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The lodge is situated between the volcanoes of Rincon de la Vieja and Miravalles, in Colonia Blanca, Aguas Claras de Upala. Founded and run by Doña Rosalba Espinoza, 25 years on the family farm and one of the first in the area. Santa Maria Volcano Lodge offers the best of rural tourism, with a range of 7 rustic cabins that has attracted visitors for years. Let yourself relax and enjoy in a natural environment surrounded by the tropical forest flora and fauna with a special diversity of birds.
SUPER!! Rustic cabins but comfortable. Rain forest atmosphere. Sensory overload! Sights sounds & feel. Group of 16 including 3 babies under 2. Friendly accommodating staff, good food, a relaxing place to kick back. WONDERFUL TIME THERE! Cons: Road in is rough. Weather is Costa Rica wet so towels etc are slow to dry. If you want a tourist, spa, cushy fake feeling don't come here. THIS IS THE REAL DEAL!
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Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Santa Maria Volcano Lodge was a beautiful and secluded place to stay - properly separated from the rest of the world with a fantastic host, unparalleled food, and serene surroundings. The lodge is a collection of small cabins with electricity and running water, located among beautiful gardens. Internet is only available in the main lodge, which adds to the idea that you're away from the world. While you can see the other cabins from the road, you feel very alone and private while you're there. There was a big event room with hammocks that we assume is used more in the "high" season, but was a nice place to relax and swing and read alone in the rainy season. We ate in the main lodge a couple of breakfasts - gallo pinto (rice + beans), fried eggs/plaintains, cheese. Also some exceptionally good steak and fish for the dinner we ate there. And we had some milk tea - ask for tea if you're there! I can think of exactly one other place where I've had tea that good. We ended up drinking tea with every meal because it was so delicious. The proprietor/host gave us some options for activities and directions to go hiking - you're near Rincon de la Vieja, which is beautiful! The waterfall hike was one I'll cherish for all my years. She also had available a couple of local tours which we didn't partake in. We utilized our high-school level Spanish to communicate a little better, but I saw other guests doing fine with English as well. A warning to travelers using google maps: route 918 goes through a national park and had a couple small river crossings and miles of *very* unimproved road. Google maps incorrectly reports this as the only method of arriving to the lodge. There's a town east of the lodge you can navigate to, towards route 164, that uses highways and paved roads, only becoming a gravel road at the very end. There's a gap in the road on the map, but physically you can drive right through. The scenic route was beautiful and one of the most memorable parts of my visit to Costa Rica, but if you are not in a 4x4 or want a smoother/quicker ride, google maps (as of Fall 2019) will lead you on an adventure unless you're careful. After I leave most places I've been to on vacation, I usually think "that was nice" and am happy with the memory. But for this lodge, it was the first place I really thought "I want to come back here".…
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Date of stay: October 2019
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Garden view is more private
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This lodge was the perfect place to stay. Wonderful restaurant and great food choices. If you like wildlife and nature this is the place for you. We had a toucan 10 feet from our front door. It was an amazing place to stay. The owner was able to tell us how to get around but they are so few roads getting around is easy. The shorter road can be done with an all wheel drive vehicle.
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Date of stay: July 2019Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This place, although a totally random discovery looking for inexpensive accommodation near Rincon de la Vieja, was amazing and my favorite room my boyfriend and I rented on our trip to Costa Rica! The staff is incredibly kind and attentive - we got stuck in traffic due to the public worker strike, and when we called the lodge to let them know we were going to be late, the hostess said she would wait past the 11 pm closing time for us to get there to check us into our room. When we got there, she brought us to our cabin, which was lovely and perfect for a couple's getaway. Quite basic in terms of mattress quality, but you get your own bathroom and there are windows all around with views of the forest, gardens and volcano! Speaking of - in the morning, two little toucanettes came to perch on our window for a sweet wake up call! We gathered in the common area for delicious gallo pinto breakfast and hot coffee each morning. The hostess brought us homemade cheese from the garden with our breakfast, and we couldn't have loved it more! Along with breakfast, she gave us great recommendations for getting to and from the park and which trails are the best to do. Of note, though it is technically right next to the national park, it takes about an hour driving from here to get to the nearest national park ranger station. This is due to the winding and bumpy conditions of the roads, for which I recommend renting a 4x4. However, this makes for a rustic trip away from the hustle and bustle of commercialized cities and tourist attractions, which I thought was totally refreshing! The gardens around the property were stunning, I wish I had more time to explore. In general, I would highly recommend this to anyone visiting the attractions in the area looking for the "eco lodge" experience.…
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Date of stay: September 2018
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Deep in the jungle temperate zone of an old volcano, this place has affordable lodging, excellent food, and adult beverages. Near a huge surreal ranch, the area is pollution free, and the panoramas are excellent.
