Guayabo Lodge is a 30-room country hotel on a working farm high on the slopes of Turrialba Volcano, in the dairy town of Santa Cruz. Open since 2002, it grows its own shade coffee, keeps cows and sheep, and looks out over the Turrialba Valley to the Talamanca mountains. It’s a calm, good-value base for the archaeological site at Guayabo, rafting on the Pacuare and birding in cool mountain air.
At a glance
| Location | Santa Cruz de Turrialba, on the slopes of Turrialba Volcano, Cartago province |
|---|---|
| