<h1> Espino Blanco Lodge </h1>

My first impression when I walked into this lodge was "this is what every hotel in Costa Rica should be". It is literally surrounded by nature. It was not bull-dozed and then a gardener came in and planted pretty trees and flowers around it. It is in the rainforest and cabins, reception, and the restaurant are placed in the midst of the rainforest. There are holes in the floor of the restaurant and reception that wrap around trees so the absolute least amount of trees had to be removed. It is completely natural in all aspects and very low on energy use. You walk around the hotel holding a lantern. That is correct, no lights in your room so bringing a flash-light is a great idea. This is a perfect spot for a Costa Rica family vacation and although not a super fancy place it is decorated, clean,  and done to perfection to make you feel the jungle all around.

When describing Costa Rica ecolodges this is for the true ecotourist. Although this hotel is located in a large reserve called Espino Blanco it is only off the beaten path by 2km and is actually only 20 minutes from the town of Turrialba. Espino Blanco is part of the Wagelia hotels which has two other hotels in the Turrialba area. The other two hotels are simple but in our opinion it's a no brainer that the Espino Blanco that we describe above is the best without question of their three hotels in the area.

Being in the Turrialba area, this lodge is great access to some of the best Costa Rica adventure tours. The Costa Rica whitewater rafting tour of the Pacuare River, one of top five scenic rivers on the planet according to National Geographic, is nearby.