Tortuga Lodge & Gardens

Tortuga Lodge & Gardens sits on 146 acres of private land along the Tortuguero River on Costa Rica's north-east Caribbean coast. Everything about Tortuguero is defined by the rivers: they are its essence, its roads and its soul. First intended to protect the nesting beach of the Atlantic green sea turtle, the national park now covers over 50,000 acres.

With large screen windows and your own balcony or terrace, you will always have the jungle and river close to view. The rooms are light and spacious and combine luxury safari camp with Caribbean influences, while hammocks lend themselves perfectly to an afternoon siesta.

The suites and villas feature classic dark wood furniture and bright tropical accents, plush beds with fine linens, and spacious bathrooms with solar-heated rain showers, with glorious views over the private reserve, where you can spot monkeys, iguanas and exotic birds in the jungle. The Miss Evelyn Balcony Suites have a balcony, while the Mr Mishake Suites have expansive terraces. For a touch of added luxury, the Miss Florentina Villa comes with a gorgeous master bedroom, a wraparound deck and a private plunge pool.

There is a bar and an open-air restaurant on the waterfront, where you can enjoy hearty cuisine and tropical cocktails. The riverbank restaurant offers an a la carte menu of Caribbean and Costa Rican fusion dishes, from ginger-marinated beef tenderloin to fresh ceviche: all to be enjoyed while taking in the vistas and sounds of the river and jungle.

For a lazy day at the lodge there is a riverside lagoon-style pool to cool off in, with loungers as well as a gazebo with hammocks, ready for a relaxing snooze in the shade.

We recommend making most of the private trails and going in search of howler monkeys and toucans. From the gardens of the lodge, you can see them between the palms and mountain almond trees. Enjoy activities throughout the day, from early-morning bird and nature walks to atmospheric twilight tours.

You can see more of the wildlife of Tortuguero National Park and explore its backwater creeks and lagoons by boat with your Tortuguero naturalist guide - see if you can spot caimans, crocodiles, iguanas, sloths and river otters. As your boat meanders slowly through the water, you are immersed in a world where the forest merges with the river and the water becomes part of the trees.

Try your hand at your own wildlife spotting while meandering down the river on a kayak, see what you can catch while doing some sport fishing or visit local villages, and, when in season, visit local turtle nesting sites.