This place is what you call off the beaten track. And for sure it’s not a holiday destination that can be compared to most hotels and resorts on our website. But if you are in for adventure, for nature all around you and at the same time looking for a creative atmosphere, a pool, a great base to explore and tasty food: this is your place in Costa Rica.
Mundo Milo Eco Lodge is located in Junquillal on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica in the province of Guanacaste. It is a small pleasant village with a strong community of both native Costa Ricans (Ticos) as well as migrant residents from Europe and North and South America who adopted Junquillal as their home. Guanacaste is located in the northwestern region of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It borders Nicaragua to the north, Alajuela Province to the east, and Puntarenas Province to the southeast. It is the most sparsely populated of all the provinces of Costa Rica.
The hospitality of the owners of Mundo Milo Eco Lodge, Michiel and Lieke van de Loo, is how hospitality should be. They are very friendly, helpful and you really feel at home from the moment you arrive. Even in the beginning when they were still constructing the place, they helped us in all kind of suggestions for us to do, eat and sleep. They know how to give personal attention to all guests according to their needs.
One of the cabins at Mundo Mico Eco Lodge
You will find yourselves in the middle of the jungle. The cabins are lovely, basic, spacious and cozy at the same time, and clean. And having a generous, light-filled bathroom. And we must admit: knowing all the energy the owners have put in creating them themselves, one can enjoy these even more. They are beautiful. The hotel has five cabins in total, so you might call it quite exclusive. The Mexican and Persian cabin are perfect for families of 4, with a quiet air-conditioner that works well.
Don't miss the restaurant
The hotel has a very nice shared area where the restaurant and the big pool are located. The breakfast is prepared the way you like it and maybe you’re enjoying your breakfast together with the howler monkeys swinging by in their trees!
Howler monkey in peace :-)
Even when you don’t stay in one of the cabins you have to try the restaurant. The dinner is just wonderful; it’s international with a local touch and all the ingredients are fresh and deliciously cooked. The panqueques and seared tuna over mango salsa are really recommended. No problem if you’re on a diet, they just adapt and offer delicious fresh daily specials.
The location is an excellent place to relax or explore other beaches such as Playa Blanca, Avellanas and San Juanillo that are all close by. And it’s a short 5-10 minutes’ walk to the beautiful Junquillal beach with the best sunsets ever. The beach is almost deserted and there are sea turtles, including the Olive Ridley and Leatherback. The turtles return here every year to lay their eggs. At the beach there is a turtle center and if you’re lucky you will see turtles coming out of their eggs. During a visit to Playa Junquillal you can take a (guided) night walk on the beach to witness a turtle come ashore to lay her eggs or watch the hatching of the little turtles with help from the local turtle project Vida Verdiazul.
How special: Sea Turtles!
Mundo Milo Eco Lodge is a short 3-4 km drive from Paraiso on an unpaved road. Junquillal is a lovely quiet place, where you can chill, walk and spot all sort of animals. But, the bar of Mundo Mico Edo Lodge has in time become the after sunset gathering spot for locals and visitors alike. Sometimes there are even salsa lessons to attend.
Lieke and Michiel provide you with valuable information on activities in the region. How about: surfing, snorkeling, kayaking, a coffee tour, pottery, cave descending, horseback riding or sailing? And for the parents: birdwatching, golf, yoga or a coffee tour might be nice. For children: don’t miss the canopy on short distance. We would love to visit one of the National Parks again, for its amazing flora and fauna and active volcanos.
At the time of our stay in Junquillal the big pool was created. Once again, a heroic effort by the owner’s themselves. But indeed, a great asset which your children will love. Especially since temperatures at Costa Rica are around 30 degrees and after a day full of adventure you will love to cool off a bit. Best time to visit Costa Rica in our opinion is from January to March. After a few warm, humid days on the tropical coast, a fresh breeze in the more temperate inland offers cooling. A little rain in this period will only make it greener and not spoil your holiday.
Fun at the pool
Near Junquillal the typical festivals of Costa Rica is something we highly recommend. We witnessed the crowd going crazy during a bull riding / rodeo, completed with a horse parade. Or you might visit a festival with delicious typical dishes of the region and music and dancing including Salsa, Merengue and Cumbia. So many choices.
WOW
# Pura Vida en Costa Rica (the pure life)! And the place to be in the region for a drink in the evening.
# When looking for an off the beaten track destination this is very good value combined with great hospitality. The prices of the food and stay are more than reasonable. All in all, a wonderful place to be for a couple of days or longer.
# We were surprised by the many activities that can be done in the region; also, for older children you will have much to choose from.
At the time of our visit, Topwithkids wasn’t launched yet. However we feel this destination should be mentioned here. Credits of most photos are for the destination itself or pixabay.