Cabo Matapalo, Costa Rica
Costa Rica's original deluxe ecolodge celebrates nature at fingertip distance while melding the jungle presence into lavish albeit rustically themed accommodations with a monkey's eye view.
Before John and Karen Lewis conjured this remote retreat from the rainforest a decade ago, the concept of a deluxe nature lodge in Costa Rica seemed like an oxymoron. With the aid of brilliant marketing, they garnered instant headlines that helped draw an elite clientele, launching Lapa Rios into the premier league of internationally acclaimed resorts––no small feat given the off–the–beaten–path locale and difficulty of access. The concept was simple. Buy 400 hectares of tropical rainforest on a remote corner of the Osa peninsula, build a luxury ridgetop resort in  indigenous style, and channel the proceeds into local community causes.
Access is via a rough dirt road tailored for rugged adventure. The dense forests of subaqueous green thicken as you pass around Cabo Matapalo and ascend a steep driveway to the thatched lodge, dominated by a mirador (lookout) soaring above the treetops and attained via a spiral staircase augering up from the relatively sparsely appointed lounge–dining room. (In extreme wet seasons, the river crossings can stump most four–wheel–drive vehicles, in which case guests arriving by rental car should consider using the lodge's Land Rover transfers.)
Wooden boardwalks span the ridgetop, connecting the bungalows dispersed for privacy and a sense of jungly seclusion. These thatched quarters rise on stilts from the ground and offer stupendous forest and ocean views through screened yet otherwise open walls to three sides, and through French doors opening to broad wooden decks. They come furnished with bamboo pieces and deep blue fabrics, and feature two queen beds draped in mosquito nets that enhance the mood of romance. Twin showers––one an outdoor, stone–lined cold–water "rainforest" experience; the other of conventional tile and delivering hot water perfect after a sweaty hike. Some villas are a considerable hike and will leave  out–of–shape guests huffing and puffing. Making amends are the hordes of monkeys and other wildlife that parade in the trees at fingertip distance.
Despite this nature lodge's unique appeal, we consider it overpriced, not least because a new crop of upscale nature lodges offer similar attributes at substantially more affordable rates.
Web Address: www.laparios.com
Total Number of Rooms: 16
Published rates: $319 to $463
Review and photos by Christopher Baker
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