La Shamana - Ecological Concept in Jungle

Nous avons passé un séjour inoubliable à la Shamana Ecolodge. Dès notre arrivée, Stéphane et Anna nous ont accueillis avec une grande gentillesse et beaucoup d’attention. L’endroit est tout simplement magique : niché en pleine jungle, au calme absolu, on s’y sent immédiatement en harmonie avec la nature. Le studio dans lequel nous avons logé était un véritable cocon, propice au repos et à la déconnexion. Le petit déjeuner, délicieux et maison, était un vrai moment de plaisir chaque matin. Nous avons beaucoup apprécié la piscine naturelle, une belle surprise au cœur de la jungle. Enfin, nous avons reçu d’excellents conseils pour organiser la suite de notre voyage au Costa Rica. Une adresse que nous recommandons les yeux fermés à tous ceux qui cherchent une expérience authentique et ressourçante.

I stayed three nights, and was satisfied with my booking. The lodge is perhaps 2 miles out of town (Cahuita), and the last half-mile is unpaved: you can use a 2WD but probably feel more comfortable in 4WD, if only for the clearance. There is a central lodge, serving as reception/dining room/lounge, and a number of nearby rooms. Mine was perhaps 50m from the lodge: well appointed and clean. It is not a hotel and you should not expect full hotel facilities: most guests use La Shamana as a base to explore the area. Service was not hotel-level, but always warm, helpful and efficient. Staff are not full-time, but are there to welcome you, cook a fresh and tasty breakfast daily plus dinner if you ask before setting off in the morning. The manager lives on-site: she is often away during the day, but always nearby and can always be contacted by phone/WhatsApp. They have a separate building for functions, and are happy to arrange visiting massage. The forest guide they arranged for me was excellent (fluent Englsah and knowledgeable). The spring-fed semi-natural swimming pool is clear, clean and cool after a sweaty day out. You are very much in the forest, albeit supplemented by careful and colourful planting in the vicinity of the Lodge: my room gave onto a lovely vista of green and colours, and the local troop of howler monkeys was very impressive when they trooped overhead. It was also delightful to lie in bed while a thunderstgorm raged! All in all, thoroughly recommended.

We stayed for 5 nights at La Shamana Eco Lodge in the rain forest just outside Cahuita. It was an amazing experience that immersed us in the forest and allowed us to explore the wild life that it offers in total peace. The owner, Rossy, was very friendly and helpful. The room was lovely, with a large shower and private terrace. You have to bear in mind that this is an Eco Lodge and therefore some of the luxury that we expect in our modern world are restricted (i.e. hair dryer) as they are totally off grid, using natural water and solar panels. What we loved was sitting on our terrace at 6am and observing some of the animals that passed by. In our first 2 mornings we saw a family of howler monkeys (including babies), a coati, red faced vulture, toucan, forest crabs, hawks, beautiful butterflies, cane toad, orb spiders, green and black dart frog, humming birds, sloth, leaf cutting ants, leaf moth. There is also a lovely natural pool to cool down and relax after a busy day. The breakfasts were very good and we usually finished our coffee on the platform that allowed us to observe more wild life. Ideally you need a car as the basic road to the lodge is about a km long, otherwise you will need a taxi.