Santa Juana Lodge & Nature Reserve

This is a WONDER-FULL place to visit!!! Accommodation is spacious, open, beautiful, down to earth, quiet. Walk down to waterfall for a swim each day was good exercise and delicious. Birdwatching tour with Allan was so informing... his enthusiasm is contagious. I recommend this Nature reserve for a laid back easy vacation. I will be back again. Staff is honest, sincere and caring.

Our stay (in April) at the lodge totally exceeded our expectations. Fantastic views, ambiance, and excellent service from the staff. Our living space was very clean and had a great view. Keep in mind the location is in a rural location with plenty of wildlife, there are bugs and small lizards (which we expected and welcomed with curiosity 😄) All of the staff were very welcoming and friendly. In particular, Alan was incredibly accommodating and knowledgeable about the history, culture, and natural environment; he told us he grew up in the area. The bird tour we took with Alan as our guide was beyond amazing and top notch. Can't wait to come back.

This is by far one of the best lodges we have stayed at. First of all, the rooms are awesome as they have amazing views and are isolated from each other. We stayed in the cassita deluxe room, which had a lot of room. The deck has beautiful views of the valley, surrounding hillside, and the pacific ocean in the distance. The restaurant is a unique experience as well. There is not a menu to choose from, but an authentic Costa Rican dish served each time. Every meal, the food was excellent with all of the vegetables and fruits grown locally. The staff here was very warm and caring. They are very family oriented and live in the town of Santa Juana 5 minutes down the road, so they really know the area as well. And finally, the birds in the area really topped off the visit. We saw toucans, macaws, red-rumped tanagers, and numerous others. The only thing is that there will be little lizards and some bugs in the rooms. Most of the doors and windows are screens only where they can get in. For us, it just added to the amazing experience!

A bit like paradise I guess… Fantastic, pure nature far away from the „noise and hectic“. If I would be a writer I would write a book here at this place. Large bungalows furnished with heart and mind (very clean too!). The food prepared by mama was delicious. But the cherry on the cake is the passion and love the family of Alan brings across in every interaction. Book a tour with Alan to the jungle! We have seen a lot and learned so much about animals in Costa Rica. Overall, an experience we will bring home and which will last. Pura vida!

We had spent the prior day and night luxuriating at the 5 Star Parador in Quepos, and coming to the Santa Juana Lodge was like arriving at a different world. Santa Juana's setting is amazingly beautiful, high on a mountain with majestic views, and a very relaxed atmosphere. We chose to drive from Quepos, and probably would opt for using the shuttle service if we were to come back - the road is long, hilly and the surface is rough and stony (A 2 person crew was leveling the road, working their way down from the top. It's going to take them a while.) Our casita was rustic but charming. The only issue we had was that we were not able to light the stove and the property manager wasn't able to offer much help. We had wanted to cook here just for the casita experience, but the food served at the main building was just fine (there was not a vegetarian protein available, however.). Dinner for two, with wine was $50 American. Quite reasonable. Breakfast was memorable, with great coffee, and we watched a toucan having its breakfast about 8 feet from our table. The ride down the mountain was another adventure, and as we turned onto the main highway we realized that we had a flat tire. The stony road did us in. When we pulled off the highway to assess the damage, there was a crew from the national electric company there and they very kindly changed the tire for us. Pura Vida!!!