I actually wasn’t going to do an entire post discussing the area and where we stayed in Costa Rica…but I saw that there have been a lot of searches for Korrigan Lodge.  I know that I struggled to find and decide on somewhere to stay on the Caribbean coast, so I thought it might be helpful to share what I learned.

Why We Chose the Caribbean: We chose the Caribbean coast rather than the Pacific because we wanted less people, no huge resorts, and the possibility of some snorkeling. We were interested in something a bit more off the beaten path. Though I get the impression that not much in Costa Rica is really off the beaten path, at least not when you compare to other countries in both Central America and the rest of the world.

I would be remiss in noting, as we experienced, that snorkeling in Costa Rica is hit or miss around Puerto Viejo due to both currents and murky water due to weather/rain.  None of the tours offshore were running due to the rough surf when we were there (and hadn’t been for a few weeks).

Where to Stay: Once we had settled on the Caribbean coast, I started looking for a place to stay.  Initially, I was really interested in Banana Azul in Puerto Viejo, in part due to the fact that they had an operator on-site to run snorkeling tours.  There are a bajillion people on TripAdvisor asking about Banana Azul, and what it’s like, so it’s pretty easy to get impressions from both the reviews and the forums.

I’m sure Banana Azul is a great fit for many people, but I didn’t think it was a great fit for us due to some of the reviews about the lack of privacy between the rooms, including some shared balconies, etc.  I’m not trying to turn people away from Banana Azul by any means, but it wasn’t the type of experience we were looking for: more secluded, no need for any services (Banana Azul has food/drink service on the beach), and more glamping.

Choosing a Lodge: So many reviews on TripAdvisor about jungle lodges stretching from Cahuita to Manzanillo are negative, so I was getting worried.  I’m not one of those people that go by the overall rating; I carefully read a lot of reviews, good, mediocre, and ugly. I read reviews from people who travel a lot, and I focus on things that I know I do/don’t like. For example, thin towels and inconsistent hot water really bug me. But I totally laugh at/disregard silly complaints about having the occasional gecko in the room when you are in the jungle. And I don’t do dirt. In rooms. By that I mean human dirt, I’m not squeamish about leaves and such. Ending tangent/ramble.

Geckoes Lodge had great reviews, but it was a bit beyond what we wanted to spend. I looked at Le Cameleon, but it seemed like we could stay at a place like this in Europe, and we wanted something more “Costa Rica-ish” for lack of a better word.  So the one place I kept coming back to was Korrigan Lodge.

Korrigan Lodge: Korrigan has great reviews, and deservedly so. Yup, there are bugs–but no mosquitoes, which is really my concern. And for goodness sake, you are in the jungle: there will be bugs. The breakfast is delicious, the bungalows are clean, and the towels are fluffy. It’s set back into the jungle a bit, and they did a fantastic job at not disturbing the canopy, so there are lots of howler monkeys, iguanas, birds, etc.

I’m Five Feet Long and Just Fell Twenty Feet From a Tree–But Don’t Fret, I’m Still a Fine Iguana

Ingrid and Erwan (the owners) will help you arrange whatever you want (like a hike in Manzanillo), and give you suggestions on food, etc.  We came out the first day to see a baby sloth crawling on a branch just in front of the breakfast area!  The breakfast is more than I could ever eat, and filled me up for most of the day which is really nice.

Our Awesome Little Bungalow At Korrigan Lodge

Tourists/Atmosphere: After driving through Puerto Viejo on the way to Korrigan, I was SO thankful that we were farther away. Puerto Viejo has lots of people, and lots of tourists. And lots of “free souls” and rastafarians. If you know me, you can only think….that is definitely NOT somewhere Heather would want to spend time. It can be loud, with lots of music and plenty of drunk/high people, even at 6pm. In fact that initial impression turned us off so much we chose not to go back and visit. Sorry Puerto Viejo.

Instead, we stuck to Cocles, Punta Uva, and Manzanillo. Sure, there are some tourists around but not that many, particularly the farther you go from Puerto Viejo. There are a lot of locals enjoying the beaches. Oh, except the mal-dressed, shoeless, individuals going to work on the organic farm in Manzanillo. I’m not making fun of poor people–these were travelers/free-spirits/whatever.  (To each their own Heather, to each their own).

Beaches: I definitely think the beaches are the best either north of Puerto Viejo or around Punta Uva. I can vouch that the beach near Punta Uva is absolutely stunningly gorgeous and clean. It is that beach you see on a postcard. No one ever tried to sell us anything the entire time we were there. We never felt unsafe. Manzanillo is much busier and not as clean as Punta Uva.

Absolutely Beautiful Punta Uva

Overall: If you are looking for quiet time, some seclusion/privacy, more nature, and a relaxed vacation without nightlife, I’d strongly suggest Punta Uva and Korrigan. Puerto Viejo isn’t far if you want to visit, and there is plenty to eat within biking distance of Punta Uva. If you are looking for friends/socialization, fellow partiers, drugs, or lots of late-nights, head to Puerto Viejo.

Hope this is helpful! Happy to answer questions about Korrigan or Punta Uva as we really enjoyed our time there.