How To Get There?

There are no roads to Pacuare Lodge. So we use the river. The majority of our guests arrive at our lodge after rafting on on one of the world’s top whitewater rivers. Before the put-in we drive through Costa Rica’s old capital city, Cartago, lush farmlands that blanket the slopes of Irazu and Turrialba volcanoes, and finally the rushing waters of the Pacuare River.

Once you’re in the river, Costa Rica’s natural splendor surrounds you. Silver ribbons of waterfalls plummet down emerald-green cliffs. Blue morpho butterflies flutter past, their radiant blue wings catching the sun. In addition to the natural beauty, you’ll experience sheer exhilaration as you face the challenge of each huge wave, battling surging waters down miles of raging rapids.

When you finally reach the shores of our piece of paradise, you’ll have rowed, splashed, and floated along unspoiled rainforest and unmatched tropical beauty. The trip in is short – only an hour or two, depending on river conditions – but it is the perfect introduction to the enchanting environment that awaits you.

If you’re not comfortable rafting into the lodge, don’t worry. You can get there by land, too.

The adventure begins as we travel through Cartago, Costa Rica’s old capital, through a quiltwork of croplands that cling to volcanic slopes, and towards the town of Turrialba. Sweeping vistas, quaint country houses, and dense vegetation provide the visuals.

The two-and-a-half-hour trip then skirts the slopes of the Irazú and Turrialba Volcanoes toward the north, and the Reventazón River Basin and Orosi Valley toward the south. Majestic scenery includes rolling fields of ornamental plants, sugarcane, coffee, and macadamia, and the jungle-covered mountains of the Talamanca Mountain Range.

The bus trip ends in Santa Marta, where you board a four-wheel-drive vehicle for the remaining six-kilometer gravel road journey to the banks of the Pacuare River. Views of the mountains covered by dense jungle couldn’t be more dramatic! Advancing down the road, you plunge ever deeper into the beauty of the zone until you arrive at the Pacuare River, the Cábecar culture’s symbol of life. The adventure continues as you leave the four-wheel-drive vehicle and cross the river on a hanging gondola that carries you above the river via a 100-meter cable running from riverbank to riverbank. At the other side an electric car will be waiting for you to take you to the hotel´s lobby where a refreshing cocktail awaits your arrival.

Arrival by helicopter

Guests may arrange arrival by helicopter, too. It’s always eye-opening to experience Costa Rica by air.