Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge
Hands down, this is the best ecolodge on the gulf, combining comfortable, upscale accommodations and great food with an emphasis on adventure on both land and sea. Out the front door of the lodge are beach, bay, and mangroves, with kayaks, snorkeling, fishing, sailing, and swimming; through the back door is a forested mountain with hiking trails, a waterfall, plenty of wildlife, and a resident naturalist to interpret the trails and lead bird-watching walks. The Edible Garden tour is a hit with visitors, especially when it includes turning raw cacao beans into chocolate cake. The night walks are filled with nocturnal natural wonders; you will often see more creatures than during daylight tours. For contemplative types, there is a beachfront yoga deck and a resident yoga instructor who does double duty as a massage therapist. The palatial two-story main lodge is a tree house, crafted from 15 kinds of wood. Scattered around the mature garden are luxurious, hexagonal wooden cabins with folding, shuttered doors and windows, gleaming hardwood floors, handmade wood furniture, and private verandas. Each secluded cabin's private bathroom has an open-air shower with its own exotic minigarden. For guests more comfortable in rooms and showers with walls, there's a stucco guesthouse with four large, comfortable rooms, shaded by mango trees. The upper-story rooms have terraces that are great bird-watching perches. Breakfast and lunch are served at the large wooden table in the second-story dining room–cum–lounge, with an unbeatable treetop view. Dinner, featuring imaginative meals made with local ingredients, is served in one communal sitting, after the cocktail hour, which always includes a plate of tasty bocas (appetizers).
