Main differences between Bosque del Cabo and Iguana Lodge?
Jan 16th, 2007, 09:51 AM
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Main differences between Bosque del Cabo and Iguana Lodge?
We will be staying in the Osa in early May and need to nail down reservations. I've been reading the posts and wanted to see opinions on the big differences between Bosque del Cabo and Iguana Lodge. Besides the price difference ($160 pp per night at BdC vs. $105 at Iguana), and the pool, can anyone break it down for me. Is the higher price really worth it at BdC? Are the grounds at BdC that much more extensive? Thanks so much!
Jan 16th, 2007, 10:14 AM
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"Are the grounds at BdC that much more extensive?"
Well, in a word, yes. BdC has 500+ acres to walk around, so much more extensive. What I appreciate about BdC is that, while it may be a little more expensive than other places, there is so much to do on your own that I feel money-wise it equals out in my favour. Not to mention there is no timing issue to worry about.
Well, in a word, yes. BdC has 500+ acres to walk around, so much more extensive. What I appreciate about BdC is that, while it may be a little more expensive than other places, there is so much to do on your own that I feel money-wise it equals out in my favour. Not to mention there is no timing issue to worry about.
Jan 16th, 2007, 10:19 AM
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Bosque del Cabo has hundreds of acres of beautiful forest to hike in. It is a wonderfully unique area. Monkeys and other animals all over. You would probably see more wildlife and birds sitting by the pool and wandering around on their trails in one day than you would hiking for two days in Corcovado Park. Is it worth the extra $$? To my mind and I know to a lot of others, Phil and Kim have a little piece of heaven up there and yes, it is worth it. I have lost count of how many times we have been there and we gladly pay the price every time.
That is not to say that Iguana doesn't have something to offer as well. Just different. I am going to guess that Toby and Lauren have about 10 acres with both Iguana and the Pearl. Being right on the beach the trees and plants are different. It is quite grown up there now. They have done a very nice job planting things. It just isn't rainforest like Bosque. It has been about 2 years since I have stayed there but will definitely go back. I stayed there several years in a row. Mostly at the Pearl but I have stayed at Iguana as well. What Iguana offers is a place that is right on the beach with several miles of it to walk on. You won't run into crowds of people. It is very peaceful. It is also a great place to stay to do a lot of the great tours offered in that area because it is fairly close to Puerto Jimenez. Just a short taxi ride into town and you are on your way to adventures like swimming with dolphins, horseback riding in the rainforest, seeing wonderful birds, kayaking. It would take an expensive 45 minute ride on a very rough road from Bosque to get there.
That is not to say that Iguana doesn't have something to offer as well. Just different. I am going to guess that Toby and Lauren have about 10 acres with both Iguana and the Pearl. Being right on the beach the trees and plants are different. It is quite grown up there now. They have done a very nice job planting things. It just isn't rainforest like Bosque. It has been about 2 years since I have stayed there but will definitely go back. I stayed there several years in a row. Mostly at the Pearl but I have stayed at Iguana as well. What Iguana offers is a place that is right on the beach with several miles of it to walk on. You won't run into crowds of people. It is very peaceful. It is also a great place to stay to do a lot of the great tours offered in that area because it is fairly close to Puerto Jimenez. Just a short taxi ride into town and you are on your way to adventures like swimming with dolphins, horseback riding in the rainforest, seeing wonderful birds, kayaking. It would take an expensive 45 minute ride on a very rough road from Bosque to get there.
Jan 16th, 2007, 10:25 AM
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Too me - BdC and Iguana Lodge are two entirely different destinations.
In 2005 we split our week in the Osa between these two locations - which made for a perfect vacation.
BdC is situated on several hundred acres, perched high above the ocean. It has incredible views, an abundance of wildlife, and miles and miles of trails. About 45 mins from Puerto Jimenez, which is where you will fly into and where many of the water sports (kayaking, fishing, etc) will orginate.
