“There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more”. – Lord Byron
By four o’clock, I was hot, dirty and exhausted after such a thrilling day that begin with watching the sun rise over the Osa Peninsula and ended with a six-hour remote trek through the thick jungle of the Corcovado National Park. I can’t quite remember ever having a past twenty-four hours so incredibly invigorating and succinct to Mother Nature. I’d seen sloths, a troupe of collared peccary, pizotes, a mating pair of scarlet macaws, monkeys and more. Yet best of all, it was only us and the wildlife. Not another soul had ventured into this part of the park and for that I was truly blessed.
We left Dos Brazos de Rio Tigre saying goodbye to our newly made friends and traveled the short distance down gravel roads to a locally-owned eco lodge located on the outskirts of town, surrounded by tropical rainforest jungle. I would soon discover that the Amazonita Lodge was the ultimate nature lover’s paradise.
The turn off to Amazonita Lodge
The Amazonita Lodge in Dos Brazos is run by a local woman named Zulay, who is not only the manager and caretaker of the lodge but also a masseuse. I was instantly drawn to Zulay’s warm, charismatic personality. She welcomed us into the lodge with open-arms and of course a cup of Costa Rican coffee. We would be staying at the jungle cabins a short distance up the hill from Zulay’s house. Little did I know what a delightful surprise I was in for!
Inside Zulay’s house, where she would also make us a delightful dinner and Costa Rican breakfast the next day.
The property is set up against the border of the Corcovado National Park and is surrounded by lush tropical jungle. There are three open-air cabins that can each accommodate a family of six or more depending on the cabin you get. All the cabins are complete with a large open-air kitchen and dining area, a queen bed and bunk beds, and a bathroom. There are no walls enclosing you. Instead, the casas are open to the splendors of the jungle- bugs, noises, animals and all.
The walk up to the jungle cabins at Amazonita Lodge
After checking in with Zulay, we drove up to the car park at the end of the gravel road, and there was a handprinted sign pointing to the three different cases: Casa Zephyr, Casa Zenon and Casa Philae. I would be enjoying Casa Zenon, a cabin that sleeps six, and it was just for me.
My casa was up a flight of stairs with nothing but jungle behind me. Throughout my stay, I frequently wondered what was looming around me hidden in the thick rainforest canopy and foliage. This was a thought that didn’t escape my dreams at night.
Walking up to the cabin.
There is my casa for the night.
And when I arrived, this is what I saw: Paradise in the jungle! (Check out this brief video footage of my amazing cabin in the jungle).
I had no idea at all that I would be staying in an open-air cabin set up high in the jungle all by myself. It brought back vivid memories of my night sleeping in a tent all alone in the heart of a Maasai community in rural Tanania. Yet at least I had a wall around me. This place was completely open to all the joys and dangers of the jungle. Not only the animals but also the snakes, the spiders and the insects.
It was absolutely amazing! I had never seen anything like this place. I could have spent a week here exploring the beauty of the jungle, hiking the Corcovado National Park and taking my afternoon baths in waterfalls. But alas, I only had one night.
We had a wonderful home cooked meal by Zulay of fish, rice and beans and a delightful sweet creamy desert. Then after dinner, I went up to my cabin to have a one-hour massage by Zulay. I closed my eyes and listened to the melodic sounds of the jungle, falling into deep state of relaxation and peace. The feeling was intoxicating and I felt divinely at ease.
View as the sun was setting
Here is where I sat and wrote in my journal
And then I was surrounded by darkness
I said goodnight to Zulay, enjoyed a cold Costa Rican beer on the porch and wrote about my day by candlelight in my journal. By ten o’clock it was time for sleep. I was utterly exhausted after a day that began at three in the morning. As I turned off the light and pulled the mosquito net over my bed, I wondered whether or not animals ever entered the casas. There were no walls so it would be pretty easy for a puma or a snake to slither on in. Did spiders climb mosquito nets? Had there ever been any attacks on humans at night by some nocturnal beast? Would a bat hover over my head at night or a poisonous snake slither over the wooden floor? These ridiculous thoughts circled around my sleepy head until I finally pulled up the covers over my face, feeling a bit more protected and fell into a deep deep sleep. It was pure bliss.
