Our lodge comprises 8 Mediterranean style villas, a large swimming pool and restaurant. It sits on a small peninsula inside a fresh water lagoon bordering it on three sides and a Pacific Ocean beach 200m across the lagoon, accessible by our boats and kayaks. We run on solar power, our water is from a fresh mountain spring and we produce fresh food daily from our biological garden.
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
Ocean View
Lagoon View
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
Ruta Nacional Secundaria 245 Laguna Pejeperrito, Corcovado National park, Carate, Corcovado National Park 60702 Costa Rica
We spent 3 nights over Xmas 2019 at Laguna Vista Villas and had an amazing experience. The property is set on a beautiful rise looking out across a lagoon, rainforest and the beach. The villas are discretely placed to maximise privacy and the sense of exclusivity. The hospitality of Greg and the team was warm and unbeatable and food was excellent. The pool was a perfect way to cool down after a hot and sweaty walk in Corcovado NP and the bar and restaurant area was welcoming and brought guests together to create a natural communal atmosphere. The road to the property from Puerto Jimenez is unpaved but straight forwarded, it involved crossing a couple of streams but was not difficult, and was well worth the level of effort. The gardens are lush and the views from our villa and deck were spectacular. The property is well located for Corcovado and has untouched beaches on its doorstep. It is off-grid and runs on solar power and a back up generator. This means there is no AC in the villa but if you are prepared to sleep under a fan and want to experience paradise and pristine rainforest and beach then this is the place. There are few places in the world like laguna vista villas and we feel very privileged to have had the chance to stay there.
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Date of stay: December 2019
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
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.
After a 1.5 hour drive on a gravel road we arrived at Laguna Vista villas for a 4 night stay. We were warmly welcomed by Greg the owner, and shown to our lodge. As other reviews have mentioned, this is not a branded luxury lodge, however the room was clean, with a comfortable bed, beautiful views and a great deck with a cool plunge pool. I was slightly apprehensive about the ‘outdoor’ bathroom, but had no issues with any creepy crawlies in the night! We were woken every morning with a beautiful view and the sound of monkeys in the tree next to our lodge. Greg helped to organise a tour into the Corcovado National Park, we saw many animals, but saw just as many on the hotel grounds! We watched the sun set in the bar most nights, watching the different monkeys fighting over the fruit in one of the trees. We even fed one of the white faced monkeys a banana! We met some great people, Greg made us feel like part of the family, although he did start to run out of jokes by the end of our stay!! The food prepared by Santos was excellent - especially baring in mind that the lodge is literally in the middle of nowhere. There is no supermarket around the corner! These lodges run on solar power and have water from a mountain stream. There is no mains electricity or water and no paved roads with bridges, so if you are looking for a 5* luxury hotel with air con you should probably go elsewhere. If you are looking for nature, relaxation, great company and don’t mind an adventure to get there, this place is for you! We had a great time, thanks to Greg and his team.
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Date of stay: January 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.
This is a very special place. The views over the lagoon and to the ocean are absolutely jaw-dropping and must be the best in Costa Rica, and probably much further afield. Its very remote location makes it a very tranquil place, with easy access to the Corcovado National Park. The Costa Rican staff are very welcoming, helpful and create a nice relaxed atmosphere. The food (full board is the only practical way to stay here) is basic but good and plentiful. The lodges are well laid out to take advantage of the view with a private terrace and plunge pool (in some) making it a perfect place to relax and watch the scarlet macaws, parrots, vultures, frigate birds and much more. So why only 4 stars? Well, it’s because of a few little issues we experienced and which have also been touched on by other reviews. A place built into the jungle a 1 hour drive and 20km from the nearest small town, with no mains electric is going to present some challenges to maintain it. Power cuts and the consequent patchy internet access are all part of the adventure, but no hot water in one of our two lodges for half the time we were there, despite reporting it, is not really acceptable at this price point. Also the infinity pool needs a bit of TLC to replace tiles, needs more furniture to make it a welcoming place to sit and the water temp was way too hot. All in all it seemed that LagunaVista is lacking an ‘owners touch’ to set and maintain high standards and attend to the detail. Communication is another issue. I mentioned that the Costa Rican staff were excellent, however they speak little or no English - we had a Spanish speaker in our party so it wasn’t a problem for us and it really showed the staff in a good light. Most of the guests when we were there though did not speak Spanish and that is probably typical. There were three English-speaking staff (or possibly volunteers) who explained their role to be to act basically as translators for the guests, the problem was that they obviously felt a bit awkward in the role, didn’t have any management responsibility, didn’t seem to speak much Spanish themselves and there wasn’t a great rapport evident with the Costa Ricans. Lastly, once dinner was over, the fantastic bar/restaurant area was cleared and lights out by 8.30pm, whereas offering cocktails and drinks a bit later in the evening would probably have been popular. In summary, anyone thinking of going should go and not be put off by the above, we would certainly stay there again. But a great place could with a few tweaks be even better.