Iguana is situated on a much smaller bit of land, but just steps away from miles of beach. About 10 mins from the PJ airstrip.
As I said - a split of these two locations made for a perfect trip!
In 2005 we split our week in the Osa between these two locations - which made for a perfect vacation.
BdC is situated on several hundred acres, perched high above the ocean. It has incredible views, an abundance of wildlife, and miles and miles of trails. About 45 mins from Puerto Jimenez, which is where you will fly into and where many of the water sports (kayaking, fishing, etc) will orginate.
Iguana is situated on a much smaller bit of land, but just steps away from miles of beach. About 10 mins from the PJ airstrip.
As I said - a split of these two locations made for a perfect trip!
Jan 16th, 2007, 11:14 AM
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Hi Donna,
I think all three of us were typing away. If that doesn't convince wasigan that Bosque is worth it nothing will.
It is getting cold here! Thinking of Bosque is helping keep me warm.
Hey tully, blow hard and send some warm air up our way pretty please.
I think all three of us were typing away. If that doesn't convince wasigan that Bosque is worth it nothing will.
It is getting cold here! Thinking of Bosque is helping keep me warm.
Hey tully, blow hard and send some warm air up our way pretty please.
Jan 16th, 2007, 12:48 PM
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Tully, DFarmer and Suzie2:
Thank you for sharing this information - it looks like BdC is well worth it. We also love the idea of splitting between the two.
Sounds like the 3 of you are well qualified to help me with one more important question about transportation. We will be renting a 4x4 for our entire trip and were planning on making the Osa our last leg (May 7-11ish). How will driving to BdC be and will we even need a car? I'm thinking maybe leaving the rental car in PJ and flying back to San Jose might be a good idea. What are your thoughts?
Thank you so much again!
Thank you for sharing this information - it looks like BdC is well worth it. We also love the idea of splitting between the two.
Sounds like the 3 of you are well qualified to help me with one more important question about transportation. We will be renting a 4x4 for our entire trip and were planning on making the Osa our last leg (May 7-11ish). How will driving to BdC be and will we even need a car? I'm thinking maybe leaving the rental car in PJ and flying back to San Jose might be a good idea. What are your thoughts?
Thank you so much again!
Jan 16th, 2007, 03:22 PM
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Suzie it was about 80 today but a front is coming thru tonight and we'll only be in low 70's tomorrow 
donna nice to see you around again
wasigan I haven't attempted the drive so I can't say with authority. Honestly my first thought is - don't. For one, you're looking at a 8-10 hour drive (someone correct me if I'm off) so that's a day, well not lost due to the scenery, but that's a long day gone. Unless this has changed, there are no car rental places in PJ, so you'd either have to take another day to drive back, or pay someone to drive it back to SJO (kinda iffy IMO). You can fly to PJ from SJO and usually from Quepos, really soooo much easier. Being at BdC there really isn't much need for a car unless you plan on leaving the grounds every day to go to PJ or Corcovado. But that's just my dos colones!
Now, wait, you'll be down there May 7-11? LOL I'm arriving the 12th!
donna nice to see you around again
wasigan I haven't attempted the drive so I can't say with authority. Honestly my first thought is - don't. For one, you're looking at a 8-10 hour drive (someone correct me if I'm off) so that's a day, well not lost due to the scenery, but that's a long day gone. Unless this has changed, there are no car rental places in PJ, so you'd either have to take another day to drive back, or pay someone to drive it back to SJO (kinda iffy IMO). You can fly to PJ from SJO and usually from Quepos, really soooo much easier. Being at BdC there really isn't much need for a car unless you plan on leaving the grounds every day to go to PJ or Corcovado. But that's just my dos colones!
Now, wait, you'll be down there May 7-11? LOL I'm arriving the 12th!
