Tortuguero Question
 

We (2 parents and a 11 year old) want to visit Tortuguero on a package tour. The Tortuguero Lodge is a little pricey for us so we have been looking at the Pachira Lodge and Mawamba Lodge websites. The package we are interested in are provided at both places and identically priced. The two lodges also look very similar in terms of lodging, meals, and tours. How to choose? Would anyone like to weigh in on their good or bad experiences with either Pachira or Mawamba? Also would 4 days/3 nights be "overdoing it" in Tortuguero or do you think we should do 3 days/2 nights and add an additional night to our stay on the Pacific Coast in Tamarindo.
Thanks (This message board rocks! as my daughter would say).

Both hotels are highly recommended. Haven't stayed at either, though. Have talked to people who stayed at both. No negative reports! Personally, I would stay at Tortuguero 2 days and 3 nights and add an extra day at Tamarindo. It is in a pretty cool area and you can use the extra time to do a variety of neat tours over there. Your daughter is probably going to really enjoy the beach. . .I'd give her an extra day!

We were supposed to be picked up by a boat in some little town by Pachira lodge..they forgot us and we waited 3 hours on the river bank until a nice local got us a ride with Mawamba Lodge's boat. When we got there ..they didn't even buy us a drink, we missed lunch and was starving, but had to wait until dinner was served. The rest of the trip was okay, but that left a bad first impression. We always said if we go back we'll stay at Mawamba. There's not much to do there except the boat excursions..and of course you're trapped at your lodge unless you can get a boat to take you to town, but there's nothing to do there. Take Brewer's yeast about a month before you go..this is the only place in CR that we had problems with mosquitos We went in December. We went to Monteverde, Drake's bay, Arenal, and Torteguero. We are going back in December of this year...but not to Torteguero...guess that says enough.

We stayed at the Mawamba lodge and loved it. It's rustic and we were a bit thrown off at first but quickly got into the place. You can walk to Tortuguero along the beach from the Mawamba lodge. The real draw to the place are the excursions, so do the 3 day option and give yourselves an extra day on the beach. The east side in not a good beach experience. It's pretty but we were told not even to wade in the water, and the beach was covered with blue bottle jelly fish that you DON'T want to touch.

Did you visit Tortuguero when the turtles were nesting? If so, how was the turtle nesting tour?

We spent 3 full days in Tortuguero and we all (4 of us) thought it was one day too many. It was absolutely fascinating to see everything on the tours but we had seen just about everything in the first 2 days. The beach there is not good for swimming at all. It is very rough. Saw my first coral snake in Tortuguero so do be on the lookout.
We did not stay at either of the two places but have heard some decent reports about Mawamba.

Just returned from CR. We stayed at Mawamba Lodge 2 nights which is enough.We enjoyed it very much, but there isn't much to do, except for the boat tours.The village wasn't very interesting, and you can't swim in the sea. Besides, the weather was cool and damp,which I understand is typical. There are far better places in CR to take a child.However,Mawamba is definitely worth a short stay. The food was plentiful and very good, and you see great wildlife.

We just returned from CR also. Stayed at Mawamba for 2 nights and thought it was great. The lodge is rustic, but very nice and clean, the people were wonderful, the food was very good, and our guide was terrific. I highly recommend this place.

They also have a nice swimming pool, which my 8-year old loved after a day of tours, and a non-electronic 'game room' with a pool table, board games, dart board and coffee, tea and cookies all day and evening. This was a nice place for the kids from different families to gather.

They had a morning and afternoon boat tour during the full day we were there and a mid-day guided walk through the rain forest that left from the town (they take you by small boat to the town - only a few minutes away). We saw quite a variety of animals on all three tours.

We must have lucked out on the weather, because it was perfect. Just a few drops of rain, otherwise warm and only scattered clouds. Very early on the morning we left, I sat on their deck at the edge of the canal, drinking coffee and listening to the howler monkeys in the distance. It was very, very nice!

One more thing, we arrived via boat from near Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui (a long, but interesting ride on 3 rivers including a short portion through Nicaragua) and returned on their more normal boat/bus route via Matina.

Finally, I think the 2 night package is probably the best way to do it. If it rains a lot (which apparently it does there), 2 full days could be more than you want.