Built almost entirely from bamboo
A bamboo house, hidden in fifty species of palm.
Two storeys of grown-on-site bamboo, plus a modern A/C addition. Sleeps 4 — a king in the modern wing, and a king bedroom plus a two-twin bedroom upstairs in the bamboo house. Made for couples, a couple plus kids, or a family of four who’d rather not share a bedroom.
Fig 1 · the bamboo house under the canopyPunta Uva · Caribbean coast
● ON THE 10 ACRES OF TREE HOUSE LODGE
The Garden House is one of seven on Tree House Lodge — a private 10-acre Caribbean ecolodge with botanical gardens, 300m of Punta Uva beachfront with direct private access, gated reception, EV charging, and a 5-leaf sustainable tourism certification. Garden House shares a private gate with the Beach Suite.
→ SEE THE WHOLE ESTATE10 acres
botanical garden
300 m
beach, private access
1
gated reception
EV
charging on-site
5 leaves
eco-certified
Two rooms, one house.
The Garden House combines a modern wing with the original 2-storey bamboo home. You can book just the modern room — or the whole house.
From $140 / night · $126 web rate (~10% off, book direct)
Option A
Modern wing only
For up to 2 guests · A/C insulated room with king-size bed and private entrance.
- · King bed + ample storage
- · A/C, well sound-insulated
- · Original art by Henk van der Vet
- · Private patio + flame-heated hot tub
- · Shared BBQ area
Families
Option B
Whole house
For up to 4 guests · Modern wing + original 2-storey bamboo home.
- · Everything from Option A
- · + 2-storey bamboo house: kitchen, living, dining downstairs
- · + King bedroom + two-twin bedroom upstairs (fans)
- · + Covered deck with sofa + hammock
- · All beds with mosquito nets
Note for light sleepers: the original bamboo house sits closer to the road leading to Puerto Viejo. The modern wing is more sound-insulated.
Couples who want more space can book the whole house and use the bamboo wing as the lounge, the kids’ room, or just leave it empty. Ask us when you book.
150 m
to Punta Uva beach
Covered
carport parking
Beach Suite
shared private gate
8am–8pm
WhatsApp reception
—— Built from
Guadua aculeata.
The strongest bamboo in Central America.
Tensile strength comparable to mild steel. A 50+ year lifespan when kept dry and ventilated, which the open Caribbean canopy does for free. Inside the modern wing, vibrant original paintings by the Dutch artist Henk van der Vet hang on the walls.
≈ steel
tensile strength
50+ yr
lifespan, kept dry
2
storeys of bamboo
50 spp.
palms around it
—— The garden
What grows around the house.
Heliconia rostrata
Hanging lobster claw
Three meters tall on a good year. Hummingbirds visit at dawn.
Cocos nucifera
Coconut palm
Fifty-plus varieties across the property. Drink them green or wait for them brown.
Theobroma cacao
Cacao tree
Pods ripen orange. The neighbour harvests for the local chocolate cooperative.
Psittacanthus calyculatus
Tropical mistletoe
Flowers a violent red. Pollinated by hummingbirds and bananaquits.
Anthurium clarinervium
Velvet-leaf anthurium
Deep green leaves with silver veins. Native to wet rainforest understorey.
Plumeria rubra
Frangipani
The smell that defines the Caribbean at dusk. Star-shaped petals.
● Quick facts
Reserve →Sleeps
2 or 4
wing only · or whole house
Built from
Guadua
structural bamboo + modern wing
A/C
Modern wing
bamboo house has fans + cross-breeze
To the beach
150 m
garden path, 2-min walk
From
$140 / night
book direct for the web rate
Book
Wing or whole
modern wing for 2 · or all 4 sleeps
Parking
Carport
covered, on-site
Garden
50 spp.
palms, all around the house
—— INSIDE THE GARDEN HOUSE ——
Drag through the bamboo.
Everything in the house.
Bamboo construction (Guadua aculeata)King bed (modern wing) — A/CKing + two twin beds (bamboo house) — fansMosquito nets on every bedFlame-heated hot tubFull kitchen + shared BBQCovered deck with hammockOutdoor showerIn-room safeWiFi up to 100 MbpsHousekeeping every other dayArt by Henk van der VetSound-insulated modern wingSolar hot waterGray-water irrigated gardensIguanaverde reserve adjacent
● The fact sheet
Everything in one page.
