Built in 1994, the Rainforest Lodge was financed by the Republic of Austria as part of a development aid program. It was managed by the non-profit NGO Regenwald der \u00d6sterreicher (Rainforest of the Austrians) until 2005, when it was purchased by the Austrian musician and environmentalist Michael Schnitzler. The 15.6-hectare property is surrounded on three sides by Piedras Blancas National Park and is accessible year-round via a gravel road. The lodge is located near the village of La Gamba, 5 km from the Inter-American Highway and a 30-minute drive from Golfito.<\/p>\n
The lodge has nine cabins, each with two bedrooms, a jungle villa with two bedrooms and a kitchen, and can accommodate 40 guests. There is also a manager's house, a house for guides and drivers, a staff house, a laundry building, and an office building. The lodge has a swimming pool and its own network of trails with direct access to the trails in the national park.
\nPiedras Blancas Park. Boat tours in Golfo Dulce are conducted using the lodge's nine-seater tour boat.<\/p>\n
In 2019, the lodge recorded 2,387 overnight stays. It is represented by 85 travel agencies in Costa Rica, the USA, and Europe. Reservations are already booked for 2022-2023. The lodge has been awarded a three-leaf certificate for sustainable tourism by the Costa Rican Tourism Board. Through the reforestation of 5,000 trees of 200 different species in La Gamba, the lodge has achieved carbon neutrality.<\/p>\n
The main building houses a restaurant and a lobby with seating for 40 guests. The bar features eight bar stools, a refrigerator with an ice maker, and two carbon water filters.<\/p>\n
The building has two guest restrooms and one staff restroom. The lecture area on the balcony is equipped with benches for 15 guests and a self-service library.
\nThe reception area has a credit card terminal and a printer. The souvenir shop has glass display cases to protect against moisture.<\/p>\n
Kitchen
\nThe kitchen is equipped with a six-burner propane gas stove, three refrigerators and two freezers, as well as a microwave, a blender, a food processor, two coffee makers, and two electric water heaters. It has a separate dishwashing area and a pantry for food storage. In an adjoining...
\nPropane tanks and cleaning equipment are located in the building.<\/p>\n
Main building
\nSynthetic palm roof with roof structure made of pressure-treated pine wood (guarantee until 2035)<\/p>\n
Guest room
\nThe lodge has nine identical cabins with 18 bedrooms. Each room has double or single beds for up to [number of people].
\nThree guests, a ceiling fan, and a bathroom with a hot shower. Since the average nighttime temperature is 22\u00b0C, there is no air conditioning. The windows have mosquito nets but no glass panes.<\/p>\n
Jungle Villa
\nThe jungle villa, located 200 meters from the main building, was designed for families with children or couples traveling together. Its secluded location makes it an ideal spot for birdwatching. The villa features two adjoining bedrooms, two bathrooms with hot showers, and a kitchen\/living room.<\/p>\n
Each room has a covered balcony and an open terrace with sun loungers. The kitchen is equipped with dishes, pots and pans for four guests, a glass-ceramic induction hob, a refrigerator, a coffee machine, and a blender. Other buildings in the main lodge area include a manager's house with two bedrooms,<\/p>\n
Bathroom and built-in wardrobe as well as an air-conditioned office with computer, printer, monitor, shredder and office furniture.<\/p>\n
Security is provided by a system that monitors live video from 11 cameras via a wireless network. It can play back recorded files and store and manage images and videos locally. The lodge uses walkie-talkies for staff communication.<\/p>\n
hiking trails
\nEsquinas Lodge features two nature trails. The 1.2-kilometer Bird Trail crosses the Quebrada Negra via an iron bridge and winds through old-growth secondary forest. The 0.6-kilometer Riverbed Trail encircles the lagoon. A bridge leads to a covered pavilion with seating for birdwatchers. The Caiman Pond is a three-minute walk from the lodge. The Ocelot Trail in Piedras Blancas National Park is directly accessible from the road to the lodge. The surrounding lowland tropical rainforest is home to a variety of wildlife.<\/p>\n
pool
\nThe saltwater pool's water is disinfected by a sand filter and a fully automated electrolysis water treatment system located in the technical room next to the pool. The covered rancho by the pool, with its synthetic palm-leaf roof, overlooks the Quebrada Negra and is furnished with hammocks, tables, and chairs. Ten adjustable chaise longue chairs line the pool.<\/p>\n
Carnivores included jaguars, pumas, ocelots, raccoons,
\nCoatis, otters, and tayras have been sighted. Other mammals found in the garden include anteaters, armadillos, capuchin and squirrel monkeys, opossums, and 53 different bat species. Rodents include the agouti paca, the collared peccary, and various species of mice, squirrels, and rats. Thirty-seven amphibian and 42 reptile species have been recorded in the surrounding forest. Caimans and snapping turtles inhabit the ponds. Esquinas is one of Costa Rica's premier birdwatching hotspots, with 395 bird species recorded, including the endemic black-cheeked tanager.<\/p>\n
Service area
\n\u2022 The laundry has four washing machines, three dryers and clotheslines under a transparent plexiglass roof.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The building for guides and drivers has four rooms, each with two single beds and a bathroom (toilet and hot shower). It has two covered verandas.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The staff accommodation includes two single rooms (with a separate bathroom for shared use) and one double room with a private bathroom. The building has a covered veranda.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The staff rancho has lockers, a refrigerator, a microwave and a coffee machine and is used for training and meetings.<\/p>\n
Water and waste management
\n\u2022 The worm composting system produces organic fertilizer for the fruit and vegetable garden, where bananas, plantains, citrus fruits, cassavas and ginger are grown, among other things.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Wastewater from the kitchen flows into a biofilter greywater treatment system, using sand, gravel and<\/p>\n
Aquatic plants.
\n\u2022 To supply the lodge with water, water is pumped from a 70-meter deep well into a 15,000-liter water tank (water flow rate: 0.32 liters per second).<\/p>\n
\u2022 Each cabin has its own septic tank.<\/p>\n
Real estate offer # 2451<\/strong><\/p>\n