Fodor's Expert Review Tree House Lodge

This lodging complex among forested ground contains six large, stylish houses, all at ground level, one of which is built around a tree (that's the Tree House). The largest is the spectacular Beach Suite, with three bedrooms and domed, sky-lighted bathrooms. The Beach, Crystal, and Garden Houses round out the five; they are slightly more modest, but, here, that term is relative. The newest is a vintage recycled U.S. school bus, but with a snazzy interior. Prices skew higher here than other Puerto Viejo lodgings, but the ample size of the houses allows you to split the space among a group, making the per-person price not so alarming.