A blend of modern comfort and rustic charm — a modern A/C wing connected to the original two-storey bamboo house. For up to two guests you stay exclusively in the modern A/C room: a king-size bed, ample storage and vibrant art by Dutch artist Henk van der Vet, with a spacious bathroom, a patio with a flame-heated hot tub and a BBQ area. For more than two guests the reservation includes the bamboo house — downstairs a small but equipped kitchen, cozy living room, dining area and a bathroom with warm shower; upstairs two bedrooms, one with a king bed and one with two twins, every bed under its own mosquito net. Maximum occupancy is four guests, even though the beds could fit more. Covered carport parking, a private gate shared with the Beach Suite, and 150 meters to the beach.
Sleeps
4Bed configuration
- Modern wing (A/C): 1 King-size bed
- Bamboo house upstairs: 1 King-size bed + 2 Twins
Eating
All houses are set up for self-catering — a stove, fridge, oven, and hot running water (solar-powered), plus a good range of utensils including a juicer and a coffee maker. Every house has access to a BBQ.
In the house
iPod dock
Safe box
Air-Conditioning
Fan
Mosquito net
Full Kitchen
Fridge
Coffee / tea making
Barbeque
Flame-heated hot tub
Covered carport
Henk van der Vet art
—— Reserve
Two for the modern wing.
Four for the whole house.
Reservations through the lodge’s Cloudbeds calendar. The widget defaults to the modern wing — toggle “more than 2 guests” to switch to the whole-house rate automatically.
From $140
Season low / night
$153
Weeknight
$164
Fri / Sat
$126
Web rate
~10% off — book direct
✿ Book direct for the exclusive Sloth web rate — our best price.
Book your stay
live via Cloudbeds
Web rate — about 10% off, applied automatically when you book direct.
Check-in
Select
Check-out
Select
July 2026
Su
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
SelectedBooked
Guests
2
Rooms
1
Whole-house rate — one price for up to 4 guests.
Pick your dates above to see live rates.
25% deposit secures your dates · see cancellation policy · Book direct for the best rate — prices here include the 13% IVA; third-party sites often show pre-tax rates and apply their own cancellation terms.
● LOVED BY GUESTS
4.4★294 reviews across the estate
Guests love Tree House Lodge — this score is across all seven houses of the estate.
“The tree house was amazing. The open setting of the living areas in the middle of the forest with the ocean as a background, I think that is a plus.”
—— FAQ
Practical
things.
Yes. Guadua bamboo (the South American giant species used here) has tensile strength comparable to steel. Properly treated and engineered, it lasts 50+ years.
Fly into San José (SJO), then take our own private shuttle — A/C minivan, Wi-Fi, flat $290 for up to 4 guests, 4–5 hours door to door — to the lodge, about 10 minutes south of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. Or fly to Limón (LIO) and arrange a private transfer — 1h. Gated reception with parking on site, EV charging included.
Yes. The estate is gated and our 10 acres are quiet jungle/coast. The wider Puerto Viejo area is a long-established tourist town; standard travel sense applies (don't leave valuables on the beach).
Honest answer: the original bamboo house sits about 40m from the road to Puerto Viejo, so occasional traffic noise is possible — it quiets after sunset. The modern wing is sound-insulated and sits further back; most nights the howler monkeys are the loudest thing you'll hear.
Couples: Beach House (romantic) or Bungalow (budget). Family with kids: Crystal House (sleeps 7) or Garden House (eco). Groups of 6: Beach Suite. A unique adventure: Tree House or School Bus. The AI assistant on every page can recommend based on your dates and group size.
Modern wing only (sleeps 2, A/C): private entrance, kitchenette, full bath. Whole house (sleeps 4): includes the bamboo wing too — extra bedroom + larger kitchen + outdoor seating. Live nightly rates are on the booking calendar; book direct for the Sloth web rate.
Covered carport on-site, shared gate at the estate entrance. EV charging available.
Within walking distance: Sapori Italiani (Italian bakery just in front of the hotel), Gypsea Cafe (fusion), La Leyenda (pizzeria), Pulcinella (Italian), and Selvin's (Caribbean). In Puerto Viejo (about 10 min): dozens of options. We can recommend based on your group and any dietary needs.
A Dutch artist and friend of Edsart's. His vibrant original paintings hang in the Garden House's modern wing.
Yes, free WiFi in every house. Strong enough for video calls — many guests work remotely from here.
