About this hotel
General information
Pacuare Lodge is the flagship of the Böëna Lodges collection: twenty bungalows scattered through rainforest on a bend of the Pacuare River, inside a 340-hectare protected reserve. No road leads here, so arriving is part of the journey – guests come downriver by raft or cover the final stretch by 4×4 and a hanging gondola. Not a single tree was felled to build it; the timber came from a reforestation project run by local farmers, and power comes from three hydroelectric turbines and 204 solar panels.
The lodge holds the top ELITE level of Costa Rica’s CST sustainable tourism certificate and is a member of The Long Run. It supports a jaguar research programme with the National University, and camera traps on the reserve have recorded 18 species of large mammal, including five wild cats and a black jaguar. Stays are usually booked as a package: the Full Experience covers shared transfers, à la carte breakfast, lunch and dinner with soft drinks at meals, afternoon coffee with pastries and up to two of the lodge’s experiences per night, while the River Package includes breakfast and the raft or 4×4 transfer. The minimum age is 7, and three nights are recommended.
Location
The lodge lies in Costa Rica’s Caribbean region, in Limón province near Siquirres, on the banks of the Pacuare River. A shared transfer collects guests from San José hotels in the early morning; the drive to the river takes 2½–3 hours, with breakfast at a traditional restaurant. From there it is either a raft trip of about 7 km through Class II–III rapids (roughly 1.5 hours) or a bus to Santa Marta, 6 km of gravel road by 4×4, a gondola ride across the river on a 100-metre cable and an electric cart to reception. Xplore Air also flies from San José to Guápiles in about 25 minutes, followed by a two-hour drive through the Talamanca mountains, and there is a helipad on the sandy beach beside the lodge.
Spa
Jawa Juü Spa uses natural, paraben-free products and pairs classic massage with rituals that each open with a foot bath. The menu includes The River Spa Ritual by the water, with assisted stretching and aromatherapy, the Warm Riverstone massage, a coffee exfoliation under a Vichy shower, wraps of volcanic clay and banana leaves, Reiki, reflexology and HydroPeptide facials. Before a treatment, guests can take a drink at the Refresh Healthy Bar.
Sports & leisure
The river itself is the main event: the raft in runs Class II–III rapids, and the 18 km run out – about three hours of Class III–IV water – passes through Huacas Canyon, with its tall waterfalls, and the sheer walls of the Dos Montañas gorge. Full Experience guests choose up to two activities per night:
- Pacuare Canopy Adventure – a two-hour zip-line circuit through the treetops (from age 8)
- Tropical Canyoning in the Tesorito Creek gorge – climbing, a waterfall descent and a final rappel of around 30 m (from age 12)
- birdwatching at dawn and a night walk in the forest
- The Loop, the lodge’s toughest hike, along an old mule trail, and the Emerald Rainforest & Waterfall walk
- a presentation on the jaguar research, the Hammock Experience and a tour of the lodge’s sustainability systems
- the Rural Experience in Bajos del Tigre, the village where many of the staff live
A chocolate tour at the Nortico cacao farm can be added, and electric golf carts are on hand to get around the grounds.
Restaurants & bars
Nairi Awari Restaurant serves seasonal menus that blend Costa Rican flavours with international influences, with dedicated plant-based dishes; most of the produce comes from the lodge’s own farm, Las Nubes de Tuis, on the slopes of the Turrialba volcano. The lodge brews its own Pacuare IPA and Pale Ale, keeps a list of more than 80 wines and mixes tropical cocktails. Candlelit dinners beside a fire pit on the riverbank can be arranged for couples and small groups.
Swimming
The site mentions no shared pool; instead, the Canopy Villa, Jaguar Villa and Linda Vista Villa each have a private stone pool fed by spring water.
Rooms
Twenty bungalows in five types, from the seven Garden Suites to villas with their own pools, finished in teak floors, hardwood furniture, bamboo and wide screened windows.
Solar-heated indoor and outdoor showers, a ceiling fan, Wi-Fi, a safe, bathrobes, Costa Rican coffee, rubber hiking boots, a telephone line to the main lodge, daily housekeeping and turndown.
Canopy Villa
A secluded bungalow on the hillside above the main lodge, with a king-size canopy bed, a daybed and a bathtub facing the forest; the covered terrace has a hanging bed, the sundeck a spring-fed stone plunge pool, and a private suspension bridge leads to a platform high in a rainforest tree. Sleeps up to 4.
Jaguar Villa
The lodge’s largest villa, right on the riverbank: a master bedroom with a king-size bed, a living room with two daybeds, two bathrooms, a private spring-fed stone pool above the river, a waterfront terrace with a hammock and a private bridge to a tree platform. Sleeps up to 5.
Linda Vista Villa
A villa on a ridge with views of the Pacuare River and forest from the bedroom, living room, bathroom and pool; a king-size bed, a daybed, a bathtub, a terrace with a hanging bed and a spring-fed stone plunge pool with sundeck. Sleeps up to 4.
River View Suite
A suite with a king-size canopy bed, an open terrace with a hammock and a waterfront deck; the tiled bathroom looks out over almost 180 degrees of rainforest and river, with an open-air shower close by. Sleeps up to 3.
Garden Suite
A suite with a king-size bed, a daybed and a private terrace with a hammock opening onto native gardens and a wall of rainforest across the valley; the bathroom has near-panoramic jungle views and indoor and outdoor showers. Sleeps up to 3.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.