Fodor's Expert Review Iguana Lodge

If a long stretch of deserted beach is your idea of heaven, check out this idyllic lodge with two-story cabins set in an exquisite botanical garden. Cabins are elegantly furnished in bamboo, with thoughtful touches like Egyptian-cotton sheets and a raft of candles for romantic evenings. The upper-level cabins have the nicest views and catch the best breezes. Pebble-lined showers have plenty of hot water and excellent water pressure. Eight modern but smallish rooms above the lodge's separate restaurant have upscale detailing and are considerably cheaper than the luxury casitas. The gentle Golfo Dulce waters are perfect for swimming, sea-kayaking, and boogie boarding, and there's a 65-foot lap pool surrounded by gardens and forest. Tennis courts round out the amenities. Two yoga platforms, a hot tub, and a spa with massages can help take away your residual stress. Extravagant dinners, with exotic foods reflecting the owners' worldwide travels, are served in a thatch-roof dining room with a huge table that can accommodate up to 32 diners. The lavish breakfasts may include mango scones and homemade granola chock-full of walnuts and cranberries. Birds are plentiful in the Playa Preciosa Platanares Mixed Refuge, which borders the lodge, and scarlet macaws are daily visitors. Every morning there is a guided morning walk for guests along the new Native Species Jungle Trail. Children under 12 pay half price.