Pacuare Lodge

804 reviews

#1 of 1 hotels in Pacuare River

Turrialba, Pacuare River 1000 Costa Rica

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About

5.0

Excellent

804 reviews

Location

4.9

Cleanliness

4.9

Service

4.9

Value

4.6

2023 Travelers' Choice Best of the Best

• The Pacuare Lodge is nestled in a rainforest overlooking the Pacuare River, which National Geographic has listed as one of the worlds top ten scenic rivers. • Getting to this exquisite eco-lodge is half the adventure, since you arrive and depart as part of a multi-day rafting tour on the Pacuare River. • The luxuriant rainforest that surrounds the Pacuare Lodge is a private reserve that forms part of the largest network of protected areas in Central America, covering more than 1.2 million acres of tropical wilderness. • All of the staff at the Pacuare Lodge are from local communities, and the friendly, casual atmosphere has been cited by guests as one of the most pleasant aspects of their stay. • 8 onsite experiences included during your stay

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Property amenities

Free internet

Fitness Center with Gym / Workout Room

Free breakfast

Hiking

Shuttle bus service

Spa

Baggage storage

Concierge

Public wifi

Bar / lounge

Restaurant

Breakfast available

Facial treatments

Foot massage

Full body massage

Massage

Non-smoking hotel

Laundry service

Room features

Bathrobes

Private balcony

Safe

Room types

Bridal suite

Non-smoking rooms

Suites

Family rooms

Good to know

HOTEL STYLE

Charming

Languages Spoken

English

Location

Turrialba, Pacuare River 1000 Costa Rica

Getting there

Juan Santamaria Intl Airport45 miSee all flights

Tortuquero Airport29 miSee all flights

Rental CarsSee all Pacuare River rental cars

See all nearby hotels

Nearby restaurants

Apache's Restaurante

15 reviews

2.4 miCaribbean

Restaurante El Rancho De Cucho

3 reviews

4.6 miSouth American

See all nearby restaurants

Nearby attractions

Finca Integral La Luisa

3 miFarms

See all nearby attractions

804Reviews25Q+A100Room tips

Reviews

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tepirby wrote a review Jun 4

Austin, Texas198 contributions97 helpful votes

Absolutely loved it

We had an absolutely wonderful experience. Our kids weren’t old enough to do the big rafting trip but we were able to raft in - what a great start to a weekend! We stayed in the glorious Jaguar Villa. Enjoyed coffee on the deck over the river each morning. The food at the on-site restaurant was very good. Gorgeous pool, fun zip-lining (the staff that took us was a blast!), and a birder’s paradise. We took our three children (12, 10, 9) and would say for those with families considering this that it would be pretty boring for them if the trip was more than 2-3 days (especially if they aren’t old enough to do the big raft trip). But for our long weekend, it was perfect - they felt super welcome and had a great time!

Date of stay: May 2023Trip 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.

Helpful

Response from Andres Madrigal, Guest Services / Front Office at Pacuare Lodge

Responded 4 days ago

Thank you Sarah so much for sharing your wonderful experience at our lodge! We're delighted to hear that you and your family had a fantastic time and enjoyed zip lining, rafting, culinary experience and amenities we offer. We're thrilled that you found our unique Jaguar Villa to be glorious and enjoyed the serene mornings with coffee on the deck overlooking the Pacuare river. We appreciate your honest feedback regarding the suitability for families with children. While longer stays may require additional activities for younger kids, we're glad your 2-3 day trip was perfect and your children had a great time feeling welcome throughout their stay. Thank you once again for choosing our lodge, and we hope to welcome you and your family back in the future for another memorable getaway!

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

paul wrote a review Jun 1

4 contributions

Perfect

This is an easy review to write- it requires just one word. “Perfect”. Just add that in front of everything - accommodation, location, food, staff, tours. Just the most magical and wonderful place. Thank you for making our honeymoon.. perfect.

Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple

Helpful

Response from Andres Madrigal, Guest Services / Front Office at Pacuare Lodge

Responded 1 week ago

Thank you Paul for your kind, concise and "perfect" review of your stay. We hope to have you both back to celebrate future anniversary at Pacuare Lodge!

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Brianna S wrote a review May 2023

2 contributions

Amazing stay at Pacuare Lodge!

Pacuare Lodge was an incredible experience. Every staff member was genuine, helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. We went in the off season for our honeymoon and it was very quiet and peaceful. Our Linda Vista room overlooked the Pacuare River and was very open and spacious. No issues with insects and such in the rooms. All excursions were fun, but particularly the morning bird watching, nocturnal hike, canyoning, and zip lining. The food is also outstanding. Make sure to whitewater raft in and out!

