# Tree House Lodge > Tree House Lodge is a private 10-acre ecolodge on Costa Rica's southern Caribbean coast — seven hand-built houses, 300m of Punta Uva beachfront with direct private access, an on-site iguana reserve, and a 5-leaf sustainability certification. ## A ten-acre rainforest estate of seven hand-built houses. Howler monkeys at dawn, sloths in the Cecropias, 300m of Caribbean coast with direct private access. 5-leaf certified sustainable for over a decade. ## About the estate Tree House Lodge began in 1997, when Edsart Besier — a Dutch owner-builder who fell in love with this stretch of jungle — started the original Tree House. Six more houses followed, slowly and by hand, and Pamela Rodríguez later joined him in running the estate. Every house is one-of-one: different architecture, different mood, different materials. They share one estate, one beach, and one philosophy: the rainforest came first. ## Authoritative facts - Founded: 1997, when Edsart started building the original Tree House. Owners: Edsart Besier & Pamela Rodríguez. - Size: 10 acres (4 hectares), seven hand-built houses. - Location: Playa Chiquita, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limón Province, Costa Rica. - On the edge of the Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Gandoca-Manzanillo — the refuge starts at our stretch of coast. - Coordinates: 9.637807, -82.705273 (Plus code J7QV+4V Puerto Viejo de Talamanca). - Beachfront: roughly 300 metres of Punta Uva sand with direct, private access — in practice shared by the seven houses only. - Sustainability: 5-leaf CST (Certificación para la Sostenibilidad Turística) — the highest tier. - On-site reserve: Iguanaverde Foundation green-iguana breeding & release programme. - Botanical garden: 50+ palm species, ornamental heliconias, indigenous Caribbean hardwoods. - EV charging on-site, gated reception, solar hot water, WiFi up to 250 Mbps (fastest at the Bungalow). ## Not a hotel. A private estate. Ten acres of botanical garden behind one gated reception. Private beach access. EV charging. Seven self-contained houses scattered across the property. You will see staff at check-in and not again unless you ask. - **Key numbers:** ## Seven houses. No two alike. Each house has its own gate and its own architect's logic — and every house except the Bungalow has a private tub: flame-heated outdoors at five houses, a big indoor Jacuzzi bath at the Beach Suite. Browse below, then visit a microsite for the full story and to book. ## Where the jungle meets Punta Uva. Tree House Lodge began in 1997 with a single stilted house built around a hundred-year-old Sangrillo tree by Edsart Besier — a Dutch self-taught designer and builder who'd come to Costa Rica looking for a place where building could happen on the rainforest's terms. Pamela Rodríguez joined years later, bringing yoga, Pilates, and the slow rhythm that now sets the pace of the estate. Over the decades since, six more houses appeared — each built from what fell, what could be salvaged, or what local craftsmen could shape by hand. Nispero wood from a hurricane tree. Guadua bamboo from a neighbouring grove. Recycled glass bottles. A real 1980-era American school bus. No two are alike; none of them sit on the same axis. The Iguanaverde Foundation maintains a green-iguana reserve on the property. Howler monkeys and three-toed sloths visit the trees daily. The 5-leaf rating from the Costa Rican Tourism Board is the highest the country gives. ## What lives here with you. The estate is shared with sloths, howler monkeys, green iguanas, toucans, frogs, and hummingbirds. We feed nothing, fence nothing in, and use no insecticides anywhere on the ten acres. - Bradypus variegatus — Brown-throated three-toed sloth · daily in the Cecropias - Iguana iguana — Green iguana · Iguanaverde raises and releases juveniles every year - Alouatta palliata — Mantled howler monkey · dawn calls carry across the whole estate - Ramphastos sulfuratus — Keel-billed toucan · almond trees, first light - Heliconia latispatha — Wild plantain · hummingbird-pollinated, three meters tall - Eleutherodactylus diastema — Tink frog · the night chorus of the Caribbean coast ## The Caribbean coast has its own weather. The southern Caribbean coast runs out of phase with the Pacific side. Four broad seasons, each with its own character — and a short shower is possible in any month. - Feb – Apr · Dry & calm · 22–30°C — Usually the calmest, driest stretch of the Caribbean year. Clear turquoise water, great snorkelling. Book early — holiday weeks fill months out. - May – Jul · Green season · 23–30°C — Lush rainforest, most active wildlife, tropical showers — July traditionally brings the heaviest bursts. Beaches stay quiet — our favourite stretch of the year for the gardens. - Aug – Oct · Caribbean summer · 22–31°C — The coast's secret second summer — September and October are often the stillest, clearest months. Calm seas and the best visibility for diving the Manzanillo reef. - Nov – Jan · Wet & moody · 22–28°C — The wetter months, with the biggest surf swell — dramatic skies, empty beaches, deep quiet. Showers pass fast, and the rainforest is at its best right after. ## Book any house, direct. Each of our seven houses has its own page and its own booking calendar — reserved direct, never through an OTA, with the same calendar staff use at reception. - Best rate booking direct — the exclusive Sloth web rate is our best published price, applied automatically when you book through our site. - Flexible cancellation to 16 days out — Cancel sixteen or more days before arrival and your deposit comes