The Ecolodge is in the beautiful and peaceful San Luis valley less than 5 miles from the Monteverde cloud forest reserve. There are no other hotels or lodging in the valley and traffic is practically non-existent. All meals are included and are served family style so it is easy to meet interesting people at the meals. Bird watchers will appreciate the many different species that are relatively easy to see. Also included without additional cost are an abundance of activities from lectures to guided nature walks to milking cows. A staff member meets with you to set up a personalized set of activities during your stay. (Or you can hang out on a porch enjoying nature and reading a book; it's up to you.) The staff can also arrange any activities in the Monteverde area, including transport.

My friend and I came here to stay the night and they only had cabinas left. The place was clean and wonderful and the people very nice, but it was quite expensive. We ended up being billed $140, which is about what we spent for a week's food and housing in other areas of Central America such as Guatemala and Nicaragua.

As a student on a budget, I would not consider coming here again. Maybe one day when I'm older... it was definitely nice, just not really our thing at this point in our life. I also really enjoy places that feel like they work intensely with members of the local community, and I did not get that feeling here.

If you are budgeting your trip, I would recommend either making sure that you can stay here in cheaper accommodations or come to one of the many other local hostels. I like the idea of supporting preservation of the rain forest... but I also feel that my money went further and was much more appreciated with local businesses during other parts of the trip.

Bottom line... great place! just not for us on a low budget.

A friend and I stayed at UGA ecolodge san luis for about 3 days. The staff were super friendly and were able to plan our entire stay and arrange transportation. Our rates included 3 meals per day which were really delicious but like the other reviews suggest, you may get bored of the food if you are planning to stay for longer than a week. During our stay we did a couple hikes with the on site naturalists who all have bsc degrees in biology or a related discipline. The staff was very knowledgeable about the tropical ecology of the area and current conservation efforts. One of the most memorable moments during our stay was the san luis waterfall. we hiked on a trail nearby for about 1-1.5 hours and reached the waterfall which is just about 200 m in height. this waterfall is very hidden and not a huge tourist destination. it was very secluded and we were able to swim in the waterfall which was pretty breathtaking despite how cold the water was. we also arranged for a hike to monteverde cloud forest which was also very beautiful. this place also had very cleanly and modernized cabinas. the water pressure in the showers was very strong and the showers were very hot. i would definitely recommend this place to student backpackers and those very much interested in the tropical ecology in costa rica.

We wanted to support research stations in Costa Rica while we were traveling and were ready for some compromises on lodge quality, but not here. The rooms were very comfortable and clean and had great views. The staff was amazing, so friendly and helpful, from the reservation process over the internet and throughout our stay. We enjoyed the traditional food and meeting groups of students and researchers. We couldn't have asked for a nicer place in a more beautiful location.