Heliconia Island

Lovely accommodation in gorgeous surroundings, the riverside and gardens are heaving with wildlife... we saw armadillos, squirrels, herons, iguanas, macaws, kingfishers, toucans, hummingirds, basilisks, lizards, frogs and a huge variety of fantastically coloured birds all within or from the property boundary. Swimming in the adjacent river - remember you're on an island - was very enjoyable. More wildlife to see including the fish in the river (I had snorkelling kit with me). Take care though, the river current is strong outside of the quiet pool created by a small breakwater. Our room was raised and with a verandah overlooking the garden, as were all of them, with the sights and sounds of jungle life literally outside the door... heaven! The variety of plants in the garden was astounding. The room was fine and the en suite shower was excellent. I would have preferred air conditioning but the ceiling fan was adequate and very welcome; I think some of the rooms have AC but not this one, check when you book if it matters to you. The room cost included breakfast so you don't have to go a few km down the road to find food. Breakfast was quirky though - not continental, not Costa Rica 'typical' - just what the proprietor decided was breakfast. This was scrambled eggs with or without "everything" (your choice) along with yoghurt, toast, fruit, coffee, fruit juice. I generally chose eggs with "everything" which turned out was a variety of sweet peppers, onions, tomatoes etc cooked with the eggs, sort of like an omelette but not. Maybe 'eggs with everything' is what you have where the proprietor is from, but I've been to the Netherlands many times and never experienced anything like it before. Different! Evening meals are by arrangement only and you have to pre-book what you want from a relatively limited menu well in advance. The food we booked (we each had something different) was excellent and very reasonably priced, and the proprietor clearly enjoys cooking for his guests. And so to the only negative point about our 3-night stay - the proprietor. In his defence we were advised that he was ill on the day of our arrival. I can only assume that the fact we couldn't book an evening meal that night was because of this, or maybe it was because it was Easter Sunday and a national holiday. And the same for the second night. On the third day the proprietor said he was well enough to cook that evening and agreed to provide a meal, which as stated was excellent. Given that he had been ill (and obviously so, I really felt for the poor guy) and given that we were eating dinner in the dining room, neither of us appreciated him lounging around on the sofa in the dining room watching TV with the volume turned up. He'd done this during the previous two breakfasts too. Uncomfortable especially at dinner, and inappropriate, especially so since he was ill. I'd suggest the proprietor should use his own accommodation if wants to lounge around watching TV whether he'

The most fantastic place I stayed during my 3 weeks trip in Costa Rica. Beautiful garden, many birds & monkeys. The manager Pierre made us really feel at home. I definitely hope to be able to go back. Puerto Viejo and neighborhood have quite a few attractions and an astounding wildlife.

Wow. Just wow. What an amazing spot. It’s so beautiful and tropical. The trees are full of sloths and monkeys. There are dozens of tropical birds. I woke up to a toucan right at my window chirping every morning. Plus lizards and butterflies and so much life!! The flowers made me feel like I was living in a garden. The king size bed was super comfy. Plus cold air conditioning, hot showers, and a free breakfast. Just a beautiful hidden place in the middle of the rainforest. Even got to take a dip in the river!! And the host was gracious but also gave us lots of space which was really appreciated. Thank you for everything!!

Nice property! A lot of birds at the breakfast time! Hospitable owner!

Heliconia Island was probably a beautiful place some time ago, but it is sad to see how it is now completely lost its spark. The rooms were far from clean, most things were just falling apart in general. The garden is very beautiful and so is the view, but this gets a bit ruined when the gardener walks around with loud music when you try to enjoy the quiet nature. The service itself is not good either, it actually wasn’t really there at all. At arrival we weren’t even greeted properly and the manager was not on site most of the time. This place has absolutely amazing potential but does not live up to its name anymore.

Heliconia Island changed hands over the last couple of years. You can no longer get a guided tour of the gardens but they are still beautifully maintained and you can wander through them at your leisure. This place is magical and so who really cares if the accommodations are a bit on the rustic side with squishy mattresses and a cranky electrical system. Breakfast was delicious and accompanied by a wonderful show of tropical birds attracted to the papaya and banana that owner Pier put out for them. We also enjoyed canoeing on the Sarapiqui, but be prepared for a bit of effort to get the canoe down and later up the steep and muddy set of stairs leading to the river.

Unique atmosphere, excellent quality food!