Lirio Lodge

The Pacuare Reserve is one of the most pristine parts of the canal-crossed Tortuguero National Park, and home to all sorts of exotic beasties – guided nature walks, boat trips and kayak excursions can be booked on site and may include sightings of birds, turtles and monkeys, or possibly the elusive jaguar. Other excursions organised by the friendly folks here include fishing trips, outings to turtle conservation projects and village visits. They’ll also help out with shuttle trips to the coast if you hanker after spending your day strolling along several kilometres of top-notch Caribbean beach. Moving on, it’ll take you a couple of hours to drive to Limón or inland to the Barbilla National Park (one of the country’s less-visited, and therefore well-preserved, nature reserves).