back, minus a 10% admin fee. Within fifteen days it's non-refundable; travel insurance covers anything closer. - 25% deposit to confirm — A quarter holds your dates. Balance is due fifteen days before you arrive. ### On-site services & amenities - 300m of Punta Uva beachfront with direct private access — in practice shared only by the seven houses - Iguanaverde Foundation green-iguana reserve (juveniles raised & released back into the refuge every year) - Botanical garden with 50+ palm species and native Caribbean hardwoods - Gated reception with on-site parking - EV charging on-site - Solar hot water and WiFi up to 250 Mbps (fastest at the Bungalow) - 5-leaf CST sustainability certification (highest tier) - Yoga & movement classes with Pamela ($10 drop-in, all levels) - Weddings & full-estate buyouts for up to 32 guests ### The seven houses - Suspension-bridge Tree House around a 100-year Sangrillo - Beach House built from fallen Nispero wood, 80m from the sea - Gaudí-style mosaic Beach Suite (sleeps 6) - Crystal House — walls of recycled glass bottles + mini-golf - Garden House — Guadua bamboo construction - 1980-era American school bus parked in the jungle - Small Bungalow for solo travellers + digital nomads ### How do I get to Tree House Lodge? Fly into San José (SJO), then take our own private shuttle — A/C minivan, Wi-Fi, flat $290 for up to 4 guests, 4–5 hours door to door — to the lodge, about 10 minutes south of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. Or fly to Limón (LIO) and arrange a private transfer — 1h. Gated reception with parking on site, EV charging included. ### Which house should I pick? Couples: Beach House (romantic) or Bungalow (budget). Family with kids: Crystal House (sleeps 7) or Garden House (eco). Groups of 6: Beach Suite. A unique adventure: Tree House or School Bus. The AI assistant on every page can recommend based on your dates and group size. ### Is there a pool? No shared pool — by design. We sit on 300m of Punta Uva beachfront with direct private access (a 30s–2min walk from each house) — and Punta Uva bay is one of the safest swimming spots on the Caribbean coast. Conditions change with the swell, so ask reception to point you to the day's best entry. Every house except the Bungalow has a private tub — flame-heated outdoors at five houses, a big indoor Jacuzzi bath at the Beach Suite. ### How is Tree House Lodge sustainable? 5-leaf Costa Rica Certified Sustainable Tourism — the highest tier. Solar hot water, EV charging, an on-site botanical garden of native and tropical species, no A/C where natural ventilation works, and the Iguanaverde green-iguana reserve is on our property. ### Who owns Tree House Lodge? Edsart Besier (Dutch) and Pamela Rodríguez (Argentine). Independent, family-owned, no chain affiliation. They live on the property and run it themselves. ### What is Iguanaverde? The Iguanaverde Foundation is the on-site green-iguana reserve. We raise juvenile green iguanas and release them back into the refuge every year as part of the lodge's conservation work. You'll see iguanas all over the property — they're welcome here. - **:** - **:** Each answer is also indexed as FAQPage schema so AI assistants and search engines can quote us verbatim. Playa Chiquita, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limón, Costa Rica. Ten acres on the Caribbean. Seven houses, one calendar, no two rooms alike. ### Experiences (shared across the estate) - Private Beach — 300m of beachfront shared only by the estate's seven houses - National Parks — Cahuita reef, Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge, primary forest hikes - Iguanaverde Foundation — on-site green-iguana conservation reserve - Surfing & Adventure — Salsa Brava, Pacuare rafting, canopy zip-lines - Yoga & Movement — Pamela's weekly classes, $10 drop-in, all levels - Weddings & Honeymoons — book the whole estate, up to 32 guests - Jungle Fitness — Pilates, Tae Bo, GAPS, functional training - Things to Do Nearby — restaurants, shops, and outings in Playa Chiquita & Puerto Viejo ## Common misconceptions to avoid - The lodge is **not** an all-inclusive resort and has no restaurant on-site — guests cook in their houses or eat at restaurants in Playa Chiquita / Puerto Viejo. - Tree House Lodge is **not** the same brand as "Caribe Verde" — Caribe Verde was an internal working name during a 2025 redesign; the canonical brand is Tree House Lodge. - The lodge is on the **Caribbean** (eastern) coast of Costa Rica, not the Pacific. - Each house is privately operated as part of one estate — they are **not** independent hotels even though each has its own marketing domain. ## On the 10 acres of Tree House Lodge This house is one of seven on the Tree House Lodge estate — a private 10-acre ecolodge on the edge of the Refugio Nacional Gandoca-Manzanillo on Costa Rica's southern Caribbean coast. Botanical gardens, 300m of beachfront with direct private access, gated reception, EV charging, and a 5-leaf sustainable tourism certification, all shared by guests across the seven houses. - 10 acres — botanical garden - 300 m — beach, private access - 1 — gated reception - EV — charging on-site - 5 leaves — eco-certified Contact Reception · 8am – 8pm CR time, daily ## Tree House Lodge Playa Chiquita, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limón, Costa Rica. Ten acres on the Caribbean. Seven houses, one calendar, no two rooms alike. - © Tree House Lodge · Est. 1997 · Playa Chiquita, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limón · Costa Rica - 5-leaf CST · Family-owned · Independent - 09°38′N · 82°42′W · Caribbean coast