Pacuare Lodge, Costa Rica – How 20 years can change a lodge (let alone a hairstyle)

By Simon Heyes

Remember 1998? The Big Lebowski. The Truman Show. Shakespeare in Love. Saving Private Ryan. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Yup long ago.

That same year – proudly sporting a ponytail and armed with more velvia slide film than you could shake at a 3-toed sloth – I went on an intensive 2-week recce of Costa Rica for the specialist Latin America tour operator I worked for; inspiration-gathering for us to launch this fantastic new destination to our clients.

One long sunny day I rafted down the gob-smackingly beautiful Rio Pacuare and, taking a short break from the adrenaline, briefly stopped at a simple riverside lodge where it was all about the amazing location and less the mod cons. This was something i had never seen before, a retreat reached only by river and hidden amongst pristine rainforest clinging to steep tropical mountains. Wandering away from the roar of the river Blue Morpho butterflies danced past my face and I could hear the songs of toucans and parrots. A howler monkey’s roar in the distance. It enchanted me. I’ve always been fascinated by places that are ‘harder’ to get to – how that journey informs and becomes part of the stay – and this was one of the best I’d ever seen.

How 20 years can change a place. Fast forward 2 decades, and last November I finally returned. The river was as stunning as I remembered – but boy, did our client the fantastic Pacuare Lodge look different. It needed a double take and pinch me, was it the same lodge? With energy and vision owners Roberto and Luz have achieved something rare and wonderful here: sophistication with soul, sustainability, sense of place and adventure.

Its thatched bungalows – built entirely from natural rainforest materials – still blend seamlessly into the green canopy, but nowadays four-posted beds are dressed in organic linens and vast bathrooms have copper-headed showers and organic bio-degradable toiletries. I stayed in Nutria, the newest Linda Vista Suite: 210 sq.m of stunning locally inspired design, with a huge deck, spring-fed plunge pool and secluded glimpses of the river.

Beauty here is not just superficial; it runs deep. As a planet, we need new ways of travelling, protecting biodiversity, flora and fauna, supporting scientific endeavour, encouraging clean energy solutions, connecting and including communities, encouraging thoughtful food consumption. 

Pacuare address many of these issues. Though staying here now feels wonderfully indulgent, it’s still completely off-grid. Water is solar heated and candles light the night. The lodge produces many of its own organic ingredients for the restaurant Nairi Awari, on its own farm, on the fertile mountain slopes of the Turrialba Volcano nearby.The incredible swimming pool is chlorine free and heated passively by special radiating tiles and as you swim you feel like you are on a runway into the forest.

Jungle adventures here are led by amazing local guides who know you by name, and can take you to meet indigenous Cabécar people, pointing out howler monkeys, toucans and sloths as you go. It’s an immersive experience and they’re future proofing too. Pacuare runs environmental education projects in all of the nearby communities, and have co-established a programme that aims to help protect the wild jaguars.

Wash this unique recipe for high responsible tourism down with a fine, refreshing beer (Pacuare Lodge has its own micro-brewery, producing two unique craft beers). There is truly nowhere quite like Pacuare Lodge, a reason in its own right to visit wonderful Costa Rica!

Pacuare Lodge in 1998

Other things that happened in 1998

Posh Spice and David Beckham were the new It couple

 

The Nokia 5110 was released & became one of the most popular phones of the era 

 

For the first time in history (just saying), France won the World Cup 

 

Britney Spears stole our hearts (not mine she didn’t)

 

David Beckham received a red card (during the World Cup)

 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was everywhere 

 

We all listened to All Saints (apparently, again not I)

 

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