Aguila De Osa Rainforest & Marine Adventure Lodge

“Spectacular”

When planning where to stay in Drake Bay, it was difficult to figure out which lodge or property would suit us the best. Most all of the lodges there are inclusive and are accessed by a boat. We wanted to dive off Isla Cano and found that Aguila de Osa has a Dive Shop on site. We also liked that ... more

When planning where to stay in Drake Bay, it was difficult to figure out which lodge or property would suit us the best. Most all of the lodges there are inclusive and are accessed by a boat. We wanted to dive off Isla Cano and found that Aguila de Osa has a Dive Shop on site. We also liked that their lodge provided free kayaks and that the property had access to both the ocean and the river. Communication between us and Aguila de Osa was good. We had a lot of questions about the layout of the lodge as that was not very clear to us on the map. We finally booked 2 rooms that shared a balcony 1 for us and 1 for our nephew and his family of 4. We had questions on diving and schedules and we got that settled as well including snorkeling for our non-diving family members. We next had to figure out how to get there as there are many options; fly into Drake Bay, or Sierpe or Puerto Jimenez? Drive to the lodge or take a boat from Sierpe if we flew to Sierpe. Lots of options. We chose to fly into Puerto Jimenez and drive to the lodge … er well drive to a house that belongs to a friend of the owner of Aguila de Osa and park in her front yard then take a boat to the lodge. It’s all a bit local and was easy to find after asking a few neighbors where the house was. Once we got to the lodge, we were wiped out from all the travelling. The lodge and the rooms are amazing. Better than what is portrayed on in the photos. There is alot of air flow and privacy and jungle and views of the ocean and quiet. We met the owner, Brad who had spent a lot of time in Drake Bay as a young man and had a lot of stories about Drake Bay and the people and land and what Drake Bay was like when he first visited. It is always fascinating to know the history of a place. His love for the area inspired him to develop this property and create a top notch Jungle Lodge. Brad’s employees love Brad which is apparent. The young lady who greeted us at the dock when we arrived took great care of us and showed us around the lodge and to our rooms. She grew up at the lodge because her father worked there for many, many years. It is a place of family legacy. Even the grounds keeper, an elderly woman has been on staff for years and she loves what she does and the grounds are absolutely stunning. You know it’s more like a family business than just a business when at the end of your trip you ask to take a photo of Brad and instead of smiling for the photo, he gathers his crew around him for a group photo. Now that is a good owner and his thoughtfulness and kindness and attention to others resonates all around the lodge. After hearing about the massage therapist who gives on-site therapy … we booked a treatment for each of the 4 adults. We had no idea that this was available until we got to the lodge. And this was a great part of our trip considering it rained all day. The therapist definitely has a gift and we were grateful for her. She set up her massage table in one of the available lodge rooms which was super convenient. The rooms at Aguila de Osa have high wood ceilings and screened-in windows all around the walls with shades for privacy if wanted. The floors are clean wood floors that extend onto the deck. The walls display local artwork and ceiling fans keep air moving. The bathrooms are well designed and the showers are large-spaced and made of stone and each have a pull-out string line to dry out wet swimsuits. The shower is surrounded by screened-in windows like the bedroom. On one of the mornings, a cappuccino monkey passed by and looked in on his way to play on our roof. The beds were entirely comfortable and did not move when my spouse moved around (super solid sleep). While relaxing in the rocking chairs and hammocks on our private balcony facing the many trees and the ocean beyond … we enjoyed watching the monkeys, toucans, and iguanas lounging on the tree limbs. The bats on the outside of our rooms which attach high up on the screens would yawn and stretch right before evening getting ready to fly off and have a mosquito dinner. Our nephew’s children were fascinated by all the wildlife, especially in the morning when families of Cappuccino Monkeys were jumping from trees onto our roof and then would look down at us on the balcony. The property is located on a hill and it’s a steep walk from the water to the dining room and then up to our private balcony. We all got our daily fitness walking up and down the walkways and stairs; our calf and heart muscles became stronger. This was a good thing! The walkways are well lit at night. There are ponds and walkways and flowers and vines and beautiful stone designs everywhere you look. And, in the dining area where the bar and general information desk is … there is always a fresh pot of hot water for tea or hot chocolate, coffee and 3 types of home baked cookies. The meals are delicious because Brad hires chefs and not just cooks, so and there are always at minimum 3 choices for each meal. Below the dining area is a ribbon balcony with tables for two, some have chess boards and others are just there so you can enjoy a cocktail with the view of a sunset. The Drake Trail begins at this lodge and crosses a river to the other lodges up the Bay. It is a beautiful trail that leads through the jungle and to a small beach. Brad told us that when he first visited Drake Bay that there used to be a bar at this beach and that it was THEE place to be at on the weekend nights for the locals. There was music, dancing and stories and of course drinking. Brad recounted that they all believed that Francis Drake himself haunted the area for some reason or another that had to do with … of course … treasure. And, that one night, one of their friends got to the bar after walking along the trail from town and that on the way to the bar in the middle of the jungle after crossing the swinging bridge … he felt surrounded by coldness and then an image like a see though person (a ghost) appeared and terror struck him … he ran to the bar. From then on, no one ever traveled that trail by themselves! Well, we walked that trail in the day and all we saw were Howler Monkeys, a snake, a pair of macaws and Leaf-Cutter Ants. We got to the beach to soak in the tide pools and watched a lot of birds, toucans and a hawk. We took the kayaks out. The staff walked us to the kayaks and pulled them out for us and when we returned they were watchful of us and were ready to help us out of the kayaks. Our memory of going up the river was absolutely magical. We made it up pretty far and then floated back down. There are Cappuccino Monkeys that play above the river in the trees and it is so peaceful and spectacular with all the birds flying overhead. We paddled to the ocean just in time to an orange sunset and jumped in and out of the kayaks into the warm water. One of the staff even took photos of us in our kayaks out in the ocean from the lodge dining room and later shared them with us. This was a super kind gesture we did not expect. We could write 2 more pages alone on our diving experiences with their Dive and Snorkel Staff and their excellent attention to equipment, safety, and to their clients and all the wonderful sea life we saw off Isla Cano. The guides are amazing. 2 words sum it up: Efficiency and Fun. The whole place was amazing. Thank you all and thank you Brad for sharing your dream of Aguila de Osa. Best always, the Tobons