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip 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.
This is a very laid-back lodge. The best part was chilling on the patio with morning coffee and the monkeys. Or after a full day hiking to take a dip in the plunge pool. The service was just ok. There was no choice in menu and food was rarely served at the appointed time. The food was good though. A few days here is enough unless you just want a place to chill. The main eating area, patios and stairs are not young child friendly. No railings. To get to the beach, you walk down hill quite a way on unmarked trails to get to the lagoon. You have to pay to use the kayak to get across the lagoon (with crocodiles) or walk 1.5 miles downhill to walk around the lagoon and down to the beach. If you want to go to Corcovado Park, know that you'll have a 15 min car ride, followed by a several mile hike to get to the entrance of the Park. I recommend having a car here to get around. Again - It's a place to just chill out.
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Date of stay: January 2020
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.
First, we are family of 4 with 2 adult teens and this was our 2nd CR trip. If it's your first time to CR then you can visit Arenal, Monte Verde first. For bird lovers and looking for inner peace, this place is heaven with unparalleled ocean views and silence.
We stayed in the family villa with personal plunge pool. This villa is nicely located on the top where Tucans, Macaws, other birds come and sit on the tree at the patio. Hotel gives good botanical shampoo and soap with clean white towels. Sometimes it does get humid between 12-2pm and lack of AC made us to spend time outside on the patio (under the tree with ocean breeze) or at one of the most beautiful lounge/lobby making us more friends with other guests and the staff. Food is prepared with love and not commercialized. We miss their 3-4 course dinner meals.
It's like time stopped for us there. Those who want to visit CocoVardo National Park, this is the best place to be in. Yes road to here is bumpy but I suggest hiring local taxi from Puerto Jimnez who knows how to get around the pot holes or if you can spare then get a charter plane (costs $1200 for 4 ppl from San Jose) that can land on Playa Carate (just 4kms away from the LagunaVista.
I am a 2 million milers on United and have travelled around the world with stays from 3 star to 7 star properties. This place is magical if you want to discover luxury in nature and not materialistic things. We will visit this place again next year.
Tips : Pack Moisturizing lotion, hair dryer, 2 electronic pest controllers (helps to keep crawlers like lizards out) and inspect repellent.
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Date of stay: December 2021
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip:take a room with plunge pool - comes handy on hot/humid days.
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.
We are enjoying our stay here. The food is good: breakfast made to order or a tiny fruit/yogurt/milk bar with amazing granola. Lunch and dinner are up to the chef's daily imagination but always good. Our villa is clean and airy. The little individual plunge pool hits the spot after a long hike. The staff is friendly and attentive but low-key. The other guests are international and if you wish to chat you can always find somebody interesting to talk to. You can see vultures, hawks, macaws and monkeys from the deck - and a variety of wildlife further out. Greg, the proprietor, is fun to talk to and very helpful.
Recommendation: Bring SPF50+ sunscreen and reapply, reapply, reapply. We went to the beach on our first day. Our sunscreen was washed off quickly, we've been burned ever since.
Another recommendation: Do the guided walk through Corcovado. The guides are personable and knowledgeable. Bring some cash for a tip for the guide, and for the coconut vendor at the entrance to the park.
Manage your expectations: this a lodge in the tropics. There is no AC, and there are plenty of insects. There is some wifi at the main building, but it is slow. The personnel do not necessarily speak English.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Rooms
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.
Laguna Vista Villas trounces all other hotels in the Osa Peninsula, even the priciest ones, in the two most important attributes of a hotel: the view and the quality of the room. At Laguna Vista Villas, both are extraordinary.
