Rio Perdido is a rare combination of wildlife, wellness, luxury accommodations, great food, nature generally, dark skies and adventure make this the ideal destination for a relaxing holiday.
With only 38 bungalows on the property, you feel you are on a forest retreat with only a few people.
Rio Perdido is my favourite place I have ever stayed, and a great way to start a trip to Costa Rica, before heading to La Fortuna for a week of adventure.
About Rio Perdido
Rio Perdido is a unique, luxury eco-resort located in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica. The resort is set on a 1,500-acre preserve, and features a thermal river, dwarf forests, and canyons.
Rio Perdido is not only a luxurious retreat, but also a place of historical and ecological significance. The area was once a sacred spot for indigenous Cabecar peoples, and archaeological evidence of Chorotega artifacts have been found on the property.
Rio Perdido’s commitment to preserving this unique ecosystem, while providing a comfortable experience for guests, makes it a standout destination for those seeking to experience the “real” Costa Rica.
Wildlife at Rio Perdido
There is a lot of wildlife at Rio Perdido. My favourites quickly became the howler monkeys. We were lucky that the East Bungalow we were staying in was across from a tree that they were eating off of that week. They would show up at dawn, howl, and eat from the tree for a couple of hours before heading back into the jungle.
Sometimes capuchins would also show up at the tree, but we mostly saw them on the suspension bridge from the lodge area across to the hiking area. We also saw capuchins poolside. They seem to be a bit mischievous, and stole a woman’s sunglasses, but this was the only time I saw them steal things.
We also saw iguanas, geckos, hummingbirds, armadillo, and anteaters.
What I love about Rio Perdido is all of the animals are wild, but are attracted to the nature of the lodge (e.g. the particular tree the Howlers love across from our bungalow).
As a wildlife lover, the access to the wildlife from our own bungalow, and around every corner we turned was a dream.
Wellness at Rio Perdido
Wellness is a key part of Rio Perdido.
Thermal River
The lodge Rio Perdido shares its name with the thermal river that flows through it. Rio Perdido offers complimentary access to the thermal river to its guests.
Down a path, below tree canopies, there is the thermal river with various pools, and an area to apply mud for a little bit of a mud mask.
The nice thing about the independent pools is you can spread out, and even have a pool to yourself. Some of the pools have mini waterfalls.
You will see a lot of plant life here, and some wildlife as you float through the healing waters, staring up at the tree canopy. We actually saw a Jesus Lizard (nickname for basilisk lizard) here.
Spa Treatments
We did a few different massages. These weren’t complimentary, but there were pretty average priced for massages. This was a nice way to break up our week. Plus, I love massages.
They recommend you use the pool beforehand to warm up your muscles.
The spa also offer facials, and manicures/pedicures, but we didn’t do these.
Thermo Mineral Pools
There are a couple different pool areas at Rio Perdido. The one closest to the lodge has a wall of “waterfalls”. There are various pools of different temperatures so you can choose which temperature you like best. The pools themselves were also not that deep.
It was nice also to lounge poolside with our Kobos, and read. I was reading The Great Hunt (the second Wheel of Time Book).
Reading poolside is one of my favourite things to do. This is something I have done since I was a kid, and will likely love it forever.
Cliffside Yoga
When we went in 2022, there was complimentary yoga offered every morning. With the heat, this was a bit like hot yoga.
The class took place on a platform, along a cliff, in a forested area. There were three different platforms for students, and one the instructor demonstrated on.
It was nice to be able to start our days with yoga, and then head to breakfast after. We had to go directly to breakfast after though as breakfast service would end within the 30 mins of the class ending (but we always made it on time).
Luxury Accommodations
We booked last minute, so we actually stayed in two different accommodation styles: the East Bungalows and the Center Bungalows.
I don’t think there is a bad room in the place.
East Bungalows
My favourite room type was the east bungalows. I loved that it was cozy, had two hammock swings, and my friends the howler monkeys. I loved looking into that tree, and watching my monkey friends eat the sweet flowers.
We also saw a couple iguanas run up that tree (at a different time of day), and there were always geckos scurrying around our patio.
