Vista Drake Lodge

Not friendly at all. Not friendly at all. Xxxxxxx

We were worried when we found the the hotel office to check in. Looked like a run down hostel. Went in and Emillo met us. He told us the villa we were staying in was about 700 meters away in with a view of the forest. He rode up there with us and showed us the place. We opened the door and it was beautiful. Very nice wood workmanship I believe he said his brother did all of the work. A slider opened up onto a great deck with the forest as far as you could see. A toucan was on the branch right off the deck. over the next 2 days was saw many different birds and right before sunset tons 20-30 pairs of parrots would fly over as well as scarlet macaws. Nice host and nice place. Emillo also arranged our trip to Corcovado. Another reason to stay in Drake. Met the boat at 6 am , then 1 1/4 hour boat ride to park. Great experience in the park. one very important tip!!!- if you are driving in, be sure to rent a 4 wheel drive vehicle with some clearance. The 27 km road was bumpy, but you need the 4x4 for 5 small water crossings and 1 large one. The large one was a river & the water was about 2-3 feet deep. We followed a bus thru the river which help disperse the water away from us, but still worried if we were going to get water in our air intake. Easy crossing if you have some experience, just plan ahead and walk the crossing to find the best route. I am already thinking of staying here again in 2020.

Looking through holiday photos we realised that we did not post a review for our stay with Emilio and his family in August 2017. The photos brought back memories of a wonderful stay at Vista Drake. The lodges were on the hillside with breathtaking views over the bay. Each morning we shared the first coffee of the day with a different beautiful bird or creature watching us from the trees above our huge balcony. Snoozing in the hammocks after a long day was a must. Emilio organised anything that we wanted to do. He was in contact as soon as we booked to see what he could do to help. He arranged a driver, Franklin, to pick us up from the airport. He arranged scuba diving, a night walk in the jungle, he recommended good restaurants offering excellent local food.Nothing was too much trouble for him. The accommodation was huge, clean, and quite rustic. The beds were comfortable. The rooms had mosquito nets and air conditioning. We spent most of our time just relaxing on the balcony. What we couldn't get over was the closeness of the forest, and the sounds of all the bird and animal life. It was a bit of a tricky walk back to our lodge at night in the dark though so make sure you take a torch or head-torch with you, mostly so that you don't surprise any wildlife! We visited Drake to see the humpback whale nurseries in July/August and we were not disappointed. We took a boat trip out for the day with a marine biologist who ensured we had a good day of whale watching. We also scuba-dived and snorkelled around Cano Island. Drake is a must-see place if you visit Costa Rica, and we would have no hesitation in recommending Vista Drake as a place to stay. Emilio's family built this place on their land, and he is proud to be from Drake. His aim is for you to have a wonderful time so put yourself in his hands and let him help you get the best out of Drake. - Pura Vida!

Eigenaar zeer vriendelijk en behulpzaam!

We stayed at the Villa in the village 4 nights. The place sits in the middle of the forest. You can see birds and animals and feel how it is to leave in the forest. Emilio was amazing. Quick response to every request. Excellent service. Highly recommended.

Loved this place. Excellent value - the room was amazing for the deal I got online. Beautiful woodwork and building. Emilio is the main guy, he and his family live there. Emilio made me feel at home right away. Unlimited water, yummy pancakes and fruit for breakfast. He also knows everything about Drake Bay. He can book your transportation and tours if needed and I would recommend using him for transportation, he saved me 5 bucks on a shuttle transfer to Manuel Antonio. If you leave via boat to Sierpe they will take your luggage down to the water (and I assume they will do the same if you arrive by boat and know you are coming). Good wifi, better in the common area downstairs. I just loved it. Thanks Emilio!!

Booked the triple room for 1 night for a short stopover before going on a Corcovado tour. Spacy room with basic furniture but we didn't mind given the very good value. Excellent location c. 3 mins by foot from the beach which is the departing point for the tours to Sirena station. The owner was lovely, prepared early breakfast at 5.40am (cereal, toast, fruits, coffee, juices) and even let us keep our car at their private parking space during the 2 days of the tour. Would stay there anytime again.

Prachtige locatie, mooi uitzicht over de baai. Eigenaar is vriendelijk en behulpzaam. Geen etensfaciliteiten, behalve ontbijt en dat is goed. Het is schoon en goed onderhouden. Je ziet hier rustiger dan in de straat beneden, vanwege de regelmatig langskomende motoren en auto's

Vista Drake Lodge offers beautiful, spacious bungalows on a great location. The view from here over Drake Bay is amazing. Great staff! We did the 2 day Corcovado tour from here, which was truly brilliant.

This was an amazing choice! Best stay and more important amazing family who run the place! We didn't expect the room we had, it was a private 'bunga' with our own terrace with chairs and hammock, very big room with extra king size bed, very big bathroom. Very clean place, they come every day to do the room, SEA VIEWS, mosquito nets everywhere, very safe place! Emilio is one of the sons in charge, super friendly and recommended us so many places! The mother is just adorable! she was really helpful, explained us many local stories... Breakfast included and a very complete one! We would have stayed more days for sure!