The Pacific Coast was our final stop on our Costa Rican adventure. We wanted to make sure we had the full spectrum whilst we were in the country and an opportunity to kick-back after a busy tour. The Lagarta Lodge Nosara was quickly chosen as our base. It was not only set in a stunning location, but was home to lots of wildlife. Here is my review of this underrated gem.
Lagarta Lodge Nosara – Our Review
The Setting
Lagarta Lodge Nosara is located up a (really!) bumpy, gravel road up from the main town. When you first get to reception, aside from the immense heat you don’t really get much of a vibe. If anything, it felt quite basic compared to Hotel Belmar or Lomas Del Volcan. However, once you pass through this part you really enter something special.
The view from here is, without doubt, the best I have seen from a hotel. It overlooks not only the raging Pacific, but mountains, rainforest and river basins. From just 5 minutes standing by the pool you can see vultures, pelicans, monkeys, crocodiles, some of which are really close… Thankfully, the crocodiles are not included in this last category. The restaurant, the Gecko, has the honour of the best view. It faces the Pacific Ocean, meaning you can enjoy the perfect sunset whilst watching all of the wildlife and eating yummy food. Lagarta Lodge Nosara really is set in what Costa Rican dreams are made of.
The fun doesn’t end here. Lagarta boasts three swimming pools, all of which are infinities. You can relax in these and drink cocktails to your heart’s content. Because of all the tours, they are really quiet during the day and we practically had them to ourselves. Lagarta also has a nature reserve filled with all of the animals you want to see in Costa Rica. When we were by the pool, we saw howler monkeys, lizards and more really close. It felt like we were immersed in nature.
Overall, the Lagarta Lodge Nosara offers that perfect balance between a luxury, relaxing resort and an exciting explorer camp.
Our Room
The room at the Lagarta Lodge Nosara was not, on the surface, anything special. The décor was actually quite dated. There were large tiles on the floor with older wooden furniture, all of which had seen better days. The room was reasonably spacious, with an ensuite just off of the room. However, where this room came into a top tier category is through the balcony.
Outside of the balcony were three large trees, but you still had a good view of the Ocean. There were two large chairs to sit in too. Once more, the style of the balcony was basic but it was one of my favourite places to sit on our holiday. This is because the trees were simply a magnet for wildlife. Within 5 minutes of arriving, we managed to spot an elegant squirrel cuckoo; a bright orange bird that was on our list. Then, at 6am the next morning, we had howler monkeys relaxing just metres from us. We were then joined by iguanas, vultures, woodpeckers, more monkeys and others throughout the day. Weirdly, we probably got closer to wildlife here than anywhere else on our holiday.
Food and Drink
All of the food was served from the Gecko restaurant, which as said above was perfectly set. This place was really cool. The music was just amazing, the staff were really fun and friendly and the views were spectacular.
Breakfast was A La Carte and there were plenty of options. Whilst most of these were very American (the hotel’s main clientele), the food was delicious. A particular standout was the eggs in the saddle. These were fried eggs on a tortilla, topped with tomatoes, beans, guacamole and fried cheese. It was absolutely outstanding.
For lunch, you had a few options ranging from meals to ‘snacks’. There were plenty of different options and all could be delivered to the rooms. Whilst we were chilling, we took full advantage of this. Burgers, calamari, nachos… You name it, we tried it. It tasted really good and the portions were certainly generous.
The evening meals were also high-end. Nothing quite beats eating freshly caught fish at sunset by the Pacific. I would also say that the prices were not too bad at all. If you have anything though, make sure you try the fries. They are weirdly very good.
The Service
The staff at Lagarta Lodge Nosara are really friendly, as you would expect. I actually found the vibe here to be very ‘Pura Vida’. Everyone seemed so laid back and chilled, which was lovely. In particular, the staff at the Gecko were exceptional. They would come round and point out fun animals nearby with their telescopes. One evening we were shown a family of sleeping coatis and, the next morning, my husband was shown a crocodile patrolling the delta.
Overall, I cannot knock the service we received here whatsoever. It was amazing all-round.
Final Thoughts – Lagarta Lodge Nosara
I was not sure about Lagarta Lodge when we booked. I wasn’t sure whether it would be anything special, but was confident it would be nice. To say that I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. I loved this resort and I wish we had spent longer here, especially to take up all of the different tour options. If you want a Pacific Coast destination after exploring Costa Rica, look no further. It is paradise on Earth.
