Bamboo River Lodge is a small, family-run lodge on the old road to Río Frío, in Horquetas. Hosted by Adrian and his team, the property sits inside its own patch of rainforest — guests wake up to howler monkeys, toucans and birdsong before they've had their coffee.
Family-run and independently owned, hosted by Adrian
4 private cabins tucked into the rainforest
On-site restaurant, bar and outdoor pool
Walking trails, gardens and a resident cast of wildlife
Table tennis, games and foosball in the common area.The pool, shaded by rainforest canopy.
4
Guest Cabins
9.2
Booking.com Score
76km
From San José (SJO)
210+
Guest Reviews
Accommodations
Two kinds of cabins, one rainforest home
Every cabin is individually finished and named after local wildlife. Four cabins split evenly between two layouts — pick the one that fits your group.
Queen Cabin
2 Queen Beds
Private bathroom, air-conditioning, work desk, free toiletries and tea/coffee maker, plus a private covered porch. Bright, private, and equally suited to families or two couples travelling together.
King & Bunk Cabin
1 King Bed + 1 Bunk Bed
Private bathroom, air-conditioning, work desk and free toiletries — built for families, sleeping up to four comfortably with room to spread out.
Dining
Los Sementales Restaurant
The property's own restaurant and bar serves local and Latin American cooking alongside grill and steakhouse favorites, plated with fruit and produce from the lodge's own farm. Guests consistently call out breakfast — Booking.com guests rate it "exceptional."
9.7
Staff Score
Local & BBQ
Latin American Grill
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner — guests praise the "generous and tasty breakfast" and a host who will organize an evening meal on request.
"Very friendly and helpful staff. Generous and tasty breakfast. Nice rooms."
Waldemar — United Kingdom
Pool, Grounds & Wildlife
Bird-watch from the pool
The pool and jacuzzi sit inside a clearing in the rainforest — guests describe watching toucans and monkeys pass overhead without leaving the water. Trails through bamboo groves and forest connect the whole property.
Wildlife regularly seen on-site, per guest reports and staff sightings:
"The grounds are lovely, you can bird watch directly from the pool. You can tell the hosts love their surroundings."
Phoebe — United Kingdom
Gardens & Trails
Trampoline
Table Tennis & Foosball
Daily Birdlife
Wildlife Gallery
A resident cast of characters, spotted right on the property
What Guests Say
Rated Superb by guests
9.2
Booking.com 210 reviews
4.8
Google 29 reviews
9.3
Value for Money
9.7
Staff & Hospitality
"You wake up and all around is alive — you are literally in a tropical paradise. There were monkeys just in front of our room."
Selina — Switzerland
"We saw macaws, howler monkeys, toucans and lots of other types of birds, just roaming the property. The host! The bar has been set so high for Costa Rican hospitality."
Corina — Canada
"Beautiful houses with a view of the jungle, birds everywhere, good breakfast, a nice terrace with hammocks and a pool and trampoline where we were visited by a toucan. Good value!"
Laura — Austria
"Great for kids — the little pool and trampoline made a massive difference for my 4 year old! The dinners are really nice and good value."
Louisa — Cayman Islands
Location & Contact
Easy to find, right on the crossroads
Bamboo River Lodge sits on the old road to Río Frío in Horquetas — a natural halfway stop between San José, La Fortuna/Arenal, and the Caribbean coast.
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Bamboo River Lodge
Carretera Vieja a Río Frío / Calle Los Sementales Horquetas, Heredia Province, 12500, Costa Rica
Arriving by car:the lodge is signed from the old Río Frío road; guests are asked to let the property know their expected arrival time in advance. Check-in runs 2:00–10:00 PM and check-out 8:00–11:00 AM.
Main roadRiver route to Tortuguero (via boat)TownBamboo River Lodge
San José / SJO Airport
76 km
~1h 45m drive
La Fortuna / Arenal
112 km
~2h drive
Tortuguero (via La Pavona)
65 km
~1h 30m drive
Caribbean Coast
172 km
~2h 40m drive
Planning for a group or travel agency?
With just 4 cabins, the property books out well for small groups and exclusive-use arrangements. Contact us directly for group rates and trade partnership terms.
