Tortuga Lodge

If Tarzan were tempted out of the jungle and into a hotel room, this 26-room lodge, right on the grounds of Tortuguero National Park, would be his choice. The park’s nearly 52,000 acres—encompassing forest, wetlands, canals, and lagoons—are choked with tropical plants and teeming with sea turtles, crocs, monkeys, and birds. Tortuga, opened by Costa Rica Expeditions in 1986, was the first nature lodge in the area and has evolved in harmony with the natural surroundings. The property has 50 landscaped acres with private trails, gardens, and ponds; the simple wooden rooms are in a two-story building with a veranda, rough-hewn railings, and overhanging eaves. All have ceiling fans and expansive windows with plenty of screening (for enjoying the sights and sounds—but not the mosquito bites—of nature).

Room to Book: Ask for a room with a view of the palm-fringed, free-form pool, designed to mirror the adjacent river.