Date of stay: May 2023

Value

Location

Service

Trip type: Traveled as a couple

Room Tip: We stayed for 4 nights and we felt 3 nights is sufficient to experience all the offerings at...

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Response from Andres Madrigal, Guest Services / Front Office at Pacuare Lodge

Responded 2 weeks ago

Thank you Brianna for taking the time to share your wonderful honeymoon at Pacuare Lodge! We are thrilled to hear that your stay with us was nothing short of amazing and that our dedicated staff made your honeymoon truly special. We appreciate your compliments about our outstanding cuisine, rooms and activities... rafting in and out is a must! We hope to welcome you back in the future to celebrate an anniversary. Should you need any assistance with future bookings or have any special requests, please don't hesitate to contact us.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

ronamal66 wrote a review May 2023

Scottsdale, Arizona4 contributions1 helpful vote

Amazing!!

This review is long overdue. We stayed at Pacuare Lodge at the end of May, 2 adults & 2 teenage boys (19 & 16). We arrived in San Jose late evening prior, stayed at the Radisson, perfect for what we needed. Morning transfer was right on time, we stopped to pick up a 2nd family and off we went. The ride was great, stopped for breakfast at the sweetest family owned place and had our first Costa Rican breakfast. Delicious. Agree that rafting in and out is the way to go if possible, our guide was Pedro for both trips, he was knowledgeable, friendly and fun. Held onto my phone for me and took all sorts of pictures along the way both trips. The raft ride in is short and overall not to crazy, the raft trip out is and adrenaline rush for sure. We had 3 boats + a kayaker on the trip out and there was one family who did go out of their raft on one of the rapids. It was amazing to watch all guides go into action to get them safely back into their raft, seriously took less than 10 seconds. The lodge, people (Luis, Kenneth & Dave to name only a few), food, activities are all amazing. Again, the guides are so knowledgeable and have so much love for Costa Rica and Pacuare itself. We stayed in the Jaguar Lodge, sound of the river was great, loved having my coffee every morning sitting on the deck right over the river. We hiked, zip-lined, canyoning, swam in waterfalls, saw cool wildlife & met lots of great people. We were there over my birthday and my family surprised me with lunch in the Tree House! Two groups left the lodge via helicopter, it was cool to see it land and take off along the river! We will return and hopefully soon. Boena Wilderness Lodge has other resorts in Costa Rica I would like to stay at as well! This stay was almost a year ago and all 4 of us still talk about how fabulous of a stay we had. Highly recommend Pacuare Lodge - Pure Vida…

Date of stay: May 2022

Rooms

Cleanliness

Service

Helpful

Response from Andres Madrigal, Guest Services / Front Office at Pacuare Lodge

Responded 4 weeks ago

We are thrilled to hear that you and your family had an amazing time with us, and we appreciate your kind words about our staff, Jaguar Villa, cuisine, activities, and facilities. Indeed the Pacuare experience starts before arriving to our lodge, with a local Costa Rican breakfast and an action filled (and safe) rafting experience. We're delighted that you found our lodge, people, and activities to be amazing, and we appreciate your compliments to Luis, Kenneth, Dave, and our knowledgeable guides. It sounds like you made the most of your time with us, from hiking and zip-lining to canyoning and swimming in waterfalls. We're thrilled to hear that you had a memorable birthday surprise with lunch in The Nest! It is a unique experience at our lodge. Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you and your family back soon. If you have any future travel plans to Costa Rica, we would be delighted to welcome you at our other Böëna Wilderness Lodge resorts.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Nicola H wrote a review May 2023

59 contributions16 helpful votes

Fantastic experience - trip of a lifetime

Well what can we say, we have travelled to many places and experienced lots of cultures and our stay at the Lodge was up there with the best. Food, staff, activities - rafting was epic. Lodges were fantastic - clean and authentic. The wildlife was fantastic and so accessible. The massage was amazing too! And swimming in the pool in such a fantastic setting was awesome - it’s amazing what bird life you can see whilst swimming. who knew !! All the guides were very knowledgable and friendly - hello to Luis xx The food was amazing !! And the remoteness of the lodge was tranquil . It’s location is out of this world. Don’t just look at this lodge… book it now

Date of stay: May 2023

Value

Location

Service

Trip type: Traveled with friends

Room Tip: It’s a luxurious wilderness place for people who like adventure - don’t go if you don’t get it !

