La Kukula Lodge

Forty metres from the jungle edge along Playa Chiquita's Mista French Road, La Kukula Lodge arranges its bungalows through a garden property where hardwood floors and private balconies face tree canopy rather than a pool deck.

The outdoor pool sits beneath the garden's oldest trees, and the on-site restaurant serves a kid-friendly buffet alongside à la carte options. Tour desk staff organise snorkelling trips, horseback riding, and jungle hikes directly from the lodge — useful given Playa Chiquita's limited independent transport options.

Puerto Viejo centre is roughly three kilometres west, accessible by the bicycle rental the lodge provides. The Gandoca-Manzanillo wildlife refuge trailhead begins less than two kilometres east along the same coastal road.