Jan 17th, 2007, 04:45 AM
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Tully,
Thanks for your dos colones! It's this kind of great info that I'd trust over a guidebook anyday. Since we'll have a car for the trip down the coast and will be stopping in Sierpe to visit friends, we've decided to drive to PJ. Then we will likely leave the car at the Solid rental place in PJ and fly back to San Jose for the trip home. That's a good option I think. Will you be staying at BdC? I think we've also decided on BdC. We'd love to catch up and hear about your trip!
Thanks for your dos colones! It's this kind of great info that I'd trust over a guidebook anyday. Since we'll have a car for the trip down the coast and will be stopping in Sierpe to visit friends, we've decided to drive to PJ. Then we will likely leave the car at the Solid rental place in PJ and fly back to San Jose for the trip home. That's a good option I think. Will you be staying at BdC? I think we've also decided on BdC. We'd love to catch up and hear about your trip!
Jan 17th, 2007, 06:38 AM
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wasigan, Solid rental car is now in Puerto Jimenez. I would check with them to see if they will let you drop a car off down there. I personally would prefer to fly back. That is a long day of driving over rough roads and potentially scary when going over the Cerro de la Muerte if it is fogged in.
tully and dfarmer are well respected contributors to this board. You can certainly trust them to give you excellent info.
Whether you want a car there or not depends on how comfortable you are driving on those rough, unpaved roads. By the time you get to Puerto Jimenez you will have a feel for what it is like. The road to Bosque has several stream crossings (yes, you drive through, not over) and can be pretty rough in spots. Particularly as you head up hill. The road conditions are so variable that it is hard to say what they will be like. They can change for the good in just a weeks time if the graders have been out or for the worse overnight if you get a good rain.
The road from Sierpe to Chacarita where you turn off the Pan Am hwy isn't too bad. Our friends live about 1/2 hr south of San Isidro and we drove door to door from Bosque to their house in 4 hrs with a brief stop at the Rincon intersection for some birding(saw 9 sloths!). Sierpe is further south so just deduct some from that. There is also a restaurant/bathroom at that intersection. Another place that we stop is quite rustic but friendly and has Ventanas in the name. It is closer to Puerto Jimenez and has beautiful views of the Gulfo Dulce. If you get all the way into town before needing to stop, Soda Carolinas is a good place right in the center. You may even run into Kim from Bosque there. You will probably have to eat lunch before checking in at Bosque and they have pretty good food there. Lots of expats eat there.
Kevin from Bosque can get you to the lodge if you let them know what you are doing.
tully, so sorry to hear how cold you are getting. I would offer to send you a sweater but I am using them ALL.
tully and dfarmer are well respected contributors to this board. You can certainly trust them to give you excellent info.
Whether you want a car there or not depends on how comfortable you are driving on those rough, unpaved roads. By the time you get to Puerto Jimenez you will have a feel for what it is like. The road to Bosque has several stream crossings (yes, you drive through, not over) and can be pretty rough in spots. Particularly as you head up hill. The road conditions are so variable that it is hard to say what they will be like. They can change for the good in just a weeks time if the graders have been out or for the worse overnight if you get a good rain.
The road from Sierpe to Chacarita where you turn off the Pan Am hwy isn't too bad. Our friends live about 1/2 hr south of San Isidro and we drove door to door from Bosque to their house in 4 hrs with a brief stop at the Rincon intersection for some birding(saw 9 sloths!). Sierpe is further south so just deduct some from that. There is also a restaurant/bathroom at that intersection. Another place that we stop is quite rustic but friendly and has Ventanas in the name. It is closer to Puerto Jimenez and has beautiful views of the Gulfo Dulce. If you get all the way into town before needing to stop, Soda Carolinas is a good place right in the center. You may even run into Kim from Bosque there. You will probably have to eat lunch before checking in at Bosque and they have pretty good food there. Lots of expats eat there.
Kevin from Bosque can get you to the lodge if you let them know what you are doing.
tully, so sorry to hear how cold you are getting. I would offer to send you a sweater but I am using them ALL
.
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