Some years ago, I think I remember reading about a hotel in Costa Rica where the hotel rooms were actually built into the trees. The walls were virtually all glass. Does sound like anything you guys know, or is my memory faulty?

I think it is www.costaricatreehouse.com and it is on the caribean side of costa rica. I googled treehouse hotels to get a list.

How about "The TreeHouses Hotel and Resort" near La Fortuna. At least that's where our reservation is in May.

The treehouses are supposed to be air-conditioned and have hot water bathrooms. There's a spa like pool thing in the creek on the property and breakfast is served on a porch overlooking a hummingbird garden. It is very small, only three treehouses, and very private. If you can wait until after June 3rd when we return I'll post an authentic opinion.

Yes, there is one near Puerto Viejo on the Carribean side but it's not air conditioned and offers mosquito nets as an amenity. We decided to go with La Fortuna and then head to Jaco' for the beach.

DO YOU HAVE OR KNOW OF ANY REVIEWS OF THIS COSTA RICA TREEHOUSE?

We found this place on the net and had our travel agent contact them. The place looks pretty but as I said, I can tell you more after June 3rd.

www.treehouseshotelcostarica.com

My family and I stayed in the Costa Rica Treehouse at Punta Uva (Caribbean coast) in February. This is what I can tell you about it:

The treehouse is a fascinating piece of construction. Everything is made of wood, with the floors cut in wonderful shapes to wrap around the roots of the huge tree around which the whole thing is built. The tree is gnarled and beautiful, and the full bathroom and shower is built around yet another tree.

The drawbacks are that the house is dark and damp. Even on a bright sunny day, inside the treehouse is dark and cool. This is somewhat welcome when you've been out in the hot sun, but not so much if it's cloudy, rainy, or after dark, which comes at 6 pm. There are lights but they don't really cast enough light to read comfortably. And everything you own will be at least slightly damp - your clothes, your towels, your books, your bedding...

The beds are reasonably comfortable, and there are screens and mosquito netting in the bedrooms, and bugs were not a problem in general. The rest of the house is wide open to the outdoors - in fact, when you're in the bathroom, you look straight out into the jungle through a partial wall. Luckily, it didn't feel exposed to any people.

There are basic kitchen facilities - a refrigerator/freezer, a sink, and two gas burners.

One thing that surprised us was that the treehouse was mostly at ground level. Only one bedroom was up off the ground, up a sorting of hanging bridge/ramp. The roof of the main level is made of a dark green material which doesn't allow any light in, which is why it always feels dark.

The beach is a 3-minute walk away, though it's another 10 or 15 minute wak to a really good swimming beach where there are no rocks. The beach is beautiful with soft light brown sand, and jungle just 15 feet or so from the edge of the water, providing partial shade on the sand at all times. We found lots of beautiful shells, the waves are great for boogie boarding, and while there are people out and about, you can easily claim a huge section of beach and expect that no one will infringe on your spot other than to walk by.

There are lots of places to rent bikes (2000 colones a day) and we eventually found a place close by to rent boogie boards ($8 a day.) If you want boogie boards, I would recommend you buy them somewhere along the way, like Limon - it will be cheaper than renting.

Puerto Viejo is a half hour bike ride away, on a flat but pot-holed road with very little traffic. We did not have a car while we were there and got around fine with bikes - there are little stores and a few restaurants within easy walking distance.

Feel free to post any questions if you want to know more!

- Jessica

Jessw37,

I just booked a stay at Beach Suite which is on the same property as the Costa Rica Treehouse. Did you happen to see it while you were there?

Did you feel secure while you were there? I have been reading about how the crime rate (theft, etc.) has really increased in the Punta Uva area recently. Did you have any problems?

Also... Any good recommendations on restuarants or tours in the area?

top!

We didn't even see the Beach Suite - it is tucked away a bit from the Treehouse. Based on info from the website, it looks considerably swankier than the Treehouse!

We didn't do any tours in the area - we just rented bikes from a little house across the road and slightly south of the Treehouse entrance (which you can't miss!) We paid 2000 colones per day for bikes with locks, but we never locked them. We felt perfectly secure while we were in Punta Uva, although someone did wander into the Treehouse one day, thinking it was the rental office. The Beach Suite may be more secure than the Treehouse, which is completely open to the outside.

We ate a fantastic dinner at Shawanda Lodge one evening, which is an easy ten-minute walk toward Puerto Viejo. We visited La Pecora Nera one afternoon, which has a wonderful reputation, a delicious-looking menu and a friendly owner, but we never did eat there. (We were cooking for ourselves more often than not.)

I read your other posting about considering making the drive from SJO to Punta Uva beginning at 8pm. My two cents on that subject would be this: You will miss the fun of actually seeing the countryside along the way, which is part of the fun of travel in Costa Rica. We had a great time stopping at little roadside fruit stands, seeing the banana plantations, stopping in the market in Limon, etc. Also, I'm not sure who would be available at 3am to provide you with keys to the Beach Suite when you arrive - no one lives on the property as far as I could tell.

In any case, enjoy your trip!

- Jess

Has momaj come back from her trip with a review of the tree house hotel near La Fortuna?