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La Cusinga Lodge

Property class: 3
3-star spa lodge with free breakfast

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Photo gallery for La Cusinga Lodge

View from property
Trogon Deluxe Room Ensuite Ocean View
Aerial view
Exterior
Hot stone massages, deep-tissue massages, Swedish massages, massages

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional

Popular amenities

  • Breakfast included
  • Spa
  • Parking included
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant

Explore the area

View in a map
Km166 Costarena Sur, Bahía Ballena, Puntarenas, 60504
  • Place, Marino Ballena National Park
    ‪15 min walk‬
  • Place, Arco Beach
    ‪15 min walk‬
  • Place, Playa Ballena
    ‪5 min drive‬

Room options

View all photos for ILAN Superior Room, 2 Double Beds, Ocean View

Superior Room, 2 Double Beds, Ocean View

ILAN Superior Room, 2 Double Beds, Ocean View

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(2 reviews)
  • Ocean view
  • 15 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds

View all photos for Tinamu Deluxe Room

Tinamu Deluxe Room

Tinamu Deluxe Room

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • Ocean view
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds

View all photos for Manu Deluxe Room

Manu Deluxe Room

Manu Deluxe Room

  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Trogon Deluxe Room Ensuite Ocean View

Trogon Deluxe Room Ensuite Ocean View

Trogon Deluxe Room Ensuite Ocean View

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(2 reviews)
  • Ocean view
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds

About the area

Bahía Ballena

Close to the beach.Within a 10-minute walk of the lodge, you'll find Arco Beach and Marino Ballena National Park. Also, Playa Ballena is within 2 miles (3 km) and Uvita Beach is within 6 miles (10 km).
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What's nearby

  • Marino Ballena National Park - 15 min walk - 1.1 km
  • Arco Beach - 15 min walk - 1.1 km
  • Playa Ballena - 5 min drive - 3.2 km
  • Uvita Beach - 6 min drive - 4.3 km
  • Catarata uvita - 12 min drive - 7.8 km

Restaurants

  • ‪La Choza de Alejo - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Sibu - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Restaurante Marino Ballena - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Kinsu - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Fernando’s Restaurante - ‬8 min drive

About this property

La Cusinga Lodge

3-star spa lodge with free breakfast
La Cusinga Lodge offers its guests a full-service spa and an outdoor pool. There's a restaurant on site. Free breakfast is served daily. Public spaces have free WiFi.

A terrace, gift shops/newsstands, and a garden are also featured at La Cusinga Lodge. Self parking is free.

This 3-star Bahía Ballena lodge is smoke free.

  • 10 guestrooms or units
  • Full breakfast (free)
  • Front desk (limited hours)
  • Concierge
  • Terrace
  • Garden
  • Outdoor picnic space
  • Gift shop
  • No smoking on site
  • Dining venue
La Cusinga Lodge offers 10 accommodations with safes and complimentary toiletries. Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access. Bathrooms include showers. Housekeeping is provided daily.
Guests can indulge in a pampering treatment at the lodge's full-service spa. Services include deep-tissue massages, hot stone massages, and Swedish massages. The spa is open daily.

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includes taxes & fees
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Property amenities

Family friendly

  • Outdoor pool

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Free self parking on site

Food and drink

  • Free full breakfast available daily 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM
  • A restaurant

Things to do

  • Full-service spa
  • Horseback riding/rentals
  • Outdoor pool

Accessibility

  • No elevator

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Shower
  • Towels provided

More

  • Ceiling fan
  • Safe

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2 PM; Check-in end time: 6 PM
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM

Special check-in instructions

The front desk is open daily from 6 AM - 6 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Renovations and closures

This property is closed from June 3 2026 to June 5 2026 (dates subject to change).

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

  • No pets allowed, but service animals are welcome

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
  • Cribs (infant beds) are not available.

Property payment types

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and cash
Cashless transactions are available
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession. This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children. If you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room. This property accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and cash. For guests' safety, the property includes a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit in each accommodation. Cashless payment methods are available for all transactions.

We should mention

  • Reservations are needed for massage services and spa treatments. For reservations, contact the lodge before arrival using the contact information on the booking confirmation.

Property is also known as

Cusinga Lodge Ballena
Cusinga Lodge
Cusinga Ballena
La Cusinga Lodge Lodge
La Cusinga Lodge Ballena
La Cusinga Lodge Lodge Ballena

Frequently asked questions

How close is La Cusinga Lodge to the airport?

La Cusinga Lodge is 88.4 mi (180-min drive) away from the Drake Bay (DRK) airport, the closest popular airport to the property.

