff is AMAZING. We are very long-term ethical vegans, and everyone at the restaurant was very respectful of our needs, and we were fed the most delicious, healthy, balanced food: the best of any on our trip. The bungalow-style rooms are lovely, and the fact there is no glass on the windows made it so much more of an experience. Everything was very clean, and we especially enjoyed the sights and sounds of nature all around us. We still had four other hotels after Aninga Lodge, and we knew each one had a very large set of expectations to meet because of our experience here.
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sebastián Castillo, Marketing at Aninga Lodge
Responded Jan 25, 2024
We’re happy to know that you got to experience nature at its fullest and got to experience the nature of Tortuguero. Thank you for a great review; we hope to see you in the future. Your comments will be taken into account in order to improve our service.
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We stayed here for 2 nights during a tour of Costa Rica. We loved the boat ride to the lodge and the location is absolutely stunning. There was so much wildlife around our lodge, monkeys, toucans, land crabs, iguanas etc. The lodge was as clean as it could be, given that it has no windows and just fly screens. Be aware that humidity is extremely high - we found our things got damp and this just can’t be avoided due to the humidity. The room was noisy, but this is because it was in the middle of the jungle with fly screens, so the sounds of the jungle are loud all day and night! Personally we loved it! The food was adequate but seemed to be quite small portions. The grounds of the lodges are beautiful and we walked them extensively, seeing loads of wildlife. We did the walking tour which takes you deeper into the rainforest and our guide was excellent and spotted wildlife we wouldn’t have spotted if we were on our own. He was very interesting and knowledgable. We also did the turtle tour. This is a tightly controlled tour with a maximum of 10 people per tour guide. You are taken by boat to Tortuguero village and to the back of the beach. Turtle spotters patrol the beach and report to the guides when a turtle is laying her eggs. They are very careful to wait until the turtle has dug her nest and has started laying her eggs as if she is disturbed she may abandon the nest. It is then a strict no torch, no camera, no phone policy and we walk onto the beach. For us it was by moonlight which was absolutely magical. We were then shown in our small group the turtle, lit by the guide’s red light (which does not disturb the turtle). We watched her lay her eggs and start to cover them and then it was time to leave so she wasn’t disturbed. A magical trip and I highly recommend, but you must respect the rules to protect these magnificent animals. We also did the morning boat tour, this is on smaller boats and you go in and out all the little canals spotting loads of wildlife. Again our guide was excellent. We got caught in torrential rain, but it is the rainforest and it is wer season so was to bed expected. They are geared up for this and had additional waterproofs and sheltered us from the worst of it. All in all if you have come for the wildlife, I highly recommended this hotel.
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Date of stay: July 2023
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sebastián Castillo, Marketing at Aninga Lodge
Responded Jan 25, 2024
We appreciate you gave us a good review, we’re glad you got to experience Tortuguero’s nature. All your comments will be taken in consideration in order to improve the service we offer.
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Hello
Thank you for your question, it's a pleasure to assist you.
Mobilizing in the whereabouts of the hotel will be perfectly fine, there are ramps around the lodge that makes everything accesible. The only struggle will be while getting on the boat in order to transfer you to the hotel; the pier belongs to a separate business and unfortunately there will be a few yards that will have to be walked over sand.
I hope this answers your question, if you have any doubts or inquiries don't hesitate to ask us 🐵🍃
Good morning Karen
There is no limit on the luggage size or on the amount of luggage you want to bring to the hotels.
Thank you, we hope you have a nice day.
Hi Karen,
We hope everything is going well
We have in our rooms a soap that works for both hair and body. We don't have hair dryers in every room, but we do have some in reception. They will gladly lend you one during your stay.
Pura Vida
Hi, Karen
We hope you're doing well
In every room we have liquid soap that can be used on both hair and body. There are no hairdryers in the room, but you can ask at reception for one and they'll gladly lend you one for as long as you're staying with us.
Thank you, we hope you have a great day
Good Day!! for the tours is better to use close shoes, can be tennis shoes, that are more confortable to walk (downtown and into the walking tour), for the tour into the canals can be open shoes, or tennis shoes as well. As we have a rainy season almost all the year, is better to bring dry fit clothes.Hope you enjoy with us your stay!!
There are more places to choose from in the Tortuguero area.
PRICE RANGE
$150 - $168 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of LimonTortuguero
NUMBER OF ROOMS
32
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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