Hotel Boutique Lagarta Lodge
Four suite types on Cerro Lagarta, inside a private reserve above the Nosara and Montaña river mouths
About this stay
Lagarta Lodge occupies the Cerro Lagarta ridge above Playa Nosara, between the mouths of the Nosara and Montaña rivers, with the Nosara Biological Reserve on its own land below. Rooms come in four suite types: Jungle Suites facing the dry forest, Panorama Suites over the ocean and the river, Flor Blanca Suites, the upper category, and the Motmot Suites at the highest point of the property, with mountain and jungle views and space for a family. Suites have air conditioning, ceiling fans, a terrace or balcony, a mini-fridge and a coffee machine. Shared spaces include two infinity pools, a hot tub, a 360-degree observation tower, the Vista Manglares Spa, Chirriboca restaurant, the Gecko Lounge, a wine cellar and a small gallery of Nosara art. Playa Nosara and Playa Pelada are a 10 to 15 minute walk; Guiones, Ostional and San Juanillo need a car. From the lodge you can arrange river boat tours, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, horseback riding on the beach, a canopy zip line and Spanish lessons.
- Private 35-hectare reserve with a self-guided trail to the river and Playa Nosara
- More than 270 bird species recorded in the reserve
- Panorama and Flor Blanca suites look over the Nosara and Montaña river mouths
- Two infinity pools, a hot tub and an observation tower with a 360-degree view
- Vista Manglares Spa with aerial, vinyasa and restorative yoga
- Playa Nosara and Playa Pelada a 10 to 15 minute walk
Our take
Few hotels in Nosara let you walk from your room into a protected mangrove: Lagarta Lodge sits inside its own 35-hectare reserve, above the point where the Nosara and Montaña rivers meet the Pacific. More than 270 bird species have been recorded on that land, and the lobby hands out a map for a self-guided loop of about two hours down to the river and Playa Nosara. Of the four suite types, I would book Panorama at minimum for the ocean and river view, or the Motmot at the top of the property for a family. Look elsewhere if you want to walk to the Guiones surf every dawn, since it is a drive, or if you want cafés and shops outside the gate.
- ✓Choose the suite for its view: Jungle Suites face the forest, Panorama Suites look over the river mouth and the ocean, and the Motmot Suites sit at the highest point with mountain and jungle views.
- ✓Walk the reserve loop at first light with closed shoes and insect repellent: the path down through the mangrove gets muddy and is not always clearly marked.
- ✓Swim at Playa Pelada, a 10 to 15 minute walk, around low tide, when its reef shelters the water; Guiones, the long surf beach to the south, has rip currents.
- ✓During an Ostional arribada, the nesting beach is open only with an accredited local guide; the local guide association announces each arribada on social media, so set up the outing through the lodge once one is declared.
- ✓SANSA flies from San José (SJO) to the Nosara airstrip (NOB), which saves the long drive across the Nicoya Peninsula on roads that turn to mud in the green season.
Why we love it
- Boat, kayak and paddleboard outings on the Nosara and Montaña rivers
- A reserve map handed out at the lobby for a two-hour walk
- A 9.5 guest score from 149 reviews
- Chirriboca restaurant and room service on site, so no night drive on dirt roads
Why guests love itLagarta Lodge suits families whose children can manage a muddy two-hour trail and sit quietly in a boat among the mangroves: the reserve, the observation tower with its 360-degree view and the kayak and paddleboard outings on the Nosara and Montaña rivers are the entertainment here. For sleeping, the Motmot Suite is the one to ask for: at the highest point of the property, around 117 square metres, with a king bed and two single beds, so a family of four shares one suite. The rest is built around adults, with the Vista Manglares Spa, a yoga studio and a wine cellar beside the two infinity pools. Chirriboca restaurant and room service spare you the evening drive on unlit dirt roads. With teenagers who want surf lessons every day, I would base the family in Guiones instead: the surf schools are on that beach, and the drive from the lodge adds up twice a day.