How much does it cost to stay at La Cusinga Lodge?

As of Apr 26, 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at La Cusinga Lodge on May 17, 2026 start from CA $178, excluding taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

Does La Cusinga Lodge have an airport shuttle?

Airport shuttle services are not available at La Cusinga Lodge.

How close is La Cusinga Lodge to the beach?

This lodge is a short 8-minute walk from Arco Beach and 2.5 mi (8-min drive) from Uvita Beach. Don't forget your sunscreen!

Does La Cusinga Lodge offer free breakfast?

La Cusinga Lodge offers free full breakfast every day from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM.

Is there a casino at La Cusinga Lodge?

No, there is no casino at this lodge.

What time is check-in at La Cusinga Lodge?

Check-in start time: 2 PM; Check-in end time: 6 PM.

Is there free parking at La Cusinga Lodge?

This lodge offers free self parking.

Does La Cusinga Lodge have a pool?

La Cusinga Lodge features an outdoor pool.

Does La Cusinga Lodge have a restaurant?

La Cusinga Lodge is home to Aracari, which features Regional cuisine.

Does La Cusinga Lodge have a spa?

This lodge has a spa, which features hot stone massages.

How close is La Cusinga Lodge to downtown Bahía Ballena?

La Cusinga Lodge is 2.9 mi away from Bahía Ballena.

La Cusinga Lodge Reviews

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 46 out of 55 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 6 out of 55 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 55 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 55 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 55 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Staff & service

9.2/10

Amenities

9.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Julio

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2026

10/10 Excellent

Astra

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
La Cusinga is such a special place. It’s everything I hoped it would be in an eco lodge. The grounds are amazing. The swimming hole was fantastic. The hikes you can do on the property, especially down to Playa Arco were spectacular. The hike down to Playa Arco at low tide and the swimming hole were the highlight of the stay. The pool was perfect for cooling off and relaxing after a hike. The staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming. Veronica at check in and check out and Michael and Ever at the restaurant gave us exceptional service. The rooms are rustic in an eco lodge way, beautifully constructed and in harmony with nature. We saw birds and agoutis right from our balcony. Although there is no a/c we found the room to be perfectly comfortable with the fan and it wasn’t hot at night. The included breakfast was exceptional, we were always greeted with a fresh juice of the day and then a plate of fruit, and breakfast is made to order. We ate dinner at the hotel both nights. The tomahawk pork chop was delicious. Overall we loved our stay and were very happy to have chosen this special place.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2025

10/10 Excellent

Gavin

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Near the national park, we loved the trails and the nature
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Alaine

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing and unique property. BEST STAFF ever! Food was outstanding. The property offers a beautiful beach, lovely on-property hikes, waterfall pond, a wonderful experience where the ocean meets a flowing river, lovely swimming pool and views everywhere you turn. A+++ property and will come again!
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Kishor

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

ecology minded hotel

Very nice ecology minded hotel. The grounds are great. It has quirky architecture, the staff are friendly and helpful The site view has a stunning viewpoint where u can enjoy the sunset The only criticism is that site is not practical for moving luggage from the car park to the room
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Elizabeth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Alison

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful eco lodge with walks on property and ocean views. Natural landscaping - Birds, monkeys butterflies etc.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jay, Dallas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jay, Dallas

Travelled with family, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Slightly remote lodge, with amazing ocean and jungle views. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The only restaurant served very good food, offers friendly service, with daily specials. The pool is beautiful and peaceful. Lots of wildlife are present, including a troop of Howler Monkeys that howl at 4 am and 4 pm everyday. There are lots of trails for people to explore. It may not be a good place for everyone though. It was a little too quiet for us. It is a place that attracts those who just want to read, mediate or stare into the trees. It attracts older people I think, but the walkways are very difficult for older people, the rocks are slippery and rounded, and the cabins are far apart along steep pathways. There are some very nice trails, but they forbid walking them at night. That really sucks, because that is when the interesting animals can be seen on the trails. I won't stay where I cannot explore at night. There are screens on the cabin windows, but no air conditioning, only fans. We were very warm at night, so lost some sleep. I really like the property, the people, food and scenery, but won't stay there again. Just too boring for my taste. Too many rules! I want to be were I can explore at my leisure and interact with nature and with others. No hotel pool should close at 7 pm!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jacqueline

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Lovely first stop in Costa Rica

