My wife and I recently did a 10 day Caravan Tour of Costa Rica. One of the attractions was the Laguna Lodge in the Tortuguero National Park. What intrigued me most was the mode of transportation to get to the lodge. We had been travelling on a spacious Mercedes bus up until now. But the only way to get to the lodge is either boat or plane. No roads!
We were met at the boat landing by our guide, Fransisco. Fransisco lives in the village near the Laguna Lodge and is a regular guide for the lodge. Fransisco eventually took us on three additional boat rides through the Tortuguero park.
The boat ride to the lodge took approximately 1.5 hours. We travelled during the dry season and the river levels were low. Glenn, the boat captain, mastered the low water and hidden dangers (logs, sand bars) with percision. Al the while, Fransisco took the opportunity to tell us about the wildlife and history of the region. It is the largest Green Turtle nesting area in the world. Along the way, we saw beautiful Tiger Herons, Ospry, Crocs and turtles. I could hardly keep up while taking photos of this pristeen reserve.
Once at the lodge, we were assigned our rooms. It reminded me of summer camps only for adults! The rooms and surrounding grounds were beautiful. There was a butterfly garden and the lodge also maintains a Red-eye frog sanctuary designed to help the species survive.
The sound of the Atlantic ocean in the background made the sights and sounds of this beautiful lodge even more appealing.
Every meal with Caravan Tours was included in the price. Served buffet style to expedite the meal, the Laguna Lodge put on an amazing feast! The staff was helpful and plentiful. Local non-alcoholic drinks were served with every meal to get a taste of the local culture.
Back to Fransisco. Of all the guides on this trip (excluding our trip advisor Marta), he was the best. He knew everything about the area and was fluent in English and easy to understand. Between the boat captain and Fransisco, we saw more wildlife than we could have imagined. Fransisco was also very competitive to ensure our group got to the wildlife before it disappeared. Too often, the wildlife would hear a boat coming and disappear. Fransisco made sure the boat "glided" into viewing areas and cautioned us to remain quiet for longer viewing of the animals. He pointed out the one and only Toucan we saw on the entire trip. Down the river, I could hear other guides talking loudly and wondered if their groups were getting as much pleasure as we were for the effort. By the time our second boat cruise was organizing, all of the tourists jockeyed for position to get on Fransisco's boat. Fortunately, my wife and I made a connection with Fransisco which put us at the top of his priority list for tours.
Back to the Laguna Lodge. Besides the Red-eye tree frogs, we saw numerous "Jesus lizards" and Iguanas on the property. I have often laughed at other tripadvisor comments about insects being a problem at jungle lodges. ITS A JUNGLE PEOPLE! Although ants and biting insects were around, we were there during the dry season and had virtually no mesquitos. There were incredibly huge spiders on the property but were well away from frequently travelled areas and were never inside the rooms. The lodge had a resident group of bats to keep down flying insects which helped cure some of those problems. We also travelled to the Turtle Conservation area and I have a new found respect for the work being done there to save the turtles from extinction.
All in all, Laguna Lodge and Tortuguero National Park was my favorite part of the 10 day Caravan Tour. The remoteness made the area even more attractive to me. Make this one of your future destinations and make sure you look for Fransisco as your guide. Pura Vida!