Maquenque Eco Lodge

Rustic on the outside and elegant on the inside, these bungalows are perfect for guests who love nature as they are surrounded by the majestic rainforest, with a spectacular view of the natural pond. For every room booked, a tree is planted in the Maquenue rainforest to support sustainable tourism.

Amenities include:

• 1 x queen size and 1 x single bed
• Ceiling fan
• Working desk, wardrobe
• Hot water (solar heated)
• Furnished terrace

Included in the room rate:

• Full breakfast served in the restaurant
• Guided afternoon walk through the rainforest
• Canoeing in the lagoon
• Visit to the local school of Boca Tapada

There is a maximum of 3 adults per room or a maximum of two adults and 2 children per room. After 12 years of age, children are considered to be adults and the price of a child is $18 including breakfast.

There are 14 tree houses at the Maquenque Eco Lodge which are distributed throughout the rainforest. Guests can experience living among the canopy of the rainforest in the middle of the jungle, wake up to the unique sounds of wildlife and see the wonders the rainforest has to provide.

Included in the room rate:

• Full breakfast served in the restaurant
• Guided afternoon walk through the rainforest
• Canoeing in the lagoon
• Visit to the local school of Boca Tapada

There is a maximum of 4 adults per room or a maximum of 2 adults and 2 children per room. The minimum age of children allowed to stay in the tree houses is 7 years old.

Guests have the opportunity to enjoy mouth-watering meals in a cosy environment with breath taking views of the mountains and lagoons that surround the lodge. Guests are able to experience an intimate dining setting with a maximum capacity of 70 people. Almost 70% of the ingredients used by the lodge are grown and picked by themselves, meaning guests receive great quality and authentic cuisine. The restaurant has high standards of food preparation and hygiene which can be observed by guests as the dining area is positioned in a way to do so and it also offers buffet style to serve the dishes to allow the guests to select their favourite entrees, sides, and desserts.

There are over 410 bird species within the rainforest that surrounds Maquenque Eco Lodge, including some migratory species. Some of these species that can be found whilst on the tour are: Great Green Macaw (endangered), Scarlet Macaw, toucans, Oropendolas, Honeycreepers, Tanagers, Euphonias and Jacamars. The tour starts early in the morning at 5:30am as this is when the most activity occurs as the naturalist guide takes you through the gardens and lagoons. When there is enough sunlight, the guide will then be able to take you onto the forest path and the nesting place for many of the birds.

Guests are welcome to enjoy a trek through the tropical rainforest after indulging on a delicious breakfast in the restaurant. The 3km trek will be lead by a naturalist guide who will explain the great variety of flora and fauna that can be spotted as you venture deeper into the jungle. The tour will also take you to the Botanical Garden, Medicinal Garden and will end at the Hotel’s Garden finishing the tour.

Guests have the opportunity to explore the rainforest at night and all the wildlife that resides within. Experience the different sounds that nature provides, spot the sleeping birds in their nests, the nocturnal birds swooping above your head, snakes slithering among the leaves on the rainforest floor. There are even crocodiles that hide among the thick foliage, camouflaging themselves in hope to find their prey. A naturalist guide will take you through the forest, explaining the many different types of fauna and flora along the way.

Boarding the boat from the hotel’s pier, guests will be taken on a trip downstream on the San Carlos River. Crocodiles, tortoises, bats, herons, kingfishers, king vultures, and many more species can be spotted along the way, swooping and floating along the waters. During the tour, a stop will be made at the small town of Boca San Carlos, where guests have the opportunity to visit the village and even meet with some Costa Rican people.

Floating down the Tres Amigos River is not an opportunity to be missed out on. This raft tour takes you down the river where you can see lots of different wildlife among the trees or even floating alongside you in the river. A naturalist guide will be there with you in the raft, pointing out and explaining the large variety of flora and fauna. The guide will also explain paddling and safety regulations to ensure everyone within the raft is safe.