We had a wonderful 3 night stay at La Cusinga Lodge, starting from being met in the parking area by Mabel, the welcome alcohol free cocktail and the friendly waiting staff. Our room was very large (Trogon) with a inside seating area and huge balcony. The bathroom walls and floor are all lined with pebbles, very "flintstonesque". It was my birthday during our stay and the lodge put fresh flowers in our room and decorated the bed with rose petals. We ate in the restaurant for breakfast and dinner every day and the food was excellent with plenty of choice and big portions. The hotel also has a beautiful yoga platform but sadly they did not have a teacher available during our stay. The pool is a short walk away from the main hotel and is very private. There are also walking trails on the property to waterfalls where you could take a refreshing dip. Whilst here we did a whale watching trip (sadly nothing spotted as we were on the cusp of the right season) and a self guided trip to the Nicoya waterfall which was busy but great fun. We would return to La Cusinga Lodge in a heartbeat.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Joseph

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
one of the best restaurants we experienced on our 10 day Costa Rica trip. A wonderful natural Post, beautiful pool, and so much wildlife right outside your cabin/yurt.... One of our favorite stays.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Alison

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful location, lovely lodges, good food, great cocktails, chilled out pool and natural swimming hole. Most importantly, extremely helpful and friendly staff, who went the extra mile to help us when we had a stressful problem (hire car related and nothing to do with the hotel), which they resolved. Would absolutely recommend.

10/10 Excellent

Molly

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property and view was beautiful. It was very secluded and felt safe. The sunsets and wild life were some of our favorite parts. Food and staff were also excellent. The beach was a pretty intense walk to get to, but beautiful and private once there.

10/10 Excellent

Kristin

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful private bungalows in the rainforest with balconies overlooking the ocean. Friendly staff, great food, wonderful trails down to the beach. They greeted us with pineapple juice when we arrived and packed us fresh fruit to go since we had to leave for a tour at 6 am before the restaurant opened for breakfast. Dinner was delicious! Can’t wait to return!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Wonderful nature resort with various lodges

The entire resort is an attraction in and of itself. It offers such a serene environment with an abundance of wildlife and great natural trails. Great for families and hikers alike. If you can make the drive down to the coast, it is worth it to come to see this place.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Emilie

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property is stunning full of wildlife and the staff is really professional.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2022

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Carlos

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
The location is fantastic. The room we stayed in needs some TLC - the bathroom sink faucet was singing some aria while the floor fan had its own tune which disrupted our sleep. As for their spa services, their therapist was terrific. However the spa facility could use some rejuvenation.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
The room was not what was advertised (poor setup, thin walls, poor light, roof fan barely pushed air). The breakfast is served at 7 although it is posted that it is at 6 and when I called previous to my stay they told me the same.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The beach was amazing! The cabins are very private and comfortable. There are monkeys and toucans on site. The staff was fantastic. So friendly! We got a flat tire and they pointed it out to us and immediately changed it for us...in the dark! Exceptional service! Highly recommended! We will be back!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
La Cusinga offers beautiful hikes through the rain forest, spectacular Arco Beach, howler monkeys and other wildlife, good and reasonably priced food, and spectacular ocean and sunset views. The only negatives I can think of for guests would be there is no pool, and staying here requires being able to walk reasonable distances over occasionally bumpy trails. For us, this made it more interesting. Overall a beautiful property and wonderful experience.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Lovely stay at La Cusinga Lodge

The hotel and lodges were beautiful and we very much enjoyed the “private pool” and beach as well as the great surroundings. The service was great and we were always received with smiles and good service for all inquiries. The only small comments we could have for improvement would be; - Complimentary tea and coffee would be great - The coffee at the morning breakfast table was cold - More tanning-areas for enjoying the sun would be great Thanks for a super stay!
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice feel of nature and solitude. Unique experience.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2018

10/10 Excellent

Ariel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Trip of a lifetime!

Just returned from a 9 day family trip to Costa Rica, 7 nights of which we stayed at La Cusinga Lodge in Uvita. Can't begin to describe how perfect our experience was. The grounds are absolutely breathtaking, and you really never need to leave property to experience an authentic Costa Rican rainforest. The cabinas have amazing views, and are kept immaculate. The natural swimming pool (La Poza) is so unique, and beats a traditional resort pool any day. The food at Aracari Restaurant (on site) is exquisite. The most memorable part of our stay, though, was the people... the staff is exceptional and really goes above and beyond to make sure each guest's stay is top-notch. The office staff were a huge help (from check in to helping us book multiple excursions throughout our stay), the servers at Aracari were as friendly as possible (our son quickly made friends with our main server for the week), and everyone you encounter from security to maintenance all have a smile on their face and are ready to offer assistance in any way they can. Thank you, La Cusinga, for making our 20-year-in-the-making trip everything we hoped it would be!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2018