This post is a continuation of my epic trip to the Osa Peninsula. To read the last post “The Osa Peninsula’s Crown Jewel: Corcovado National Park” click here.
impenetrabile e misteriosa…che meraviglia
Thank you so much!
I love that view of the sunset & your journal spot. I’m sure the sounds were incredible!
Thank you! I could have sat there all day! It was strange though at night looking out into the darkness and wondering what was there! 🙂
I do so love your photos, and also reading here.
Thank you so much! 🙂 Really appreciate it.
All I can say is – incredible! I want to live there…
Thank you! Me too! 🙂
Looks SO fun! Wish I had time for more commenting – moving in 2 days! Back to blog reading in a few weeks! 🙂
Good luck with the move Lexi~
Fascinating and fabulous post, Nicole. What a place!
Thank you Jane!
Thats it. This is going on my Bucket List. Beautiful, remote, friendly staff. Sounds like a perfect getaway. Thanks so much for sharing.
Yes it is a wonderful place to get away from it all. No wifi too! Even better!
Kudos to you for being able to fall asleep in spite of those questions you were contemplating in the darkness! I would have felt quite vulnerable too, with only a mosquito net between me and the jungle. But nocturnal worries aside, it looks and sounds like a magical experience, in the deepest sense of the word. Thank you once again for taking us along.
Yes it was quite an experience. Just wish my husband would have been there too. Would have been nice to share it with him! 🙂
It’s a pity your husband wasn’t along for this adventure … but at least he has a clever wife who can take beautiful photographs and recount it in detail, so he’s not missing out completely! 😉
Thanks again for all your lovely comments!
Love the paths into the wood, the quote, and the captures. Just amazing. Cheers.
Thank you so much! 🙂
Hello Nicole!
What an amazing experience being so enclosed by jungle. Lucky for mozzie nets! The open air cabin looks beautiful. I trust the animals stayed away from you?
Another lovely post.
💕 Di
Thanks Di! It was such a nice place. I have never stayed at a place quite like this before. I loved it. Was glad I had no animal encounters that night. That would have been quite scary!
🙂🌺🌺
Sounds amazing! And such lovely pictures.
Thank you Katie!
Great post, Nicole! You’re a world traveler!! 🙂
Thanks Amy!
Incredible place, Nicole. Looks like we will have to take a weekend to Amazonita Lodge. 🙂
Thank you Debbie! Yes you should check out the Osa if you haven’t. I loved it there.
Wow, how absolutely awesome. I would love to wake up in a place like that. To be immersed within the jungle but still have a comfy bed, candles and comforts sounds good to me. What an adventure Nicole. Now THAT is the way to disconnect. Love it. x
Thanks Miriam! It was truly a fantastic memory!
I love this! It is similar to my room in the Amazon of Peru, though I didn’t have the kitchen like you. It was such an amazing experience that as I see your photos I feel a nostalgic need to travel. Next time I might go your route.
Peru sounds amazing. Did you write about it? If so, can you share the link so I can read it? Thanks so much! And yes you should check out the Osa Peninsula. It is spectacular.
I didn’t formally write about it, but I should. It was a journey at a time of desperation, and in it I found magic and peace.
I love reading about your trip. It reminds me of the small things that are great about different places.
Thank you!
The pictures look amazing 🙂 Make sure you take plenty 😛
Thank you! I always love to take pictures and share them too!
thank you for this post
we are planing our trip to costa rica and it was a very useful reading
xx
Wonderful! Make sure to read all of the ones on Costa Rica. I also have a few
more coming soon! I highly recommend the Osa. I’m going back to CR in early April and seeing the north. Will write about that too!
This looks like an awesome place to stay!
Yes it was pretty incredible! Thanks for reading!
Your photos are wonderful. I must admit I would have had those same thoughts as I drifted off to sleep. We have friends who did an African safari and had a snake waiting for them in their tent when they returned from dinner…yikes!
Thanks LuAnn! Yes I was really afraid of finding a snake. When I was in Tanzania, they told me that cobras liked to come into the bathrooms so during the night I refused to go! I was so afraid!
That would freak me out!
Yes it was quite frightening! Thankfully nothing crept or slithered into my room here!