Playa Ganadito Ecolodge

We had an absolutely unforgettable stay at this ecolodge — a true slice of paradise and the perfect escape from everyday life. From the moment we arrived, we felt completely immersed in nature and instantly relaxed. Nicole and Aaron are exceptional hosts: warm, welcoming, incredibly helpful, and they genuinely go above and beyond to make your stay special. They organised everything seamlessly for us, including our tours (the Sirena day trip and snorkelling at Caño Island — both were absolutely incredible), our transfers, and the most delicious breakfasts each morning (which they did despite one or two very early starts). Every detail was thoughtfully taken care of, which made the whole experience effortless and even more enjoyable. We also had a couple of dinners at the lodge for an additional cost, but they were more than worth it — Nicole and Aaron are fantastic cooks, and the guacamole deserves a special mention! On our first day, they took us on a very relaxing sunset canoe trip from the lodge (a small extra charge), and it was the perfect start to our two-week holiday — we would 100% recommend it. On our final day, they showed us the turtle sanctuary they started a few years ago, which has been incredibly successful and was truly inspiring to see.

The ecolodge is a little way out of Drake Bay down a dirt track, but it didn’t bother us at all. If anything, it adds to the feeling of being somewhere truly special and remote, and it’s a small price to pay for such a unique experience but it may be useful for guests to know that there is not a lot close by. We rated the facilities and cleanliness as 5 stars because, for an ecolodge, everything was exactly as good as you could reasonably hope for — spotless, comfortable, and perfectly in keeping with the natural surroundings. This isn’t the place for someone expecting a five-star resort with luxury hotel amenities, but if you love falling asleep to the sounds of the ocean and waking up to birdsong, it’s absolutely perfect. Overall, this is an extraordinary place to stay — a genuinely unique Costa Rican experience right on the edge of the Corcovado rainforest.

Everything!

Everything was perfect.

TODO

Nada

I absolutely loved the authenticity and remoteness of this place. The beach felt completely private, and it was easy to truly disconnect and immerse myself in nature. During my stay, I saw an incredible amount of wildlife, which made the experience even more special. Aaron and Nicole are wonderful hosts who genuinely go above and beyond to make you feel at home. Every morning, they prepared a delicious breakfast, and as a solo traveler, I had many meaningful conversations with them. By the end of my stay, it truly felt like I had made friends. I was deeply touched by their lifestyle, their passion for the place, and the care they put into everything they do. Their dogs, Loba and Bobby, are absolutely adorable, and I was also inspired by their work with baby turtle rescue. I was incredibly lucky to witness a nest hatching on my last day and to be part of the release process—an experience I will never forget. This place is beautiful, authentic, and full of heart. I’m deeply grateful for the hospitality and the experience, and I will definitely be coming back.

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La ubicación enfrente del mar es espectacular. La paz, la tranquilidad, el trato de Aarón...todo bien.

beautiful isolated area next to the beach, the community kitchen, nicely landscaped.

Due to property being run on solar power/generator, limited time to charge phones and fan in room only lasted about half the night.

Our breakfasts were amazing. The lovely lady that cooked for us was wonderful. Being that it is an echo lodge we did not understand that when the solar power was used up for fan we would have NO fan. This is not ideal I think the fan in the room should be available 24 /7. We went on a night boat ride through the mangrove that was wonderful Imma did a nice tour. There is no one on the beach that was paradise.We found a camp ground 5 min walk and ate WONDERFUL meals there. Maritza was an amazing chef. We enjoyed our trip it was hard we had no car and taxi to center of town is $60 round trip.All in all it is not for everyone but we enjoyed ourselves.

As I said above I think a fan of some sort should be available 24/7

The place is clean and Aaron, Gustavo and Ima are amazing! They book all the activities for us, bring us fresh coconut water and bring us to the turtle project to see the turtles. Breakfast was very good. I recommend this place if you want be in a desert beach in the middle of the nature.