Rio Perdido

Northern Costa Rica

Rating: Deluxe

highlights

Stunning setting high above 2 canyons
Private terraces with chairs and hammocks
Take on the Canyon Adventure!
Dine on the Floating Platform 50 metres above the river
Experience thrills on the canyon adventure
Relax in the spa and thermal pools

Rio Perdido overview

This lodge is located by two converging canyons and rivers, the Rio Perdido and Rio Blanco, a spot that had long been bypassed. Surveying the site, the lodge's owners were inspired to build Rio Perdido, and now you, too, can discover this beautiful place.

The lodge has been sensitively designed to cause minimal impact on its surroundings. Bungalows are built on platforms set high above the ground, reached by raised walkways. Constructed of steel and wood they have a strikingly modern appearance, and inside they are cosy and comfy. Each has a bedroom with twin beds that be joined to form a double, and with room for an additional bed, a stylish bathroom, and terrace with chairs and hammocks. There's a minibar cum hot drinks maker, TV, safe, free WiFi and air conditioning.

The open-sided restaurant serves a mix of traditional and modern cuisines and has panoramic views of the densely forested canyon walls and river below, while special dinners are served on the lodge's Floating Platform, set almost 50 metres above the rivers' meeting point, under the starry sky.

By day you can explore the reserve, on foot or by mountain bike, go river tubing and enjoy the canyon adventure with its mixture of zip lines, Tarzan swings and platforms. Afterwards you can relax with a visit to the spa or by bathing in one of the thermal pools.

details

Open: Rio Perdido is open all year.

Location: Rio Perdido is located just a 45-minute drive from Daniel Oduber International Airport and about 15 kms off the Pan-American Highway, beyond the already remote and little-known town of Bagaces.

Rooms: There are 20 high-design, private bungalows propped on stilts above native plants. They are small but adequate for the outdoorsy guests. Each unit has a balcony and hammock, a plush king bed and a trundle for a third guest. Rooms also include WiFi, high definition cable TV and powerful air-conditioning, while small bathrooms feature floor-to-ceiling sandblasted windows and counter-tops with inlaid recycled glass bottles.

Activities: There are more than 10 miles of hiking trails and several hanging bridges throughout the reserve. Bikes are available for rent. Other activities at Rio Perdido include white canyon tubing, volcanic mud bathing, canyoning with a “Tarzan swing,” the spa, and shopping at The Workshop and Artisan Store. From the hotel, visits to Palo Verde National Park and Llanos de Cortes Waterfall can be arranged.

Facilities: There is a restaurant with panoramic views of the gorge, lounge and bar, floating platform for private dinners, spa, 3 outdoor swimming pools and sunbathing decks. A major property feature is the thermal river and 8 hot springs.

Dining: Rio Perdido’s open-air restaurant offers a menu of typical and satisfying Costa Rican dishes like fish and shrimp ceviche and casados alongside beans, rice, salad, and a vegetables. Guests can take their dinner on a platform that sits 160 feet above a river and beneath the twinkling firmament. Breakfast is à la carte and includes gallo pinto (beans, rice, eggs, etc.) and all-American options.

Children: Children of all ages are welcome.

Health: Other than the province of Limon, Costa Rica has low to no risk of malaria.

Communication: Free WiFi in social areas of the hotel.