Travel down to the Tres Amigos River by kayak, seating two people, as you gently glide along, dipping the oars in the cool waters. Discover the exotic wildlife in your surroundings such as the crocodiles and tortoises floating in the river, iguanas strolling along the riverbank, and monkeys climbing amongst the canopies. A naturalist guide will explain how to paddle and the safety regulations during the tour and will mention the different types of flora and fauna you will see in the area.

Tour of the Estate

Explore La Finca as you begin the tour by being taken through the gardens to the dairy where you will have the opportunity of carrying out milking practices by hand. From here you can visit the cheese house, the trapiche terrace where you can taste the rich fresh cane juice and a rich product made from sugar cane. You will then proceed to the orchard where you are welcome to visit the crops grown specifically for the restaurant, the lagoon of the guapotes, the laying hens, the greenhouse, the honey bees, and pollinators of the orchard.

Chocolate Tour

Take a walk through the cocoa plantation where guides will be on hand to show you how the cocoa trees grow, different varieties, pollination and how cobs are harvested for due fermentation process and natural drying. Head down to the chocolate station and learn the process of how chocolate is made as the guide will show you how to make different types of chocolate. Experience the taste of the traditional drinks made by indigenous people such as the popular drink of the Gods and more.

The tour, Ruta Maquenque, has a total of 73km, perfect for cycling lovers who love to be outdoors as you will be surrounded by the natural environment along your journey. This tour consists of 2 days of cycling and there are 3 levels of difficulty for cyclists to choose from with the easiest at 8km, the next level at 16km, and the hardest level at 43km.

Day 1:

• The tour starts in the facilities of Canoa Aventura
• A guide will be on hand to assist and accompany you all the way
• Two hydration stations will be performed
• First hydration station will be in Titi Yolanda’s Kitchen in Boca Arenal
• You will cross the San Carlos River in Bote to reach this point
• Second hydration station will be at the Castelmar Junction

Day 2:

• Include typical breakfast
• Tour on the trails within the private reserve (Don Eduardo Farm and Naturalist Walk)
• A rich lunch
• Make use of the canoes to paddle in the lagoons and use the pool
• Transport back to La Fortuna
• Route is also available without accommodation

As a commitment of sustainability, Maquenque Eco Lodge develops different compromises with the environment. Some of them are about protecting and preserving the resources of the area, working with the community, working with a tree planting program, and financing free environmental educational. This property has received four leaves of the Certification of Sustainable Tourism Programs (CST) of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, recognising the efforts of all who work there. This Eco Lodge belongs to a non-profit organisation, Sonati. It means that when guests have a reservation at the lodge, they contribute to free environmental education for Costa Rican kids. The Mission of Maquenque Ecolodge is to be a company that provides high quality lodging service, in a natural environment and in harmony with nature in order to meet the needs of the external and internal customers as well as being committed to the social projection and promotion of environmental sustainability.

Mauenque Eco Lodge fund permanent free environmental education for schools and neighbouring schools of Manqueque Mixed Wildlife Refugee. Their goal is to increase the knowledge, love and care of young people towards the environment. The Lodge also has a Plant a Tree programme which gives the customer the opportunity to offset CO2 emissions, help strengthen the local ecosystems and engage directly to fight against climate change. Also in place are water saving, energy and responsible waste management programmes to ensure that customers take part by recycling, turning off lights and closing faucets. If customers would also like to compensate for their carbon footprint, they can do so by donating $12 to the International Environmental Education and Sonati Conservation Projects Programme; they can also plant a native tree in Manqueque and commit to saving water and energy whilst on their trip. Every visit to the Manqueque Eco Lodge contributes to the social-environmental development of the area.

Local Crafts

A family, Tania and Mauricio along with their two children, started a small craft project by learning and combining their creativity to create beautiful crafts inspired by nature. They use leftover wood from local sawmills that would have been classed as rubbish and thrown away but instead is used by the family to create memories for visitors. The souvenirs found at Manqueque Eco Lodge that visitors often take home are also handcrafted and made locally.