No shared pool — by design. We sit on 300m of Punta Uva beachfront with direct private access (a 30s–2min walk from each house) — and Punta Uva bay is one of the safest swimming spots on the Caribbean coast. Conditions change with the swell, so ask reception to point you to the day's best entry. Every house except the Bungalow has a private tub — flame-heated outdoors at five houses, a big indoor Jacuzzi bath at the Beach Suite.
Yes, no extra fee. The bamboo wing uses cross-breeze + fans.
Yes. Crystal House (sleeps 7, mini-golf), Garden House (bamboo, garden), and Beach Suite (3 bedrooms) are family-favorites. The Tree House is best for adventurous kids age 6+ given the suspension bridge.
Yes — the house shares the estate's private gated entrance. Reception walks you through gate access when you check in.
The modern wing has step-free access from the carport. The bamboo wing has a few low steps. Contact us if you need full accessibility — we can recommend specific houses.
5-leaf Costa Rica Certified Sustainable Tourism — the highest tier. Solar hot water, EV charging, an on-site botanical garden of native and tropical species, no AC where natural ventilation works, and the Iguanaverde green-iguana reserve is on our property.
Edsart Besier is the Dutch owner-builder of Tree House Lodge — a self-taught designer. He came to Costa Rica as a young man in the late 1980s, looking for a place where building could happen on the rainforest's terms. He started the original Tree House around a 100-year-old Sangrillo in 1997, then built six more houses over the decades since. The 1980-era American School Bus is the one he travelled in through Panama and lived in during his first years on this coast, delivering Heliconia flowers from it. He's hands-on — most likely the person you'll meet at reception.
Pamela Rodríguez is co-owner and runs the wellness side of the estate. Argentine, she joined Edsart later in the lodge's story. She's an ISPEF-certified Physical Education instructor with 20+ years of teaching — Yoga, Pilates, Tae Bo, GAPS body-conditioning, Cardio Dance, and Aqua Gym. She teaches at the yoga shala on the property — $10 drop-in, all levels welcome, private sessions on request.
Edsart Besier (Dutch) and Pamela Rodríguez (Argentine). Independent, family-owned, no chain affiliation. They live on the property and run it themselves.
1997, when Edsart started building the original Tree House — a stilted house around a 100-year-old Sangrillo tree — as the first stay on the property. Six more houses followed over the decades since, each with its own architecture and audience.
The Iguanaverde Foundation is the on-site green-iguana reserve. We raise juvenile green iguanas and release them back into the refuge every year as part of the lodge's conservation work. You'll see iguanas all over the property — they're welcome here.
Yes — happy to hand off. WhatsApp the front desk at +506 8734 1887 during 8am–8pm Costa Rica time (UTC-6), or email stay@treehouselodge.com anytime. I can also take your contact details right here if you'd prefer the team to reach out.
WhatsApp: +506 8734 1887 (8am–8pm CR time, daily). Email: stay@treehouselodge.com — we reply as quickly as we can. For a callback, leave me your email/WhatsApp + a good time and the team will reach out.
When the sea is calm it's excellent — the reef is right off Punta Uva, and Manzanillo's reef is a short ride south. The most recommended months are April–May and September–October; any calm low-tide day works too. We don't rent gear ourselves, but several shops in Punta Uva and Puerto Viejo do — reception will point you to the nearest.
Yes — we accept all major credit cards, and most restaurants, shops, and tour operators in the area do too. Smaller sodas and market stalls can be cash-only, so it's worth carrying some.
Costa Rica's currency is the colón, but US dollars are accepted almost everywhere on this coast — hotels, restaurants, tours. Change usually comes back in colones. Keep some colones for buses and market stalls; ATMs in Puerto Viejo dispense both.
Yes. A small gourmet market, Duende Gourmet, is a few minutes' walk toward Puerto Viejo — fresh dairy, baked bread, vegetables, and a surprising range of Italian specialties. Larger supermarkets sit in Cocles on the road to town, and Puerto Viejo itself (about 10 minutes) has everything else. Ask reception for current opening hours.
No on-site restaurant or bar — by design. Every house has its own full kitchen, and some very good restaurants — Caribbean, Italian, fusion — are within walking distance, with dozens more in Puerto Viejo, about 10 minutes away. Reception will recommend by cuisine and budget.
Yes — every house has its own fully equipped kitchen: stove, full fridge, coffee maker, blender, and the cookware to make most things. Many guests cook breakfast and dinner at the house and head out for lunch.
Never. All seven houses are completely self-contained — your own kitchen, your own bathroom, your own outdoor space. The only things you share with other guests are the gardens, the beach, and a BBQ area.
