Eight minutes south of Puerto Viejo, on Punta Uva.
The lodge sits on a private 10-acre stretch of the southern Caribbean coast — inside the Refugio Nacional Gandoca-Manzanillo, with 300m of beachfront on the calm side of Punta Uva. Most guests fly into San José (SJO), shuttle down the 32, and arrive at the gate by mid-afternoon. Here's everything you'll need.
Drive, shuttle, or fly.
Private shuttle
- Air-conditioned vehicle with Wi-Fi
- Up to 4 people · $290 flat
- Each extra person · $20
- Pre-5am or post-7pm trips · $20 surcharge
- Reservation made through reception
The default for most guests. Sleep through the four-hour drive over the Talamanca range, wake up at the gate.
Taxi or bike
- Puerto Viejo → lodge gate · ~10 min, ~$10
- Recommended drivers: René (+506 8879 5033), Jairo (+506 8353 3989)
- Senatrapi taxi co-op (Taxi Central Puerto Viejo): +506 2750 0439
- Bike from town · 25 min along the coast road
René, Jairo, and the Senatrapi co-op are long-standing local drivers — reception can arrange a ride and confirm current numbers. If you're already on this stretch of coast — say, coming in from Bocas — a taxi from town is the fastest way in. The bike ride is the most scenic.
Rental car
- Highway 32 from SJO over the Talamanca range
- Exit at Limón → Hwy 36 south through Cahuita
- Approx 4–5 hours' drive
- Adobe Rent A Car — our long-time partner · desks at SJO airport and in Puerto Viejo
- One-way option: drop the car off in Puerto Viejo for an extra fee
- EV charging at the lodge gate · included
If you want flexibility for day-trips to Cahuita National Park or Manzanillo, drive yourself. Roads are paved and easy to navigate — from downtown San José, ask for the Guápiles–Limón exit and you're straight onto the 32.
Which airport to book.
SJO is the practical default — every international airline serves it and our shuttle network meets every arrival. Limón (LIO) is fine if you can find a domestic connection but adds a leg without saving much time door-to-door.
Juan Santamaría International, San José. 4–5h to the gate by road. Most direct flights from US, Europe, Canada land here.
Limón. ~1 hour to the gate. Used mostly by guests already in Costa Rica taking a domestic hop (Sansa, Carmon Air). Charters land here for the lodge — ask reception.
Or skip the drive entirely. Fly.
SANSA's turboprops hop from San José (SJO) to Limón (LIO) in about 40 minutes — the whole mountain drive condensed into the time it takes to finish a coffee. From the Limón airstrip the lodge is roughly an hour down the coast road, and reception can arrange a driver to meet your flight. Prefer to land even closer? Private charters fly direct to the coast.
Scheduled — SANSA
- San José (SJO) → Limón (LIO) · ~40 minutes
- Typically daily · more departures in high season
- Book direct at flysansa.com
- Limón airport → lodge gate · ~1 hour by road
Limón is the gateway to this whole stretch of coast — Puerto Viejo, Cahuita, Manzanillo, Puerto Vargas. Ask reception to arrange a pick-up timed to your flight.
Private charter
- CarmonAir and similar operators fly direct from San José
- Departures possible from early morning to ~6pm
- Routes over the Irazú and Turrialba volcanoes and the Cachí dam
- Lands on a banana-plantation airstrip ~30 minutes from the lodge
- Ask reception for current charter rates and bookings
The flight itself is the excursion — volcanoes, the Cachí dam, unbroken rainforest, and on a clear day Puerto Viejo and the lodge from the air. We meet you at the strip and have you at the gate in about half an hour.
Drive electric. We have a charger at the gate.
Included with every stay. Costa Rica's national grid is 98%+ renewable — your range refills on hydro, wind, and geothermal overnight. Charger is at the reception driveway, accessible 24/7 to lodge guests.