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Helpful

Response from Andres Madrigal, Guest Services / Front Office at Pacuare Lodge

Responded 4 weeks ago

Thank you for your wonderful review of your recent stay at Pacuare Lodge. We are thrilled to hear that your time with us was a fantastic experience and a trip of a lifetime! It is an honor to be considered one of the best places you have ever stayed, especially considering your extensive travels and experiences. We are delighted that you enjoyed our lodge, cuisine experience, our amazing staff, and activities, especially the epic white water rafting experience. It is wonderful to hear that all of our guides were knowledgeable and friendly, and we will be sure to pass along your greeting to Luis. We take great pride in providing a remote and tranquil location for our guests, and we are thrilled that you found it to be out of this world. Thank you for your kind words and recommendation, and we hope that you will return to Pacuare Lodge again soon.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

SianStevenson wrote a review May 2023

Brighton, United Kingdom22 contributions32 helpful votes

We loved Pacuare Lodge!

We enjoyed every minute of our stay- we’re sadly leaving in the morning We were picked up on time at 6.20 am from our hotel in San Jose- Grano de Ora Don’t worry about breakfast as you stop half way for a filling Costa Rican breakfast with freshly roasted coffee. And then the rafting! Such fun! We hadn’t done it before but were told exactly where to sit and when to paddle and lean in. You need water shoes and quick drying shorts and top as you get wet! Put you valuables in your suitcase and they are taken by road. Takes 1 hour to get to hotel and you are greeted with a hot drink and towel. We had a garden suite which was lovely. If you ring reception they will bring you drinks. Nice terrace to sit on. We could see hummingbirds in the flowers. Nice terrace In restaurant overlooking river. Good selection of food, all nicely done. You choose 2 activities a day, so in the afternoon we did the Loop walk with Luis. The next day we did the Zip wire. Again we hadn’t done this before but Luis and Eric explained everything so carefully. It was very safe and it was such fun. Then we did the nocturnal walk- wellington boots and socks were provided. We saw 4 small snakes and some tarantulas. Then I did the bird walk today at 6 am which was a bit disappointing. Dave was good but the birds kept hidden! Binoculars were provided. Then we did the trek to the village with Luis and a different Eric to have lunch with a Costa Rican family. Which turned out to be Luis’ parents, wife and daughter. They made us so welcome and it was a lovely experience. The walk was hard work- wear shorts and T shirt as very hot. We wore their wellington boots again. All of the staff at the hotel are so friendly and helpful. The hotel and grounds are gorgeous. The cocktails are yum. We spent an afternoon by the pool. All in all, it was a fantastic experience and exceeded expectations. I would definitely recommend a stay here. A big thank you to Pacuare Lodge and to all the staff. Especially to Luis. …

Date of stay: May 2023

Value

Location

Service

Trip type: Traveled as a couple

Helpful

Response from Andres Madrigal, Guest Services / Front Office at Pacuare Lodge

Responded 4 weeks ago

Thank you so much for your positive review and for choosing Pacuare Lodge for your stay in Costa Rica! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed every minute of your visit with us and that our team made you feel welcome and comfortable throughout your stay. It's great to hear that you had fun rafting and trying new activities like the zip line, nocturnal walk and meeting a Costa Rica family. We appreciate your kind words about our accommodations, cuisine, and drinks, as well as our beautiful grounds and pool. We will make sure to pass along your feedback to Luis, Eric, Dave and the rest of our staff. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back to Pacuare Lodge in a future trip to Costa Rica!

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

comansandrew wrote a review Apr 2023

Brandon, Mississippi84 contributions74 helpful votes

Great Facilities, Lacking Service

Stayed at the Pacuare Lodge for 2 nights in April. Beautiful resort with an upscale kitchen and many places to relax. Our room, Canopy Suite, was amazing. Had outdoor tub and outdoor shower. Had our on hanging bridge with platform, which was great for morning coffee. The facilities themselves could not be beat. Some downsides to the stay were the service and the lack of AC. The lack of AC is understood before arriving. This place is hot and humid late into the night. The fan provides airflow, but sleep was not ideal. Stay 2-3 nights is probably perfect to see and do everything and move onto another location. The frustrating part was the communication of the staff. Very little communication from the front desk. None from the manager. And very little from the waitstaff at the restaurant. Examples include the hammock experience. It was supposed to be with snacks and drinks. Since we just ate breakfast before, they stated they would come down around 9:30 am to get our order and bring some fruit, juice, etc. No on ever came. They forgot all about us. Another was our raft out morning. I asked if we should arrive early, and we were told “No, 9 is fine.” When we arrived at 8:55 the river guide was upset we were “running late”. Better communication and a desire from the staff for service would take this resort to the next level. Food was good, not great. The octopus was fantastic. The lamb I had was amazing. But there were other dishes like mackerel that was over cooked. Big beautiful kitchen and wine cellar. Only 3 bottles of wine are able to be ordered by the glass. I’m glad we came. It was fun rafting in and rafting out. Best resort on the Pacuare River by far! Accommodations are 5*. I’d say good is 4* and service is 3*.…

Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple

Room Tip: Book the canopy suite. It’s a hike to get or the room, but you’ll never want to leave, except for...

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Response from Andres Madrigal, Guest Services / Front Office at Pacuare Lodge

Responded Apr 29, 2023

Thank you for taking the time to write a review about your stay at Pacuare Lodge. We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our beautiful resort, upscale kitchen, and unique Canopy Suite, as well as the rafting experience and facilities. However, we are disappointed to learn about your experience with the service and communication of our staff. We take all feedback seriously and we will definitely address this with our team to ensure that better communication and service is provided in the future. Regarding the lack of AC in your room, we appreciate your understanding of this before your arrival, since we don’t have it within the descriptions of our amenities. We appreciate your recommendation and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future to provide you with a more memorable experience. Thank you again for your valuable feedback.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

pboptom wrote a review Apr 2023

Birmingham, United Kingdom18 contributions50 helpful votes

Jungle heaven

We visited as the first hotel in a tour of Costa Rica. We had no knowledge of what we were letting ourselves in for. All arrangements were made by our travel agent without our usual detailed research. The journey in from San Jose was enhanced by a breakfast stop in a bus trip that ended with a very rough ride to the river. We were nervous about the white water rafting journey in to Pacuare. We needn't have been. Ricardo, our rafting guide was brilliant. The rafting was great fun. We arrived at Pacuare Lodge and found it to be such a wonderful place. Every member of staff was kind and fun. Our garden lodge was down to earth, with mesh for windows so that you were still part of the overall environment even when you were indoors. We found ourselves immersed in jungle sounds, the sights and sounds of the wildlife, the sound of the river and of the rain on the roof. During the activities the staff all looked after us wonderfully. We have travelled the world and have not been so comfortably at one with anywhere else we have visited. Our return visit is already booked within the year.…

Date of stay: January 2023

Value

Location

Service

Trip type: Traveled as a couple

Room Tip: Go with the flow.

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Response from Andres Madrigal, Guest Services / Front Office at Pacuare Lodge

Responded Apr 27, 2023

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience at Pacuare Lodge! We are thrilled to read that your stay with us was a "jungle heaven”. We are delighted that the white water rafting journey into Pacuare was a highlight of your trip. Ricardo is truly an exceptional guide (as the rest of our staff!). It is wonderful to hear that you were able to immerse yourself in the jungle sounds and wildlife. Our goal at Pacuare Lodge is to provide a unique and authentic experience that allows our guests to connect with nature in a meaningful way. We look forward to welcoming you back! Also consider any of our sister lodges, all part of Böëna Wilderness Lodges.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

