This is a unique adventure. My Mom found it written about in the paper and we decided to check it out for her 70th birthday. It's on one of the best white water rivers in Costa Rica. You raft in and raft out. The food was delicious, rafting really fun (our guide, Jose, was a real expert and took the time to ensure my Mom (who is not the most adventurous and has some leg pain) was comfortable throughout. Although it rains a lot (and we were there in the dry season) and it was hard to keep things dry, it was a magical place worth checking out on your next trip to Costa Rica.

My husband and I decided to go to Costa Rica for our 10 year anniversary. I had seen pictures of the Pacuare Lodge in 2008 from a friend who went their on their honeymoon. I book marked it and have wanted to go there ever since. Finally, it was our turn to go and we could not have been more pleased!! The booking process was very easy--we spoke to Priscilla and she handled everything. We flew into San Jose and spent the first night at a hotel there.
At 6:10am, we were picked up at our hotel by a Pacuare Lodge guide. We spent about an hour and half driving towards the River before we stopped for breakfast. The breakfast was very yummy. The weather, however, was not good at all. It had been raining since the day before and, during our drive towards the river, it was rainy and very cloudy. After breakfast, we kept driving towards the River. When we got there, it was clear that we were not going to be able to raft in--the water level was dangerously high and very fast due to the rain. I cannot begin to tell you how disappointed we were!!! Apparently this only happens 2-3 times a year that they have to cancel a rafting trip. I knew that the other option was to take the road less traveled ---and there is good reason why you don't want to drive in. The road (if it could be called that) is extremely bumpy and not easy to drive on. We spent 45 minutes in a 4x4 sliding in the mud and bumping up and down. I thought I was going to get carsick at one point. When we finally got to the end of the road, we had to take a 2 person basket and zipline across the river. This was not the way we had planned it at all!! But, we were finally at Pacuare and ready to have a great time. Apparently the river raft to the Lodge is about an hour and the raft trip out is about 4 hours, so if one direction had to be cancelled, we were at least hoping that we could raft out.
We stayed at the Linda Vista Suite Heliconia and it was AMAZING!!!!!! The suite had everything we could have wanted. It had both an indoor and outdoor shower, our own private pool, a hammock, a wonderfully comfortable bed, etc. This was probably the nicest place we had ever stayed in (and it didn't even have electricity). The food was equally as good. I'm a pretty picky eater, and I loved everything I was served. The only complaint I have is at breakfast, the bees and bugs swarmed the tables, making it very uncomfortable to eat. We did not encounter this problem at lunch or dinner though.
We went ziplining and it was so much fun! The tour guides were excellent and we felt very safe with them. I cannot stress enough how friendly the staff was!!! We even paid extra for a romantic dinner by the river with a bonfire. It was totally worth it! We also had massages on the deck of our suite and the masseuse was very good!
And yes, we were able to raft out 2 days later. I had never been whitewater rafting, so I didn't know what to expect. But, this was the BEST!!! The tour guide was awesome and we had so much fun.
My husband and I had the most amazing 10 year anniversary stay there and we would gladly recommend this trip to anyone looking for adventure. We didn't miss the use of electricity at all during our 2 days--it was very romantic to come back to our suite after dinner and use candles. I would recommend a good headlamp to get around at night because it was very dark (they do have some lights lighting the path but still it was dark). Make sure you visit the Pacuare Lodge if you go to Costa Rica. You will be so glad that you did!

This is an absolutely terrific jungle lodge; well maintained, armies of diligent, friendly and welcoming staff and an unforgettable access via the white-water rafting experience. Definitely do the rafting - in and out - some people seem to have opted to arrive by vehicle, a long and very bouncy journey, and unless advised by their travel agent it's hard to understand why. The lodge is geared to adventurous activities, including horse riding, a walk to a community of indigenous people, zip-lining, abseiling down waterfallls etc - all done very professionally If you want wildlife viewing (although there are plenty of birds around) it's worth combining Pacuare Lodge with another location dedicated to wildlife.
The food is very good, and plentiful - and the bar prices are incredibly reasonable ($2.50 for a beer) considering everything has to be rafted in or brought by 4X4. Be entertained by Jonathan, the bartender and an expert in the flora and fauna of the area - he mixes a mean Margarita, 'chicos'!
The Linda Vista Suites, with their own plunge pool, hammocks and extensive decks are absolutely brilliant.

When they opened the double doors to our Morpho Suite, I was blown away! Wow, what luxury in the middle of the jungle – a villa complete with four-poster bed, living room area, an enormous bathroom with a bathtub on clawfeet, and a deck with private plunge pool & hammock. My first thought was surely this is only for royalty and movie stars! It is a very romantic place. Because there is no electricity, the room is lit with 40 candles every night. How wonderful to lie in that beautiful bed at night and listen to the amazing sounds of the jungle and the river rushing past below.
The service is excellent at every level. The kitchen produces very good food. The staff are wonderful. The inbound rafting trip is fun and easy, grade I-II rapids. The outbound rafting trip is for the more intrepid, on class II-IV rapids - it is not uncommon for people to fall out of the raft and into the water.
Having stayed in jungle lodges in Peru and Ecuador, nothing compares with Pacuare which offers an exceptional experience. It's in a class of its own.