Laguna Vista means “the view of the lagoon”. The lodge is built on a tall tongue of land that juts into a lagoon. From the air it looks like a giant epiglottis. The cabins face a view of the lagoon, followed by a narrow strip of beach, the Pacific’s shore, the open ocean, the horizon, and then the sky.
A cabin here is more like mini-villa than a cabin, hence the last part of the hotel's name. Spacious, with a Mediterranean design, the villa opens into a big bedroom with a king-size bed. Floor to ceiling glass doors lead to a deck with a dipping pool in its center and the view beyond. Next to the bedroom is a huge bathroom with another pool. The ocean is just far enough away so that its roar is gentle and soothing. The ceiling fan is quiet and good, and the bed, luxuriously comfortable.
The lodge has a big infinity line pool overlooking the villas. The pool is shaped like a map of the hotel and its surrounding lagoon. Its water was clean and of a pleasant temperature.
The lodge’s lobby and dining area has a rustic elegance, accompanied, as everything at LVV, by the view. The three meals tasted of good home cooking. The breakfast included lots of papaya, pineapple, and mango and the eggs were done to order. Although their English is limited, the staff is warm, friendly, and professional.
Laguna Vista Villas works as a romantic getaway or a poet’s retreat. Take your pick.
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Date of stay: August 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip:It's better to get a villa near the bar-restaurant for WiFi connectivity.
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.
I sawthis hotel from the lagoon a few years ago and after reading Booking .c description of beach access and private beach thought we would give it a try. The rooms are beautiful and the view is stunning.
I am definitely no Waikiki beacher but I had hoped there would be access to the lagoon from the hotel . We were detered from trying this on safety measures. Via the beach the lagoon is 7km round trip.
The property is tired, ie the shower leaked, the toilet need vigorous efforts with a 🪠 plunger so we changed rooms , here only the fan needed repairing and the the cover for the electrical fitting over the shower, replacement. The pool needs attention and the garden needs watering and some TLC. I gather there’s no water shortages as Lauren said the spring water is abundant. Steps up and down to the property were uneven and ridiculously steep occasionally, something to consider if you are getting on in years or have had a knee replacement. We were greeted by volunteers Lauren and Sandra who were really helpful but throughout our stay we were unsure of the management structure and Lauren was the only person who spoke Spanish.
On the food front, packet orange juice is not acceptable as a drink at mealtime in Costa Rica at 300 dollars a night. This is my 5th visit toCR and even the cheapest places give fruit juice made from fresh fruit at breakfast I had to ask for it despite having a serious citrus allergy. As for the rest of the food lunch and dinner was one course unless we had breakfast leftovers fruit or an icecream. This again doesn’t compare with similarly priced lodging elsewhere in CR.
I gather there has been a several volunteers but none of then can take full responsibility of the owner.
Seems like a dream … but needs some help and direction
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Date of stay: March 2022
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.
The lodge is quite run down to the point that is decaying. Staff are nice and certainly do their best but they are not orientated towards service. Communication is also a massive down point here, things are really disorganised.
The road does take some time and effort, but the best things in life come after some effort. Our adventure was in a 2wd compact. There is now only one river to cross with a flat entry, every other river now has a bridge. It was arduous and the road is challenging, there’s quite a steep hill about half way. So I wouldn’t do it again in 2wd. Also would be difficult in rainy season. If you are confident and have have 4wd give it a go, if not then be realistic and take a taxi from port jeminez. What also surprises me is that no one has talked about how beautiful the road is.
With so much complaining how can I offer 4*? Of all the places that I have stayed, I have never seen nature like what is found here. A walk down the road to the beach in morning or evening, who knows what you will find crossing the street. Toucans call out to each other in the morning, we found 3 in a tree outside our room one morning. Scralet Macaus can be seen everywhere, at one point I counted 11 flying together. You can watch the crocs in the lagoon from the safety of your terrace and we even spotted a whale cruising by just beyond the surf. Then there’s the hike into the park, we saw all 4 monkey species close up, an ant eater and many other mammals and birds.
Also others complain on price, I’m not really sure what people expect. All meals are included, the food is decent and I really enjoyed the ham and cheese sandwich on the hike.
