31 Best Hotels in Tortuguero and the Caribbean Coast, Costa Rica

Background Illustration for Hotels

The high-rise, glitzy resorts of the Pacific coast are nowhere to be found in the Caribbean. The norm here is small, independent lodgings, usually family owned and operated. Fewer visitors in this region mean plenty of decent lodging at affordable prices most of the year. But tourism is growing, so it's risky to show up without reservations. Surprisingly few places here have air-conditioning, but sea breezes and ceiling fans usually provide sufficient ventilation. Smaller places frequently don't take credit cards; those that do may give discounts if you pay with cash.

Tree House Lodge

$$$ | Punta Uva, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 70403, Costa Rica

This sustainability-focused lodging complex set within a large swath of undeveloped rainforest contains six spacious and wildly different houses, all at ground level and each creatively conceived to incorporate the surrounding nature and upcycled materials. The newest option, The School Bus, is a house ingeniously built out of an old yellow school bus. The largest is the spectacular Beach Suite, with three bedrooms and domed, sky-lighted bathrooms, and there's the marvelous open-air two-story Tree House. The Beach, Crystal, and Garden Houses are slightly more modest, but, here, that term is relative. Prices skew higher here than other Puerto Viejo lodgings, but the ample size of the houses allows you to split the space among a group, making the per-person price not so alarming. The hotel also has been awarded five leaves (the highest rating) from Costa Rica Tourism Board’s Certification of Sustainable Tourism Program.

Pros

  • All houses have kitchens, air conditioning in some bedrooms, and Jacuzzis
  • Private entrance to Playa Chiquita
  • Inventive architecture

Cons

  • Jacuzzis take a while to heat up
  • Wi-Fi can be spotty
  • Farther from town
Punta Uva, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 70403, Costa Rica
2750–0706
Hotel Details
6 units
No Meals

Quick Facts

Something incorrect in this review?