The bed was super comfy, and the shower pressure great. This room was smaller than the center bungalows, but I like cozy vibes, so I was into it.
Center Bungalows
As the name suggests, the center bungalows are in the center. Sustainably emerged within the forest itself, these bungalows are larger than the east bungalows. With the giant windows, you really feel like you are immersed in the forest, but protected from mosquitos with your luxury room.
In these bungalows we didn’t see monkeys, and iguanas, but we did see hummingbirds and geckos.
These rooms are trendier, and have the most luxurious bathroom. I loved the copper sink, and the outdoor shower.
I loved the bathroom experience more in the center bungalows, but I loved the hammocks, and the wildlife at the East Bungalows more.
As I loved sitting outside, and monkeys I preferred the East Bungalows. The chairs on the patio of the center bungalows were comfortable, but I was cozy in the hammock.
I do still want to stay in the new West Bungalows though so I can compare all of the rooms!
Great Food
The food at Rio Perdido is also incredible. The main restaurant, where they serve breakfast, and dinner is open air. Not only is the architecture, and interior design breathtaking, the views are gorgeous, overlooking the property.
Breakfast
Breakfast was included in our stay. Every day we had a fresh fruit plate of the best tasting produce. The fruit here was honestly out of this world. Fruit has never tasted so good.
I also loved the Gallo Pinto. But every breakfast I had was incredible.
Lunch
Lunch was served by the pool. My favourite lunch was the gallos which were fried plantain, with salsa to put on top.
They also had a lot of tasty fruit juices.
Dinner
When we were there, there was a new daily special every evening. I ended up ordering these a decent amount, but the regular menu is also solid. My favourite dinner was probably the enchiladas, which were a special.
Private Dining
Rio Perdido also offers private dining on the floating platform over the river, for any of the meals of your choosing. This is something I wish we had done. Next time.
Nature & Dark Skies at Rio Perdido
Dark Skies
If you look at a light pollution map, you will notice how few places in the world are actually dark.
I actually stumbled upon Rio Perdido looking for accommodations that had dark skies so my fiancé, Callum, could take timelapses of the stars near where we were sleeping, while also being in nature.
Nature
With a focus on sustainable luxury, Rio Perdido does a great job considering nature first. It feels more like you are staying in nature than the accommodations encroaching on a natural ecosystem.
This feels rare these days. This is one of the reasons Rio Perdido is one of the most magical places on earth (I am convinced).It’s been three years since I have been there, and I still can’t wait to go back.
As someone who was a new plant hobbyist, I was also really excited to checkout all of the plant life that thrives in Costa Rica. I decided to go do a plant photoshoot, and see how some of my favourite tropical plants grow in the wild.
Adventure
There are a lot of adventurous activities you can do at Rio Perdido: Canyon Adventure, Hiking, White Water Tubing, Mountain Biking, and Trail Running.
We chose to do the Canyon Adventure, and also did some hiking, but would love to go back, and explore more of the trails.
Canyon Adventure
This is a cable based adventure through the Rio Blanco canyon. It uses carbon fiber cables to avoid sound pollution.
The cable sequence includes
- 15 platforms (6 rock-based, 9 suspended on the canyon walls)
- Pendulum Cable
- Tarzan Swing
- Challenge Bridge
- 4 Via Ferratas
- 5 Ziplines
This was really fun. You definitely want to do this early in the day to avoid the peak heat of the day.
Hiking at Rio Perdido
Over the suspension bridge, you have access to various hiking trails. We typically walked to the left, and up to the helicopter pad.
From here you have panoramic views of various volcanoes, and an aerial view of the property and beyond. Sunset from here is really beautiful, and we even saw a rainbow over a volcano.
Callum also took a sunset-night-day timelapse from here, and flew his drone here.
Final Thoughts
Rio Perdido is a dream, and I can’t wait to go back one day. It’s focus on sustainable luxury is felt at every corner of the property, and proves it is possible to consider the environment when developing a small luxury property.
I hope to go back to Rio Perdido in the wet season, to see what the desert region looks like in the couple months a year it rains hard. I have heard it is very lush, and as a plant lover, this is something I would love to see.