Yes — every shower in every house runs hot, heated by our solar-thermal system. The panels sit in the sunniest spots, sometimes a little away from the house, so give the tap a moment to run warm.
Yes — bath towels, beach towels, and all bed linens are included. Housekeeping changes the sheets and cleans your house every other day, and fresh towels are always there for the asking at reception.
Yes. Reception can call you a trusted local driver at any hour — we recommend René (+506 8879 5033) and Jairo (+506 8353 3989). Puerto Viejo is about 10 minutes away and costs roughly $10 each way, a little more at night.
Yes — the public bus between Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo runs along the coast road and stops near our gate several times a day, and Autotransportes MEPE connects San José with Puerto Viejo. Schedules shift seasonally, so ask reception for the current timetable.
Most guests find they don't need one. Our flat-rate private shuttle covers the San José leg ($290 for up to 4 people), local taxis are cheap, and bikes handle the coast road. Rent a car only if you're touring the country — the drive from SJO is 4–5 hours on paved Highway 32, best done in daylight. EV charging at the lodge is included.
No vaccinations are required for Costa Rica, and malaria isn't a concern around Puerto Viejo. Dengue is occasionally reported on the coast — that mosquito bites by day, so repellent on jungle walks is sensible. Every sleeping room is screened and netted. For personal medical advice, check a travel clinic before you fly.
Far less than people expect — the steady ocean breeze keeps them away, and the comment we hear most is surprise at how few there are. Every sleeping area is screened and has mosquito nets, so leave yours at home. A little repellent around sunset doesn't hurt.
The Caribbean coast runs out of phase with the rest of Costa Rica. The calmest, driest stretches are usually February–April and August–October — September and October are often the stillest, clearest months. The wettest spells tend to be July and November–January. Short tropical showers can happen in any month — they pass fast, and the rainforest is at its best right after.
Right off the property — Punta Uva bay is one of the safest swimming spots on the Caribbean coast, with the reef keeping the water calm. Directly in front of the houses the reef keeps things shallow; for a proper swim, the best entries are a short walk along our 300m of beachfront toward Punta Uva. Conditions change with the swell, so ask reception to point you to the day's best entry.
Yes — bikes rent near the lodge for a few dollars a day (week rentals usually earn a discount), and scooters are widely available too. The coast road from Puerto Viejo is paved and flat, perfect for cycling; the adventurous can head off-road toward Paraíso. Ask reception for current rates.
Plenty. Jungle hikes in the Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge, the Jaguar Rescue Center, snorkeling and diving, kayaks, dolphin watching, chocolate-farm tours, horseback riding, canopy ziplines, white-water rafting, and day trips to the Bri Bri indigenous territory. On the property itself: yoga and fitness classes with Pamela, the mini-golf course at the Crystal House (free for its guests, a small fee for other houses), and the Iguanaverde reserve. Reception can book most tours.
Both make easy day trips. The Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge starts just south of us — about 10 minutes to the trailheads at Manzanillo, where local nature guides run excellent tours (the first stretch of trail is fine on your own). Cahuita National Park is about 15 km north of Puerto Viejo and easy to explore self-guided.
Yes — every house has its own safe, big enough for a camera or a laptop. The estate sits behind a 24/7 gated entrance with security cameras at key points (the desk itself is staffed 8am–8pm); standard travel sense covers the rest.
Book direct on the site — every house page has a live calendar showing the same availability staff see at reception. A 25% deposit confirms your dates, and the balance is due fifteen days before arrival. Cancel sixteen or more days out and the deposit comes back, minus a 10% admin fee. Booking direct also gets you the Sloth web rate, our best price.
San José's Juan Santamaría (SJO) is the practical gateway — every international airline lands there, and it's 4–5 hours to our gate by road, with our flat-rate shuttle meeting any arrival. Limón (LIO) is the coastal airport about an hour away; SANSA turboprops hop SJO to LIO in roughly 40 minutes — book at flysansa.com. Private charters can land even closer, on a strip about 30 minutes from the lodge. Reception will time a pick-up to whatever flight you choose.
Three-toed sloths most days in the Cecropias, howler monkeys as a dawn alarm clock, toucans in the almond trees, hummingbirds, frogs after dark — and green iguanas everywhere, since the on-site Iguanaverde reserve raises and releases juveniles back into the refuge every year. We feed nothing, fence nothing in, and use no insecticides on the ten acres. One tip: don't leave fruit out on the counter overnight — the raccoons consider that an invitation. They're harmless, but cheeky.