less

“Just exceptional!”

This place is a bucket list type of hotel. From arrival by boat, you are welcomed by a lovely team who really care and smile through your entire stay! The rooms as mentioned are up the hill, but that adds to the ambience, space and flow of air. The rooms are well appointed and spacious the high ... more

This place is a bucket list type of hotel. From arrival by boat, you are welcomed by a lovely team who really care and smile through your entire stay! The rooms as mentioned are up the hill, but that adds to the ambience, space and flow of air. The rooms are well appointed and spacious the high ceilings with fans Negate the need for air con. The animal experience is immersive, take earplugs if you are a light sleeper. The trip to Cano island is brilliant, the snorkelling is excellent and our guide was so educational. The highlight was the trip into Corcovado was unbelievable, our guide Gabriel was exceptional with his knowledge of flora and fauna, we saw so many animals, and got to swim in a waterfall… honestly the guy is a huge asset to the team. The food is exceptional and family style meals meant we met so many lovely families at dinner to swop tales… Without hesitation…. Book this place, you won’t be disappointed!

less

“March and August Adventures with Aguila de Osa 10/10”

Aguila de Osa was our first full experience of the Osa Peninsula, and we loved it! We visited in March and had a blast touring Corcovado and Caño Island. The hotel is lovely, and the view from our room was unreal! We saw macaws, hummingbirds, and white-faced monkeys all right from the balcony. Th... more

Aguila de Osa was our first full experience of the Osa Peninsula, and we loved it! We visited in March and had a blast touring Corcovado and Caño Island. The hotel is lovely, and the view from our room was unreal! We saw macaws, hummingbirds, and white-faced monkeys all right from the balcony. The food is honestly some of the best I've had, and those brownies are delicious! We were so impressed that we returned to Drake Bay in August and booked a tour with Aguila for Corcovado. Our guide, Gabriel, was amazing! He was very knowledgeable and fun. We saw plenty of animals, including two tapirs, wild pigs, birds, crocodiles, all species of monkeys, and many more. I can't say thank you enough! You guys are all amazing, (Maykol, Guillermo, Gabriel) and we loved our experience with you. 10/10, highly recommended!

less

“Great experience at Aguila De Osa”

My wife and 3 sons recently stayed 4 nights at Aguila De Osa. We enjoyed being active but also had plenty of down time to rest. Bradd and his team thread the needle between giving you space to relax but also not mssing out on all of the beauty that surrounds you in Osa. We went on the trip to ... more

My wife and 3 sons recently stayed 4 nights at Aguila De Osa. We enjoyed being active but also had plenty of down time to rest. Bradd and his team thread the needle between giving you space to relax but also not mssing out on all of the beauty that surrounds you in Osa. We went on the trip to the National park, Snorkeling, hikes along the pacific coast. One of the highlights was Bradd arranging for an afternoon or sport fishing for my 3 sons. They were thrilled to catch a dozen yellow fin tuna. And Bradd's chef prepared one of the top meals I've ever had with Tuna steaks and sashimi. Made a bunch of new friends during dinners. it was all good.

less