Yatama EcoLodge and Reserve

If you are a nature lover, you will be crazy about Yatama. We enjoyed every second of our stay there (even though it was raining a lot during the time). Pedro and the team really go out of their way to make you feel welcome and go out of their way to accommodate requests.

Food options were great, our beautiful treehouse was beyond charming and we loved immersing ourselves in this unique jungle getaway that takes enormous pride in the important conservation work they do. Keep up the great work Yatama, you can be very proud of what you have accomplished so far!

OMG. OMG. OMG.
If you are a true wildlife and nature lover, you'd love this place.
Everything built here integrates perfectly into the natural habitat without causing disturbance.
The hosts are truly knowledgable and they contribute so much to wildlife conservation.
Definitely take the tours. Enjoy being in the nature.
And enjoy the presence of wonderful passionate nature lovers.
The max capacity is about 10-14 people, so it never feels overly crowded. It is a cozy and intimate space.
Delicious and wonderful food.
Definitely the highlight of our Costa Rica Trip!

Yatama was everything I expected and didn’t expect. In addition to the incredible rainforest experience, the food was fantastic! Three home cooked meals to keep you going. The accommodations are very basic, but clean and well maintained. Pedro and his staff are excellent hosts. They really go out of their way to make you feel at home. The wildlife is a given. Tons to see. And if you just feel like hangin’ out and chillin’, that’s easy to do too. I’ll definitely be back 👍

Pedro is the ultimate guide and host! Pedro is an excellent host and guide! He is an experienced naturalist that inspires you to learn and appreciate the beauty of Yatama. We loved the treehouse bungalow that allowed us to enjoy the verdant surroundings. The food was really good, attractively prepared and with some elegant touches! We enjoyed our 3 hour nature walk that allowed us to immerse our selves in the flora and fauna! We highly recommend Yatama for those seeking adventure and solice!

An incredible and inspiring place full of great people and natural wonders. Exceptional guides and a true spirit of conservation. Great food, and they really want you to have a safe and fun experience. You will have lifetime memories here.

I traveled to Costa Rica to be in nature, and escape the city life in California or best said to get back in nature, and that’s what I found in Yatama. My battery,spirit was recharge,I got in Touch with inner nature.the rain forest,the different Species of Birds and Mammals , incredible I was able to feed and Admire extraordinary animals. The food the price and the service of Pedro was incomparable.

We really enjoyed our stay at Yatama Ecolodge! The cabins are set in their private reserve that borders the huge national park. They are spacious with en suite toilets and not too close together. All meals were included and the food was fresh and high quality. David ran the day and night tours during our stay and he is very knowledgeable, giving us lots of info on the area, identifying birds, plants, frogs, snakes. We only wish we could have stayed a little longer!

We spend wonderful three days in early October at Pedro’s Yatama EcoLodge. It is located in the middle of primary and secondary rainforest with wonderful bungalows with large windows equipped with mosquito nets and private bathroom.
Pedro and his team were incredible nice, helpful and knowledgeable about the surroundings and all the animals in the rainforrest. We did a nightwalk and a walk to a waterfall. You can borrow rubber boots there for the sometimes muddy trails. The food (breakfast, lunch and dinner) was delicious.
Would definitely recommend it to friends!

We visited the Yatama Lodge at the beginning may. It was our second stay there within half a year. Pedro, Alba und Luis are very sympatic. During the different tours - hiking in the rainforest, swimming at a waterfall, nightwalk - we saw many different species of birds, frogs, snakes and monkeys. We also learned a lot about the nature, the reforestation and lived in a nice house with kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom and and balcony. The food is also very good, vegetarian etc. is no problem for Alba!
Yatama means nature pure!

Amazing place in the middle of the jungle!!! The price includes two meals, pickup and droppoff in horquetas (you need a four wheel drive to get to the lodge), and -best of all - several guided tours into the rain forresg during the day and in the evening when it’s dark. (You also can borrow rubber boots for these walks at no extra cost.) The walks amazing because you see so many more animals when an experienced guide (Luis is Great!) points them out. We saw many different birds, monkeys, snakes, colorful frogs, crabs, the most amazing huge butterflies and many animals more. Also the fresh traces of a pretty big panther... José, the owner, also helped me out with everything I needed - be it a Costa Rican SIM card or giving tips for my ongoing travels. Reforestation and saving the rain forrest plays a big role at Yatama Ecolodge and one morning I was able to actually help out in a reforestation project where 300 new trees were planted. Full recommendation from my side for staying at this place if you want to experience Costa Rican jungle life. The best way to reach Yatama ecolodge is via WhatsApp: +50670151121 .

