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.
Below is our full review of Mawamba Lodge, including a video. **Our visit was in December 2023 and Mawamba Lodge was operating full tour packages with round trip transportation, meals, activities and lodging included. After November 1, 2026, they will no longer offer full tour packages, only accommodation and breakfast. Tours, transportation and meals will have additional costs. If you would prefer to book a Tortuguero tour package, we offer it with a different lodge – click the link to get more information.**
Mawamba Lodge 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.
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 cools off at night to around low 70s° F (21° C).
- 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? Click the link to check rates and book your room.
How to Get To Mawamba Lodge
You can get to the lodge two ways.
Flight and Short Airport Boat Ride
Book a jumper flight from San Jose to Tortuguero with Sansa Air and then take a short boat ride to the lodge.
Ground Transportation and Boat Ride
You must get to La Pavona dock on your own. You can drive there and park your car at La Pavona dock, take the public bus or book a private or shared shuttle.
Contact us to assist in booking a rental car or booking a shuttle!
Indiana Richard says
Hey,
Does the morning boat ride is by CANOEING?
Thanks
Sammi says
No it is a motorized boat ride
Nanette Johnston says
I have sent in a request for the package tour but may need to change dates. Can you tell me what time you arrive at Maramba from San Jose and what time you leave Tortuguero for San Jose. I am thinking that 2 nights is not really 3 days if we arrive late the first day and leave early the third day. Thank you.
Nanette Johnston
Sammi says
Hi Nanette, you’ll arrive at Mawamba Lodge around 1230-1 PM from San Jose, and then you leave around 9 AM for San Jose.
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!