MrsJacksonBrodie wrote a review Apr 2023

Devon, United Kingdom58 contributions84 helpful votes

Heartbreakingly disappointing

I visited Pacuare over a decade ago and ever since I’ve been wanting to go back as it is truly the most magical place I have ever been. I decided to go this year as my kids were finally old enough and my elderly mum wanted to go on one last trip abroad before giving up on travel. On booking I filled in the forms and sent an emailing asking them to confirm that my 10yo would be ok to raft in, they emailed back confirming he could as long as he met the weight restriction (he did) but was too young to raft out when leaving. All fine. When it came to pick up on the morning the guide told us absolutely no way could he raft in, the minimum age is 12, it always has been, he’d be going in the bus. I showed him the email confirming the office had ok’d it and the terms and conditions showing 10 to be the minimum age. He said “fine but don’t blame me when it goes wrong” and stomped off, barely speaking to us for the rest of the day. When ordering lunch on the bus there I asked about the children’s menu as I was informed it was always an option and I wouldn’t have booked somewhere if my kids couldn’t eat for 3 days (extremely limited diets due to ASD). Barked at that no it wasn’t an option. I asked if they could just have plain rice then. Rolled eyes and laughing at my question, no idea if he’d written it down or not. On arrival the rooms and location was as beautiful as I remembered with the added benefit of there being a gorgeous swimming pool. Which was lucky as despite my package including all activities all the kids were old enough for was a waterfall walk and a bird walk. Lunch arrived and luckily my kids did get the plain rice we asked for. This was the only meal we all got what we asked for. We also saw another family that had arrived the previous day eating from the kids menu. You order your next meal at the previous one and the waiter confirms back to you what you ordered. Then when the meal arrives a few hours later it has about a 30% chance of being what you ordered. There is no kettle in the room, no snacks at all available during the day, you can’t even make a cup of tea. On the last day we weee there I did notice that they’d put “coffee from 3pm” on the blackboard though. Our second night dinner was just absurd. I’d ordered lamb and it arrived stone cold. Not cold as in not hot, but as in straight out of the fridge. The waiter apologised profusely and then brought out two completely incorrect meals for my sons too. 3 out of 4 meals sent back. My sons meal replacement arrived - STILL not the butter pasta we ordered but chicken and fries so at least something he would eat. My lamb finally arrived when everyone else had their ice creams. This time it was rock hard to the point you couldn’t even put a fork in it. I genuinely nearly burst into tears that this holiday that id saved so hard for, that cost so much money you should at least not be hungry, had turned into such a joke. It was genuinely like an episode of Fawlty Towers. I don’t think in my entire life I have ever sent a meal back as I hate complaining and I’m really not fussy about details but out of the 24 meals my group had at Pacuare, 9 were sent back, 1 of them twice. So on my final night in Pacuare Lodge, supposedly one of the most exclusive places to stay in the world, a place that costs $1,000s a night I went to bed hungry having had no dinner. I would have happily just had a bowl of friends but after spending 2 hours attempting to cook the lamb I’d ordered 7 hours previously they decided the kitchen was closed but I could have an ice cream on the house if I wanted. I have not asked for any compensation from Pacuare for their incredible incompetence. I sent them a very polite email over a week ago listing the mistakes that were made during my stay. I’ve worked in hospitality, I know how important it is for management to hear when things go wrong and things went seriously wrong, at every meal. They didn’t even reply. If you do stay at Pacuare ensure you bring enough snacks to keep you going for the duration of your trip. It is absolutely not worth it with children under 12 as there are pretty much no experiences (which you pay for as part of the package) that you can actually do and the bus ride in and out is really grim (especially when your guide refuses to speak to you because you asked if the kids menu was available).…

Date of stay: March 2023

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1 Helpful vote

Helpful

Response from Andres Madrigal, Guest Services / Front Office at Pacuare Lodge

Responded Apr 27, 2023

Hello Mrs Dyer, We would like to express our deepest apologies for the experience you and your family had during your recent stay at Pacuare Lodge. We understand that your expectations were not met, and we are truly sorry for the inconvenience caused by the miscommunication regarding your child's rafting eligibility. The rafting age limitation used to be of a minimum of 12 years rafting in and out of the lodge. In recent months, the policy changed to a minimum of 9 years rafting into the lodge, since it is a shorter trip with less challenging rapids. Our guide was not aware of the recent change but that does not excuse him of his response. We also regret the poor service you received from our staff during some of your meals. To our guests who have special dietary requirements, we do comply to the best of our abilities, specially if it is done during the booking and reservation process. The children’s menu should’ve been made available to you, there is always a coffee and tea station with snacks during the afternoons, and regrettably our kitchen staff did not perform as expected. Please be assured that we take your feedback very seriously and are taking immediate steps to improve our communication, menu options, and staff training to ensure that future guests do not encounter similar issues. We can only improve in providing the best vacation for our guests at Pacuare Lodge and Costa Rica.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

RussellHerefordshire wrote a review Apr 2023

Herefordshire73 contributions92 helpful votes

Wonderful place

This is a lovely hotel in all respects. The rooms are huge and are in separate bungalows with a large verandah with a swing bed and small private pool. We were in Morpha which was completely private and peaceful. The staff are lovely - very friendly and helpful, the food was exceptionally good and the activities were well-organised with knowledgeable guides. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this hotel to anyone.

Date of stay: April 2023

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Service

Trip type: Traveled as a couple

Helpful

Response from Andres Madrigal, Guest Services / Front Office at Pacuare Lodge

Responded Apr 13, 2023

Thank you Russell for high recommendation of your stay at our lodge, our suites and villas and most of all, our amazing staff. They are locals from nearby communities who are always eager to make our guests feel right at home.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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