Evergreen Lodge

Fantastic location deep in the jungle, rustic and simple rooms and nice swimming pool and bar. Unfortunately the food is terrible and obviously there is nothing else available. Why did the food let this hotel down! - only 2 options per night, buffet style which ran out and was not replaced. You are split between 2 restaurants on pre allocated tables, so could be sitting with anyone! Breakfast just got worse, one egg station which ran out. Such a shame.

You really get the wow factor here. After a 2 hour boat ride to get here. You really are in the rain forest. Before we even checked in we were told by the lady on reception that a sloth was near by. So off we went and sure enough mother and baby were moving through the trees, then another member of staff asked if we would like to see a snake. Boa constrictor enter stage left. Monkeys everywhere. Toucans, frogs, amazing. The room was basic but perfectly adequate. The tin roof makes for an interesting sleep if it rains which it did. Meals by way of a buffet style restaurant and we found nothing to complain about. Loved our short stay here. Wonderful experience.

We visited as part of a small group wildlife tour. First of all, we were surprised that the access road via the banana plantations was unpaved considering that this is a key tourist destination. Arriving at the boat pier lots of people were milling around waiting their turn and making use of the chargeable toilet facilities. The boat transfer took safety seriously with life jackets being provided and insisted upon. The driver (John) was very keen eyed and pointed out lots of wildlife on the way although by the end of the journey the loud engine noise was very wearing. We were allocated room 76 which was comfortable enough if a little basic. As the furthest from reception it was a long walk with luggage. It was very close to the Monkey restaurant which had spotlights on all night that made sleeping difficult and where staff arrived chattering and clattering about 5am to set up for breakfast. With unglazed windows external sounds carry and we enjoyed hearing the frogs and howler monkeys but not the human noise. The tree next to the room was home to white faced monkeys who were very entertaining even when fighting and chasing over the roof. Meals were served buffets of mass catering standards and adequate quantities with the exception of dessert which were small portions with no choice. The queue for the egg station was long at breakfast. There’s plenty to see and do around the hotel; we visited the town and beach of Tortuguero by boat and took a wildlife trip into the mangroves with guide John. On foot we took some of the trails and saw around 6 sloths. Two or three nights is an ideal stay.

Excellent lodge in the rainforest. The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. They went out of their way to accommodate your needs such as providing vegetarian options for the meals. Excellent food with a good choice. Really great place for wildlife watching - we sat by the pool watching an iguana climbing a tree, saw monkeys leaping from tree to tree, agoutis in the undergrowth and red & blue dart frogs. This hotel would not be for everyone though - it is very rustic and you are right in the rainforest. The rooms don’t have glass windows so there is a lot of jungle noise.

We stayed for three nights at the Evergreen Lodge in Tortuguero. This place was the only disappointment of our otherwise amazing trip to Costa Rica. Firstly the good points, the location is fabulous and the guides excellent. The pool is small and the area quite nice. However the chairs and loungers were covered in bird droppings ( yes you are in the forest) but they were not hosed down or cleaned in all the time we were there. Unfortunately the lodge was severely lacking. The rooms were described as basic, and the photos were extremely misleading. The rooms were in desperate need of a deep clean and redecoration. The bathroom especially needed a complete refurbishment. There was only one multi purpose soap/shampoo/body wash provided which was cheap, watery and ineffective. The water smelt foul was grey and disgusting. You were dirtier after attempting a shower than before it. The cafeteria pre-allocated seating and no changes were accommodated. We were seated with a couple whose eating habits left much to be desired. We ate the minimum amount of food in record time just to avoid their company. The food was described as buffet style but you queued, school dinner style, to be served with absolutely no finesse by very young servers. There was very little choice, salad, rice, a sloppy meat casserole or breaded fish at every meal and an ultra sweet rice pudding for dessert. The fact we had paid for this experience left as much of a bad taste as the dreadful food. I have given two stars for the guides and trips only, the lodge does not warrant even that.

We enjoyed the Evergreen Lodge, which was rustic but comfortable. You are in a jungle lodge and they have worked hard to make it a good place to stay. The cabins have screens but no windows and no air conditioning but we were comfortable and slept well under the fan. The lodge has 76 cabins of various size and our group members were in cabins generally near reception. There are multiple bars and a nice pool and lighted pathways throughout (although bring a flashlight which will help and is better than your phone when looking for animals and birds in the dark). The shower was decent. Water from the tap is not potable but there are water stations in a few locations. We ate six meals in the dining room and all were passable but not remarkable. All served buffet style but eggs to order at breakfast and pasta stations to order at lunch and dinner; nice fruit at breakfast and salad at lunch and dinner. You can order beer or wine as well for additional charge.

Unfortunately it rained all the time we were there. The rooms have only mosquito netting at all the openings no glass so everything we had was damp. The floor was slippy from where it had been mopped and it didn’t dry! The staff were very kind and helpful and the guides on the tours exceptional. It is all in and the food was a bit school canteen.

Amazing location deep in the rainforest. A really immersive experience with wildlife in the lodge as well as on the tours. Great journey to get there (can only be reached by boat or plane): it took 6 hours from San Jose but it was an experience in itself. It’s not luxury accommodation and everything will be humid. But that’s the rainforest so manage expectations. Excursions are prescribed: boat trip excellent but nature walk was in a big group and underwhelming. Tortuguero village was so-so. Optional night excursion to see turtles laying in season was a must. Food was good (plain but plentiful) and slightly repetitive.

Great experience with our kids. Guides fantastic, best we had in Costa Rica. Really good at painting the bigger picture about eco systems but also detailed info about wildlife. Remember to ask if you are interested in something. Even the trip across the moutains from San Jose was interesting with a social and environmental history of the country. Food good without being outstanding. Its the jungle. They still managed delicious roast port and turkey for New Years Eve. Pasta and omlettes cooked to order each breakfast / night. Lots of wildlife on site (two species of monkey, blue jeans frogs, baby caiman, turtles, agouti) and more on the beautiful atmospheric boat trip. Sloths and more monkeys on the nearby walk. Room was nice, grounds lovely to walk around, pool area gorgeous, good cocktails. Important to remember its the jungle so its humid and stuff doesn't dry well etc, so not your standard 4 star experience, but within that context its a great place to experience the national park and its wildlife and excellent value.