The Peace Lodge in the La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park, which opened in 2005 is a unique resort nestled among the wildlife and beauty of the Costa Rica Rainforest.
I stumbled upon The Peace Lodge when looking for a place to stay that was close to my daughter while she was studying abroad earlier this year just outside the capital city of San Jose. The Peace Lodge is a little over an hour away from the capital city and was a perfect getaway for us.
At check in, Peace Lodge guests are given a carved wood bracelet. This is your proof of residency which gets you free entry to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park (non guests who visit for the day pay a $35 entrance fee).
With being a guest on property of the park it is an easy walk down to check out all of the amazing exhibits.
The magnificent butterfly garden houses a variety of gorgeous tropical colored butterflies that fly freely around you as you walk through it.
The bird sanctuary is full of parrots and other birds native to Costa Rica including this friendly toucan who is happy to greet the guest as they enter.
On down the path you come across a hummingbird feeding area that will give you an up close encounter with these brightly colored creatures.
If you are a cat lover, you will appreciate watching the jungle cats. Being the owner of two domestic cats, I am always amazed at the similarity and mannerisms they have and to remind myself that they are truly dangerous even though they just look like a giant kitten.
One exhibit that will take you back in time is a replica of an old Costa Rican farm house complete with oxen, a hands on lesson for milking a cow and a sampling of tasty sugar cane tea. Other exhibits include, frogs, snakes and monkeys.
In addition to all of the animal exhibits the park offers walking trails through the lush rainforest, where you will encounter beautiful tropical flowers, plants with gigantic leaves as well as magnificent streams and waterfalls.
If you enjoy fishing, The Peace Lodge has a trout lake where you can catch your lunch or dinner. There is a fishing guide that will help you fish if needed and then take and clean your fish for you, then give it to the chef so he can cook it up for you. The trout we caught was from lake to plate in about 30 minutes! Now that is some fresh fish!
The room accommodations at The Peace Lodge are the most elaborate I have ever seen and are personalized with the guests name during their stay.
The bathroom is full of tropical plants and houses a waterfall. The rocks and foliage that surround the tub and shower make you feel as if you are bathing in the midst of the rainforest.
The bedroom is complete with a beautiful canopy bed with very plush bedding, stone fireplace, coffee and mini bar area as well as a deck overlooking the rainforest with a table, jacuzzi and hammock.
You can check out this video of our room.
If you wish to spoil yourself just a little bit more, you can book an in room spa treatment.
Being the foodie that I am, I have included a link to the restaurants and cocktail lounges that are found at The Peace Lodge here.
My 2 favorites were sipping a latte at La Terraza which overlooks the majestic rainforest and the fruity yogurt parfait for breakfast at Tortillias.
There is really no need to venture off the property unless you want to visit the Poas Volcano which is just a few minutes down the road.
I used Pacific Trade Winds Travel for all our transportation and lodging needs and everything was perfect. I would highly recommend their services if you are looking to vacation at The Peace Lodge or anywhere else in Costa Rica. The knowledgeable and friendly staff were quick to answer any questions and even available to book additional transportation we needed once we were there.