El Chontal

I cannot recommend this place enough - I stayed here as part of a marine conservation trip and absolutely loved it! The cabins are set in an incredible location with the water one side and the jungle the other. They have been beautifully made with love and a great deal of hard labor and you can see this all around not just in the cabins themselves but also the communal dining and relaxing areas (the wood work is so impressive). I was a little apprehensive about sleeping in a cabin with "open walls" however, the elements that are open are covered with a very fine net which prevents the outside coming in (which means no bugs!). They have an incredibly rustic, homely feel to them and after spending 8 days there I could quite happily have moved in permanently! The communal relaxing area is great for either getting on the internet or reading in a hammock - you can watch the wildlife all around you too which I found really calming. I was fortunate enough to sample the incredible food as well which was by far some of the best Costa Rican food I have ever had. The family that owns and runs this incredible place were so welcoming and made my stay so much more than just a place to sleep! This is definitely not basic accommodation, it's rustic and homely which is exactly what I look for when travelling. My only recommendation would be that they need to charge more because you don't just get a bed for the night, you get to experience Costa Rica at it's best.