Name: Santa Juana Lodge and Nature Reserve
Address: Santa Juana de Terrazú, Portalon, Portalon, Portalon, 60601, Costa Rica
Rating: 10

Smoke-free property

Garden

Terrace

No elevators

Reception desk

General

Accessibility features

Wheelchair Accessible

Accessibility

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Restaurant

Meals

Airport transportation

Area shuttle

Transfer

Hiking

Recreation

Free parking

Parking

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Personal protection equipment for staff

Extra decontamination measures

Personal protection equipment for guests

Contactless check-in and/or check-out

Additional measures against COVID-19

Health and Safety Measures

Location

At the cottage

Quepos Airport

Tobias Bolanos Airport

Juan Santamaria International Airport

Santa Juana Lodge and Nature Reserve

Portalon

A wonderful 2 day stay in a unique setting in wood crafted cabins with home cooked meals at restaurant.  The hour drive on gravel was challenging but doable in a 2W SUV at this time of year.  Warm and helpful staff.

A word of warning, this place is not easy to get to! But once you're there it is amazing and totally worth the trek. The views are insane! The casitas are really cute, comfortable and super private. The staff was very welcoming and knowledgeable. The food was super fresh and good. Cannot recommend enough!

Quite a trek...but super worth it!!

This was 5 star experience that is hard to match. Starting from location secluded top of mountain to spacious nice room with no windows only screens. Tens of birds every morning with walking trails and fresh tasty food cooked right in front and very friendly staff, Andre, Allen and their families made our stay like being at home.

Secluded peacefull place , a wonderful gem

!! 4WD essential !!Friendly place, wonderful birdwatching, fresh but predictable food ("chicken, pork or fish"). Problematic WIFI did not work in cabinMake sure that your car has 4WD capability, or you will probably suffer on the 19km route up to the lodge

!! 4WD essential !!

Amazing and personal experience in the middle of nature - we had a one bedroom with a deck over looking the jungle.  We did a hiking tour to a very private and beautiful waterfall with surrounding pool to swim in with Allen and his dog Comanche, a local villager who also works at the lodge.  We enjoyed the scenery, warm welcomes with fresh juice of the day, cut up fruit after a little walk and breakfast and amazing dinner.  Highly recommend if you are looking for a more authentic and personal experience in Costa Rica!

Perfect get-away

This was a dream location.  The cottage in which my college friend and I stayed was very open and airy and had a lovely balcony where we rocked in rocking chairs and from which you could view the jungle and flocks of toucans and parakeets and parrots!  The sunsets were also so lovely.  I was able to relax entirely.  And the staff is so wonderfully friendly and hospitable and gracious, and good cooks!  We hiked 3 miles through the rainforest to a waterfall nearby and swam there.  I could have stayed here forever!

Costa Rican Adventure par excellence

WOW!  What an incredible place.  If you are looking for a place out of the way and in the elements, Santa Juana is your place!  When they say it takes an hour to get there from Quepos, they are correct.  You will want a 4x4, especially if it is the rainy season.  The drive is bumpy, but beautiful.  We saw blue morpho butterflies a couple different times along the drive!  SO amazing.  The lodge and casitas are very well maintained, the grounds are beautiful.  The meals are typical Costa Rican fare -Casados, etc, but they mix it up a bit - everything was delicious, the soups were amazing too!  Food is prepared lovingly by Julia and another (can’t remember her name).  Julia’s son, Alan is one of the hosts- he does the bird tours (we regret not doing one).  Alan is very helpful, friendly and you can tell he really loves his job.  There are private waterfalls on their property- don’t miss out!  You can either hike to them (it is a very steep hike back), but driving doesn’t take long.  We had them all to ourselves both times we went.  You can jump into them and swim.  They are a must see.  We were in the Amor Casita… the views are breathtaking- the deck off the back has a view of the ocean and the mountains.  One of the nights we had thunderstorms, with lighting all night long that lit up the sky constantly.  We had quite the show!  The room was very clean, had all the amenities needed, including umbrellas, kitchen necessities and toiletries.  
There is no AC, but it is not needed- there are fans and plenty of windows with screens to keep things comfortable.  We stayed for 3 nights, but could have easily stayed there longer.  Don’t let the drive deter you, it is so worth the effort to get there.  If you plan ahead you could stay there and not go anywhere else!  

Just go!

This is an amazing place. Well off the beaten path. Toucans in the morning and afternoons. The views are second to none and the meals are delicious.

it was simply the best place to stay during our 6 week trip to Costa Rica.  Hugo (the owner) told us from the very beginning that their aim is to make us feel at home with family - and oh we did!  

Our bungalow was just gorgeous, bright, modern, clean and this absolutely great view!  When visibility was good we saw the sea, when it rained we felt like we were in the clouds.  We could practically pick litchis from the balcony and watch toucans and other birds again and again.  

Roxana and Julia's food was wonderful, we felt like being "at grandma's" - it was cooked with a lot of love, it always tasted excellent and we were more than full.  In addition, the view from the restaurant over the surrounding mountains is simply magical.  

Alan & Andres made our stay such a wonderful experience, they were so accommodating, incredibly friendly and you could tell they just want us to have a great time with them.  Our 2 year old son still talks about them and we fondly remember our times together!  

A wonderful destination are the waterfalls, about a 10-minute drive from the lodge.  We had the place all to ourselves, walked to the big waterfall and then bathed at the small waterfall in the middle of the jungle - what a dream! I also recommend taking the massage that you can book through the lodge, the masseuse comes directly to the room, the massage is wonderful and rounds off the whole experience.

 We will recommend this accommodation to any of our friends who go to Costa Rica, it would be a shame to miss it!  

Note for drivers: We were unsure when booking because of the many reports about the difficult journey - which turned out to be much more harmless.  We were on the road in the rainy season but if you choose the route described by the property you don't have to cross a river.  It's a long gravel road, so you have to drive slowly, but that's all.  our son just slept during the drive, so you don't get too shaken up.

Santa Juana Lodge and Nature Reserve

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