I have an opportunity to take a trip in the next few weeks and so don't have my customary months to plan. I'd appreciate your input into places to stay near Concorvado Park.

I'm looking for something other than B d C, Aguila de Osa etc. They look wonderful, they are just not me. I've seen posts on Lookout Inn and La Leona and they look to be more my style. I really do not care if my room is beautiful as I hope to not spend much time in it. Having said that I love my hot showers and my privacy. While I love good food I don't feel the need to eat gourmet on this particular trip. But I do need a place that understands that vegetarian doesn't mean fish. I would like to spend my time hiking in Corcovado so closeness to the park is important as is having really good guides. (For this I would willing pay extra).

Finally, while I would love to be somewhere where there is no access to the outside world my better half informs me that this is not an option should I wish to return stateside so access to the internet is, unfortunately, also necessary.

For closeness, you can't beat La Leona Lodge. It's only about a 5 minute walk to the park entry. Tents on raised platforms, some with private bathrooms (they are open to the elements but private). Alas, best I recall, no hot water but it wasn't too bad. Food was good & filling, but not gourmet. They did have email access on a computer but it was spotty, don't recall if wi-fi. The lodge itself is about a 30 minute walk on the beach from Carate, they will send a horse cart to carry your luggage. They have guides on site so you would have that there as well. In Carae itself, there is Lookout Inn, Luna Lodge, Finca Exotica and Laguna Vista Villas. From these you'd have to take the 30 minute hike to the entry.

Have you thought about doing 1-2 nights in Sirena? No hot water, but fantastic wildlife and hiking.

RAC-

I did and rejected it as being too complicated with the limited time I have to plan. Unless one of the lodges/hotels can set me up with a guide for a night I'm probably going to have to skip it. (Although that would be my idea of a good time!)

If you stay in Drake Bay almost all of the lodges can hook you up with a guide and a boat in/out. Then all you have to do is book your park entry and overnight stay permits plus meals.

See bottom of this page:

http://www.soldeosa.com/corcovado%20park.htm

Access to Corcovado NP from Puerto Jimenez is on foot only. We are talking 6-8 hours hiking, or through rain forest or on the beach, crossing several rivers. An overnight from PJ in La Sirena is not an option but for the die hard hikers.
Also it is obligatory to have a guide if hiking past the La Leona ranger station. In contrast to what is the case in many NP there is one only path leading from La Leona toward La Sirena. So "hiking Corcovado" might be completely different then you are assuming. It is possible to hike the Cabo Matapalo area. Walk the road to the very tip of the Matapalo peninsula, and visit different beaches alongside. Plenty of monkeys and birds, macaws are loud and colorful.