So if you are looking for a shiny hotel with polished surfaces and staff, this is not for you but if you enjoy feeling like Robinson Crusoe for a few days this is the best place to stay in CR.
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Date of stay: December 2021Trip 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 Greg Robertson, Owner at LagunaVista Villas
Responded Dec 26, 2021
Although the author of this review makes some very positive points regarding our lodge, it is very obvious that he has never read Daniel Defoe's novel. Nor does he have any idea what it would be like to live as a shipwreck survivor, alone on a desert island. Our lodge is so far removed from this reviewer's comparison, it is ludicrous. Robinson Crusoe never had electricity, swimming pools, a restaurant, cold alcoholic drinks, refrigeration and ice, steel and concrete construction, hot water showers, ceiling fans and all the other modern conditions clearly on display in the many photos uploaded by other guests below, or on our website. Nor does his review even come close to other reviewers' descriptions of our rooms and other facilities. Again, the comparison is laughable. However, if the idea to "enjoy feeling like Robinson Crusoe for a few days" appeals to you, by all means, please let us know and we will set up a separate area where you can do that. However, unfortunately, we will need to keep you away from our other guests due to the lack of soap, shampoo and showers while living your desert island experience. You will also need to built your own room out of natural materials found on our property, and hunt your own food. You may run into problems with the authorities, however, as hunting is illegal in Costa Rica. But, by all means, please let us know and we will show you a nice little area on our property where you can live out your dreams of total self-dependency in one of the most beautiful locations you will ever see in Costa Rica. We will even arrange for one of our staff (Friday) to follow you around all day. No doubt, our staff would love to get paid laughing at the spectacle of foreigners trying to survive with nothing on our property. Looking forward to hearing from you, folks :)
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The location is absolutely beautiful, you are immersed in nature, view the wild life in the trees around you in the laguna and on the beach in front of you. The room is not Four Seasons luxury, but very comfortable and the views from the patio with the plunge pool beats every 5 star hotel room. The hosts Keiko and Greg were very welcoming and we enjoyed some great conversations during our meals.
This is one of these rare places where you can just be. You don't have to do anything. Just sit, watch and enjoy. We will send our friends here and will definitely return.
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Date of stay: March 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.
Hi Chris, there are several activities within walking distance, and others where you would need a vehicle to reach. We would recommend a rental 4WD vehicle if you choose this option.
Our apologies for the late reply, Jenna. Our lodge has actually been closed since the end of March for renovations and we have not been checking our booking sites as a result. We reopen May 24 but from your scheduled arrival dates above, it would appear our lodge is not viable for your stay. We're sorry to miss having you as our guests this time. If you get the chance to visit our area again, please let us know and we'll give you the best deal we can. Ok?
Best Regards,
Greg @ LagunaVista Villas
Thanks again, Rob. Much appreciated.
Forgot to mention our pool bathroom earlier. The design is based on an old Confucius saying: "When man go pee, beware mango tree!" :)
Come visit us again anytime, ok?
All the best.
Boston, United States17 contributions3 helpful votes
Yes, I agree with Tom12 on the taxi situation, which would be quite expensive, I'd think. We drove the coastal route with a 4x4 rental (Rte 34 through Jaco), and that took two days at a leisurely pace. While the bus is a long trip it can be interesting if you want to see the sights along the way, and it would drop you in Puerto Jimenez. Check this site: "thebusschedule". Otherwise, I'd suggest taking Nature Air or Sansa (don't overpack!!) down to PJ and then a taxi ($80) to LVV. Or, take the local "colectivo", which is basically a converted cattle truck with bench seats, which doubles as a bus/truck for the locals ($10). It goes all the way to Carate and can drop you off at the foot of LVV's driveway. Depending upon your arrival time you might have to overnight in PJ. I think the latest colectivo to Carate is around 1:30pm. Check with Rob or Berny (or owner Greg) at LVV. Hope you have fun (I know you will)!
From the airport in Porto Jiminez, you take a car service which you can arrange ahead of time with the lodge. Rental cars are available, but I was not attracted to the idea of driving on that particular road.
There is power in the room.
There are more places to choose from in the Carate area.
PRICE RANGE
$393 - $394 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of PuntarenasOsa PeninsulaCorcovado National ParkCarate
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
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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