Macaw Lodge, Carara National Park

• Enjoy a true ecolodge experience on a 264-acre private reserve, with extensive trails, a waterfall, botanical gardens, and wildlife right outside your door.
• Excellent for birders, with more than 350 species recorded in the area, including scarlet macaws, toucans, kingfishers, and about 16 different hummingbirds.
• The lodge is off-grid, powered by solar and spring water, grows much of its own produce, and has spent decades restoring local forest habitat.
• The garden-to-table restaurant incorporates fruits, vegetables, herbs, and cacao grown on-site, and meals come with beautiful views of the gardens and lake, birds and butterflies.
• Guided experiences go beyond typical nature walks, offering highly rated cacao tours, sustainable farming experiences, night hikes, bird-watching excursions, kayaking and snorkeling trips, and yoga retreats.
• For added room and a kitchenette, the Family Bungalow is a good choice for longer stays.
• Staff members come from the surrounding community and bring plenty of local knowledge and personalized service to your stay.

• Only the eight rooms in the main building have WiFi; all other bungalows are intentionally unplugged.
• Given Macaw Lodge's nature focus, rooms and bungalows are rustic. There's little decor, and they rely on screened windows and ceiling fans to circulate the air.

Authenticity

Opened in 2011 by the Gordienko family, the lodge grew out of decades of work restoring former agricultural land into thriving forest habitat, with a particular focus on bringing back the scarlet macaw. With great success, the family has leveraged the lodge's setting through sustainable construction, using reclaimed timber and bamboo from the property for built-in furniture, walls, and countertops, while most floors and bathrooms were made from locally sourced stone and marble, with the crew and artisans all found locally. Macaw's garden-to-table restaurant draws from the on-site farm, orchards, and cacao plantings, while tours introduce guests to traditional cacao cultivation, organic farming, and conservation practices, further connecting them to the people, landscapes, and environment of the Turrubares area.

Location

Set among the forested hills of Costa Rica's Turrubares region, Macaw Lodge occupies a 264-acre (106 ha) private reserve in a transition zone where tropical dry forest and rainforest ecosystems meet. The secluded setting places you within easy reach of some of the country's richest biodiversity, including adjacent Carara National Park. On-site trails wind through botanical gardens, bamboo groves, wetlands, orchards, and mature forests, with waterfalls, lagoons, and wildlife-rich habitats, all accessible without leaving the property. Despite its remoteness, the lodge also serves as a base for day trips to beaches and coastal activities along the Central Pacific coast, though it's a minimum winding 40-minute drive. The next town over, Delicias, is 5 minutes away and offers a couple of restaurants, a bar, and a grocery store.

Rooms & Bathrooms

The lodge's 15 accommodations range from eight Standard Rooms on the second floor of the main building to about seven standalone bungalows scattered throughout the grounds. Interiors emphasize natural materials and local craftsmanship, with features like bamboo-fiber linens, handmade Indigenous Guatemalan pots and quilts, sustainably sourced wood, and screened windows that invite fresh air while keeping insects out. Rooms are simple, offering therapeutic mattresses, ceiling fans (no air-conditioning), and private bathrooms, while some bungalows add terraces with rocking chairs and forest views. The Natural Bungalows stand out for their traditional bamboo, clay, and teak construction, and one bungalow includes accessible features, including ramp access from the parking area.

Amenities

The open-air main lodge houses a restaurant, reading and relaxation areas, and sweeping views of the surrounding gardens with a gazebo, ponds, and forests. Guests can join guided activities ranging from bird-watching and cacao tours to nighttime wildlife walks and sustainable farming experiences, or independently explore the property's 8 acres (3 ha) of extensive trails through a black bamboo forest, trek to a waterfall to swim, or enjoy time in the palm forest. There are also two outdoor yoga platforms hosting slow flow, vinyasa, and nidra yoga lessons, and in-room Thai, deep tissue, or Swedish massage services by reservation. The restaurant serves produce grown on-site, along with homemade breads, tortillas, and chocolate, jams, and sauces, for three meals, with lunch and dinner three-course affairs. 

Family-Friendliness

Families looking for an outdoor-focused stay will find plenty to keep kids engaged, with guided wildlife walks, waterfall hikes, cacao experiences, and the botanical gardens, as well as self-guided trails, ponds, and abundant birdlife throughout the grounds. All rooms and bungalows sleep 3-4 guests, with the Family Bungalow being particularly well-suited to longer stays, featuring a kitchenette, small dining area, two queen beds, and extra living space. 

Wildlife

Wildlife is one of Macaw Lodge's biggest draws. Years of habitat restoration have helped transform the property into a refuge for hundreds of species, including the scarlet macaw that inspired the lodge's name. Birdwatchers can spot more than 350 species in the surrounding area, from toucans and araçaris to kingfishers and manakins (serious birdwatchers/birders can download the eBird Field Checklist from the lodge's website), while guided night walks reveal frogs, toads, reptiles, and other nocturnal creatures. The property's forests, wetlands, ponds, and gardens also attract butterflies, insects, and countless other species that thrive here.

Sustainability

The property operates completely off-grid, relying on solar energy, natural spring water, and water-saving systems such as low-flow fixtures and dual-flush toilets. Many of the buildings were constructed using reclaimed timber, bamboo harvested on-site, locally sourced stone, and wood salvaged after tropical storms, while organic farming practices supply the restaurant with fruits, vegetables, herbs, and cacao. Beyond its environmental initiatives, Macaw supports local livelihoods through employment, sourcing ingredients from nearby farmers, collaborating with local artisans, and hosting conservation education programs for schoolchildren. Decades of reforestation and habitat restoration have also helped return native wildlife to the area.