“A lush paradise 30 minutes from La Fortuna.”

We loved staying for 4 nights at this Ecolodge. This is a beautiful hotel which is in the midst of a lush garden, abundant with plants, birds and cicadas. Many colourful frogs come out at night. We saw a sloth on our second day at this property. and we spotted and heard our first toucan here as well. Anytime that we were not spotting the wildlife, we would play with Thor, the resident dog. Thor was always ready to play “fetch the stick” at any time of the day. The hotel location was perfect because we were only 30 minutes’ drive from the busy centre of La Fortuna yet we were close to the main attractions like Místico Park, the Bogarin Trail, the Chocolate plantation, and other activities. The best aspect of our stay were the hosts- Giovanni Cespedes, the owner, and the hotel manager, Luis. They were kind, generous, and always ready to assist with any of our requests. The daily breakfasts and the restaurant meals were consistently excellent. Meals were always freshly prepared. My daughters ordered their delicious chicken Nachos dish over 3 seperate meals!! We highly recommend that you stay for more than 3 nights so that you can fully enjoy all that this hotel has to offer.

Nothing!

“Totally recommended”

We had a wonderful stay. The room was comfortable and very clean, and the entire property was well maintained. The food was delicious, the pool area was beautiful and relaxing, and the natural surroundings made the place feel peaceful and special. The owner was incredibly kind and friendly, providing warm and attentive service that made us feel very welcome. Excellent experience overall and great value for the price. We would happily come here again.

Excellent bird frog bat and sloth watching

“The hosts were very friendly and took time to show us frogs and sloths on the premises. The food was excellent and we en”

Great spot for being in nature with lots of trees around and we were able to see a sloth and two types of frog in our short stay.

“VIP treatment”

I loved our stay. It is locally owned, staff went out of their way to ensure our experience was excellent. We got the VIP treatment by Giovanni and Luis. Now this lodge is surrounded by nature. You will see sloths, hummingbirds, frogs, macaws to name a few. They are proud of their country and are eager to share its beauty with their guests. Breakfasts were delicious and we also had dinner, equally good. I will definitely return.

“We had a very relaxing stay. Really enjoyed it .”

Great hospitality of host /personell. We really felt welcome. The setting in a natural garden is very beautifull and peacefull. Good meals/ breakfast.

“A delightful homely ecolodge amidst stunning wildlife”

An absolutely delightful place in a tranquil setting. If you are looking for somewhere a bit off the beaten track, close to nature, to stay somewhere spotlessly clean, comfortable and beautifully run look no further than San Rafael Ecolodge. You can easily miss the area as it’s not really mentioned in the Rough Guide, and because it’s outside of La Fortuna, it is an area you might think of missing (La Fortuna is a tourist town and was never a town before the tourism trade), but the area around La Tigra is absolutely stunning and along its many rivers it is part of the wildlife corridors linking the plains, with The Eternal Forest of the Children (the reason that Monteverde exists is the hinterland of this vast protected forest) to the Monteverde cloud forest itself. We saw the most birds and animals while staying here and had been to some stunning locations before. Giovanni and Luis are the perfect hosts - they really do go out of their way to make your stay as comfortable and memorable as possible. As La Fortuna is nearby, we were not interested in trips to adventure parks so we asked Giovanni if he knew any good nature guides, and he delivered spectacularly. Giovanni’s first recommendation was the wonderful Alberto, a Spanish biologist who teaches Wildlife Management at the National University, and we did two fantastic tours and walks with him Our second guide was the amazing Victor, a local biologist and great birder, who took us to Papa’s Place for some of the best bird watching we’ve done on Costa Rica (three species of Toucans at once). if you’d prefer a somewhere with a delicious cold beer on your own balcony, looking at trees, watching fireflies and listening to the frogs and insects by a stream, a lovely pool for a refreshing swim after a forest walk, and delicious home cooked food then I highly recommend staying here. Giovanni will arrange everything for you (he takes no commission) and if it’s quiet will drive you around himself - highly recommended!

We really enjoyed the lovely peaceful bush setting at San Rafael Ecolodge which provided for an enjoyable and relaxing stay. The facilities were spotless and the service was great. Many thanks to both our hosts

“Stunning place with fantastic hosts who truly care for their customers”

Everything! Five-star hospitality at a serene and stunning spot. Costa Rica is a gem and San Rafael Ecolodge is truly exceptional. Owners Giovanni and Luis are not just hosts; they are true ambassadors of hospitality. Kind and dedicated professional who truly care for their customers, who feel at home right away, and for their place, and who are also committed to protect local wildlife and maintain the surroundings impeccably. San Rafael is a very special place, sited at a rainforest, which makes it unique. Rooms are very comfortable and spotlessly clean. Breakfast is delicious! Muchas, muchas gracias, Giovanni and Luis. No question I will be back!

“Lovely retreat with very welcoming staff.”

Very clean and very friendly welcoming staff

“Most enjoyable stay”

Lovely design, garden setting, frog pond, good food, great staff

“We had a great stay!”

The owner is very attentive and kind. We stayed with our children for two nights and enjoyed it very much. The nature around the property is fascinating. We even saw a sloth! I highly recommend the property.

“Thank you so much for a wonderful stay. We loved the place! Thank you for the hospitality!”

Very good breakfast!

Giovanni and his staff very friendly and helpful. Excellent stay.

“Genuine ecolodge, run by a passionate team”

The owner and staff were very attentive and really seem passionate about their hotel as well as their country. They have built an amazing, beautiful and quiet oasis amongt the adjacent jungle. Our villa, with two bedrooms was spacious and clean with a balcony looking straight into the jungle. The food we had was very good and the staff are always very happy to help with any request. This was exactly the type of ecolodge we wanted to stay in when we visited Costa Rica.

“Relaxed and friendly stay”

Exceptional and warm hospitality from the staff and a very friendly dog

“An amazing place”

Gianni and his team of staff are so friendly. Amazing helpful and nothing was too much trouble, even providing us a packed lunch for one of our tours. Breakfast and evening were delicious. A mini oasis of quiet & calm.

Friendly helpful staff. Very gracious about a mix up with our keys. Helped organise airport transfer. Property had a quiet place to work remotely.

“Go for it, it is a great experience”

Customer service was great. Perhaps better than any other hotel I've been to. Food was great, with plenty of options to choose from. They can even adjust the breakfast so you don't have the same every day. Room was confy, beds and pilllows were great too. Room had a kitchen but did not use it. This hotel gives you opportunity to get some real rest, it is not noisy and the pool is nice. It has a yoga area and some couches to read. The internet was being replaced by fiber optic while I was there. Traditional coaxial allowed to work and watch videos during the day, lagging at night (fiber should fix that). I would definitely come back.