I spent three nights at the incredible Rios Lodge on the Pacuare River on Costa Rica’s Caribbean side. if you’re an outdoorsy person who loves rivers, appreciates eco-friendly hospitality and enjoys encounters with jungle critters, Rios might be for you. Here are 10 reasons I loved it.
Raft in, raft out of Rios Lodge
No roads connect the ecolodge with outside civilization. You’re in the jungle, baby! The raft ride in is fairly mild, but be ready for large rapids on the way out. I loved watching the landscape get hotter and more Caribbean as we descended in elevation during the return trip. I also liked the chance to jump out of the raft at a calm spot and take a swim.
Wildlife encounters
Bring on the bugs, lizards and snakes! The Costa Rican jungle is rich in wildlife.
Vegan food!
I was surprised by how many vegan entrees Rios had available. And how beautifully plated. Rios went to a lot of trouble to raft in an entire professional-grade kitchen.
Non-alcoholic drink selection
Rios has a full bar, with a solid section of smoothies and virgin drinks. Sober travelers will appreciate the options. I recommend the freshly squeezed ginger lemonade.
Sleeping to the sound of the river
The powerful Pacuare River thunders by, day and night.
Rios Lodge zipline
Rios has a fabulous zipline course that weaves back and forth across the river. An engineering marvel in the jungle. I loved the river views.
Tubing
Since the river flows fast here, tubing is quite a production. It involves getting your tube across the river to a spit of land, hefting it to the end of the spit, tubing the rapids, and then being intercepted by guides to get you back to land to do it again. Without the guides’ help, I would have eventually hit the Caribbean. I was with a group of adults, but we did it again and again like kids.
Eco inspo
Did I mention everything gets transported in and out by raft? Rios is way off the grid. Rios Lodge runs mostly on hydropower, with a little solar. They’re careful about waste, since any discards have to be loaded on the trash raft. I was really impressed by Rios’ balance of luxury and eco.
Big yoga deck at Rios Lodge
This place is made for yoga retreats. Or doing yoga on your own. Or, in my case, getting the opportunity to teach a few tiny, impromptu classes to other guests.
Inspiring guides
All of the Rios Lodge staff were top-notch. But I especially appreciated Olger Leiva, the guide I spent the most time with. Not only is he excellent at steering a raft, he answered all my flora and fauna questions. And he’s a kind and caring individual.
Indigenous lunch spot
On our last day rafting out, we stopped at a shelter built by Ariel Allin, a member of the Cabécar Indigenous group. These people mostly live in the mountains and keep to themselves. But Ariel partners with raft companies to provide a beautiful, peaceful lunch spot and support his family.
For a more detailed account of my visit, check out the article I wrote for The Sober Curator.