We stayed as a family of 6 in December 2020. From booking, Pedro was incredibly helpful and quick to respond. We arrived late into San Jose so Pedro and Luis met us enroute to guide us to Yatama and what an adventure it was - be prepared for off road adventures like you've probably never experienced before! We awoke to the marvellous sounds of the rainforest which surrounded our wonderful wood cabin, our adventures in Costa Rica had begun! Our three nights at Yatama were magical and the core team of Pedro, Luis and Alma the lovely cook couldn't have done more to make our stay with them the most special and exciting! We trekked through the rainforest for a much needed swim at a waterfall whilst discovering the incredible wildlife of Costa Rica. The night hikes were incredibly exciting even encountering a deadly Fer-de-lance snake to make it one to remember! The only downside for Mummy, was the lack of hot water but would we come again - absolutely, in a heart beat! It was the real Costa Rica and Pedro's passion for the rainforest is second to none. We would highly recommend Yatama and hope very much to return!

360° rainforest experience! Lodges are very nice but of course basic. Meals are etherogeneous, well balanced and tasty! Wildlife is everywhere :) we do recommend both daytime and night time walks, ask for more details about the tracks. Guides are great and you feel very safe with them.

Amazing place to enjoy the pure nature and rainforest... The cabins and common areas are great... Wildlife there is stunning... A must if you visit the Caribbean side of Costa Rica...

Yatama is truly a special Eco lodge you must experience and you will feel great supporting. Pedro walks the walk of conservation, sustainably building this solar-run lodge immersed in the primary rain forest abutting Braulio Carrillo National Park, but also purchasing up local lands and hand planting trees to return pastures to rain forest and protecting the land from poachers. His passion is rain forest conservation above all else.

The rooms you stay in stunning, well spaced out and with huge windows overlooking the rain forest so you really have a private view of the trees. The food was fantastic and eaten in these wholesome communal meals with other guests from around the world. There are more trails to explore then you could hope to walk in a week, but the real reason to come here is for the guided hikes. Pedro leads incredible night hikes and always managed to find a myriad of frogs, snakes, kinkajous and more. Gerami was a master birder and on our early morning hikes we always managed to see dozens of incredible species. Yatama has it all and is a place we both vowed to return to, but next time we will definitely stay longer.

One of the greatest Ecolodges in Costa Rica. Pedro and his staff are passionately committed to conservation and sustainability, and help guests understand their value. Guided hikes are spectacular; we saw nearly 50 species on a morning walk with Pedro. Excellent breakfasts and dinners are provided as part of the cost, and lunch can also be provided on request at a reasonable rate. The rooms are spacious, with balcony patios (with rocking chairs) that look out into the rain forest. There are mosquito nets provided for the bed, but we have experienced very few bugs (Belize is much worse in this regard, for instance).

Altogether this is an experience not to be missed; try to plan on staying at least four nights (there are many, many wonderful and well-marked trails you can walk on your own after an initial orienting walk with Pedro the morning after you arrive). We chose to pay for transit from the San Jose airport (much less expensive than renting a car), and it made the the final leg of the journey (on a bumpy dirt road) stress free.

Kudos to Pedro and the entire staff at Yatama!

Our 5 days stay at Yatama eco lodge and Pedro as our host was hands down the best experience we had on our 5 week trip through Costa Rica. Pedro and Luis are amazing guides with deep knowledge about the flora and fauna. They took us on exploration tours through the jungle every day. Especially the night tour was our most exciting experience in Costa Rica. We really connected to the rain forest, saw tons of insects, monkeys, birds and reptiles. Pedro and his team took good care of us and it felt like being in the jungle with good friends or family. Pedros passion and dedication for protecting and preserving the rain forest truly impressed and inspired us. When we come back to Costa Rica, we will definitely go there again.

A rainforest gem! Lots of wildlife, daytime walks and night time, waterfall nearby, excellent food and service, great guides and host.

Wonderful and unique experience inside a primary forest ! Many thanks to Pedro and his team.

Amazing hidden lodge in thick rainforest.

Excellent MTB route