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Date of stay: November 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I ate lunch here following an ecotour. A really great place. The beer is cold, and they have an excellent selection of distillates. Very friendly staff. They have lodging, that is very affordable. I shall return.
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Date of stay: October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If you love nature and a rustic environment, this is the place to go! The staff is very attentive and willing to provide you the best experience. Cabins are cleaned daily and food is delicious, affordable and abundant.
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Date of stay: March 2018Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Rosalba E, Propietario at Santa Maria Volcano Lodge
Responded 13 Apr 2018
Thank you very much for your comments!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I hate writing bad reviews but I feel my experience at this hotel needs to be shared to prevent others from having the same experience. We arrived after a long trip down a super bumpy road and were asked to sign a document. After reading it we found that this document was a waiver absolving them of any responsibility should our money or valuables go missing during our stay or should we be injured while on the property. This made us feel very unsafe about leaving our things in the cabin. We reluctantly signed as it was right before sun down and we were so far from anything else. We had chosen this hotel for its proximity to the volcanos but ended up finding it was not very close after all and that it was also so far away from anything else you were totally isolated without a grocery store or restaurant other than the one at the hotel. They take full advantage of this and charge an absurd amount for a tiny portion of food in their restaurant but have no menus so you don't know the price unless you specifically ask for it every time that you order something. This in it's self was a huge red flag. After taking the road they had recommended to Rincon De La Vieja we found they had failed to mention we would have to cross two rivers one of which was quite deep. The other rout to the volcano is longer but less risky. Really if you want to go to the volcanos there are much more convenient places to stay. The gardens are beautiful but there is nowhere to enjoy them from. No benches, no hammocks, no chairs other than the uncomfortable bar stool on the balcony of the cabin. When we entered the cabin we were greeted by a strong smell of mould which was coming from the mattresses. We pulled back the sheets and found all of them were in very bad shape, covered in mould, stained, lumpy, and worn in. After showering and putting on clean pyjamas I crawled into bed only to wake up at 1:30 am to a small bug pinching my side. I was terrified it was a bed bug but after googling and inspecting it it looked more like a tick. I brought this up to the lady at the front desk and the owner and the immediate response was to blame me and say I'd brought it into the bed instead of apologizing and offering to change the sheets. This place is a total rip off and not secure. A local in a near by town also warned us about the village saying to be careful as it isn't a safe place to be. I am so confused as to how this hotel got so many good reviews. Stay somewhere else, there is a great hotel in Rio Chiquito that we stayed in after that was the same driving time (but down a much better road) to Rincon De La Vieja and also close to Tenorio and Miravalles. Staying near Liberia is another option. …
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Date of stay: February 2018Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Highly recommend staying here. It is in a lush jungle setting and excellently manicured to fit the land, and all the cabins are cozy and spacious. Awesome staff and very friendly and helpful. I came solo but would return with a significant other -- this would be an amazing place for a romantic get-away. Not too far from the incredible Rincon de la Vieja National Park. Tip: rent a 4x4 to make the short-route between the lodge and park. I had a tiny sedan and had to take a longer 1.5 hour route instead of 45 minute route to the park. Still works, just a little bit of driving. The staff said the tiny car should make it but I didnt want to try crossing rivers.
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Date of stay: January 2018
Value
Rooms
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Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Rosalba E, Propietario at Santa Maria Volcano Lodge
Responded 13 Apr 2018
Thank you very much for your comments! We will glad to have you again with us!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed 3 nights as a family of 4 at the lodge. This is a beautiful place with plenty of wildlife and birds! Toucans, hummingbirds, montezuma birds, turkeys, etc... We enjoyed watching a nightjar every night outside our cabin #7. The road is not paved to the lodge nor it is to go to the national park. You need a 4 wheel drive because there is a river to cross to go to the park. It was supposed to be the dry season but it rained every night. It cleared every morning for us to hike the park....in the mud. The food is extremely fresh at the lodge. We had traditional breakfast with farm egg and and homemade tortillas. At night, the choice of dishes is limited because it is freshly cooked. I recommend the casado + meat or the surtido (a mix of local meats served with fried plantains}. The boys enjoyed the surtido so much that they had it every night.The 3 leches dessert was also very good. The fresh fruit juices are a treat as well. Kayla at the front desk speaks English and she is very helpful. The lodge is owned by a nice family and they are very welcoming....although they don't speak English. This lodge is very rustic, so make sure you understand where you are going. This is in the middle of nowhere and even the newspaper doesn't reach this place :) Highly recommend for serious nature lovers. …
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Date of stay: December 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Rosalba E, Gerente at Santa Maria Volcano Lodge
Responded 14 Jan 2018
Thank you very much for the comment. We are glad that your stay here was good. Best regards
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
RM 241 - RM 311 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of AlajuelaUpala
NUMBER OF ROOMS
7
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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