If you wan to visit Tortuguero but don’t know how to start planning your trip, this review of Mawamba Lodge will definitely help you. Surrounded by the ocean and river canals, Tortuguero is a unique destination in Costa Rica to experience the magical wonders of the Caribbean jungle. However,, lodging options are limited and it requires more planning as Tortuguero is not accessible by land.
To make your trip to Tortuguero easier, some lodges put together tour packages with roundtrip transportation, lodging, meals and activities. One such lodge is Mawamba Lodge in Tortuguero.
Below is our full review, including a video. If you are interested in booking your stay at Mawamba Lodge, please fill out the form below at the end of the review and we will be happy to assist you!
Mawamba Lodge Tour Packages (Classic)
They offer various tour packages depending on how many days you’d like to spend. On average, people stay 2 nights and 3 days or 1 night and 2 days but you can stay as long as you like.
All of the tour packages include accommodation, ground + boat transportation from San Jose (roundtrip only from San Jose or at the end of the trip, they can leave you in Guapiles to get your shuttle or car rental at the end of the trip), bilingual guide and all meals from the moment they pick you up at the beginning of the tour and drop you off at the end of the tour.
For the 2 days, 1 night tour package, they include two activities: afternoon walk on the property with a local guide and morning boat ride through the national park canals.
The 3 days, 2 nights and 4 days, 3 nights tour package includes three activities: afternoon walk on the property with a local guide, visit to Tortuguero town in the morning and boat tour in the canals in the afternoon.
Not included: national park ticket ($15+ tax per adult), alcoholic drinks, smoothies, bottled water, beer, tips, juice, sodas, cocktails, laundry, other activities and long distance calls.
Our Video
Here is the video we made of our 3 days, 2 nights Mawamba Lodge trip. We were unfortunately not in turtle nesting season anymore so we didn’t see any turtles, but we saw plenty of wildlife, including toucans!
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Mawamba Lodge Location
To get to Mawamba Lodge, you’ll first get picked up by bus in San Jose, have breakfast in Guapiles and then catch the boat in La Pavona. The boat from La Pavona to Tortuguero (Mawamba Lodge) is about 1-1.5 hours.
One of the best things about Mawamba Lodge is the location. They are beachfront, a 15 minute walk to Tortuguero village and also riverfront! You get the best of both worlds: ocean and river.
This means that it is very easy for guests to spot sea turtles during the season, which is the main attraction of Tortuguero. As Tortuguero National Park was created to protect the nesting Green Turtles, Mawamba Lodge guests are just steps away from seeing baby turtles hatching and crawling their way to sea and mama turtles coming to shore to lay their eggs.
As Tortuguero is the single most important nesting site for Green Turtles, there is no doubt that a stay at Mawamba Lodge during turtle nesting season of June to October will be one of the main highlights for visitors to Costa Rica!
Not sure how to plan an itinerary with Tortuguero? Check out all our Costa Rica itineraries here but save our two week coast to coast itinerary that goes to Tortuguero!
Mawamba Lodge Rooms
They offer two different types of rooms: Standard and Superior.
The superior is a little bit bigger at 30 m² has a balcony deck with a hammock and table with chairs and all have a king bed. The standard is a standard 17 m² room with either one king bed, one queen bed + 1 twin bed or two queen beds.
The superior is a bit more expensive and is ideal for those who need more space. The location of the rooms are all great. Both the standards and superiors are in the gardens of the property, close to the pool and restaurant.
Restaurant and Pool
One of our favorite things about Mawamba Lodge was the restaurant. The staff was incredibly attentive and kind, accommodating to all my picky diet restrictions and our food allergies. So if you have a strict diet or food allergies, don’t worry! They will accommodate you with no problem and their food was very very good.
The only downside is that it’s the same menu for breakfast and the other meals. But at least they have several choices. If you are only there for 1 or 2 nights, it is not bad at all. If you happen to stay for like 4 nights or more, the meals may feel repetitive. They do offer some other side dishes and snacks for an extra charge.
The pool is so refreshing in the humid tropical weather. They also have a bar with great bartenders who really know how to make a yummy tropical drink! Sit under the trees, listen to the birds, read a book and cool off in the pool with a refreshing cocktail or beer.
Wildlife On the Property
Even though Mawamba Lodge is not next to the Tortuguero National Park, there is still a ton of wildlife you can see right on the property. Their guided walk of the property is a great introduction to the various gardens and forests they have, so you know where to look for various animals.
Right outside our room, we saw so many toucans and oropendolas every morning and afternoon! We also saw three sloths, a porcupine, iguanas, and white face monkeys. They even have a garden where you can spot red eyed tree frogs in the palm leaves.
Important Notes About the Rooms and Property
- None of the rooms at Mawamba Lodge have air conditioning. They provide fans. It is humid in Tortuguero around 85 F (28-29 C) and it does cool off at night. We slept comfortably at night and were always outside during the day doing the activities or hanging out at the pool.
- What to bring: clothes that are loose fitting, dry fast and wick sweat away. Tortuguero is VERY humid. Plenty of sunscreen and mosquito repellent. Get our full Costa Rica packing list here.
- Bring USD/CRC in cash and a Visa credit/debit card. Tortuguero does not have an ATM.
- Their windows are not glass. All their windows are just screens.
- There is hot water.
- Wifi is only available at the reception, lobby, pool and restaurant. Unfortunately, Wifi is not available in the rooms. If you have a Kolbi prepaid SIM card, we had 3g in our room.
Booking
Ready to book your stay at Mawamba Lodge? Fill out the form below! If you book your stay at Mawamba Lodge and a rental car through us, we will help you arrange your car delivery in Guapiles with both Adobe Rent a Car and Mawamba Lodge.
***The form is having some issues with ipad and Safari. If it doesn’t work for you, please email us at web @ Mytanfeet.com and include the following information: your name, date of tour, number of nights/days, number of adults and children (and children’s ages) and your pick up and drop off location.***
Alison Lawrence says
Are there certain hotels in central San Jose they pick up from? We are looking at staying in Finca Rose Blanca or Villa San Ignacio. Do they pick up from hotels out of the centre or would we need to then get a taxi to a meeting point centrally?
Sammi says
They only pick up in the city center, they don’t pick up at either of those hotels. You’ll have to taxi/Uber to a meeting point.
Cara says
Thank you so much for your helpful information. My family is considering a trip to Tortuguero. Is it best to schedule the activities ahead of time or once you arrive at the lodge? And does Mawamba lodge have filtered water bottle refilling stations?
Sammi says
Hi Cara, when we book the tour packages at Mawamba Lodge, the activities such as the nature walk, visit to town and museum and the boat ride are included. For the other activities like the turtlw watching tour, they can only be booked at the lodge in person when you arrive. They didn’t have filling stations but you can ask the restaurant or bar staff to fill up your water bottles, that’s what we did.
Kedra Simpson says
Hello! Is it possible to book the room and tours but drive ourselves there and back? We are going to stop at another location on our way back and have rented a car. Thanks!!
Sammi says
Hi Kedra, you cannot drive to the lodge as there is no road access, it’s accessible only by boat and plane. If you drive, you will have to drive to the La Pavona dock, leave your car and grab a public boat to the lodge. It is possible to book just the rooms, we’ll send you an email with more information.
Christine Alden says
Please provide a quote with room options and beds available. Our preference is to start the tour on August 22. If necessary we could also start on August 21st or August 27th.
Sammi says
Hi Christine, in order to give you a quote, we are missing some information not included in your comment so we’ll send you an email to assist you, please check your spam folder in case you don’t see an email from Mytanfeet during the business day tomorrow. Thanks!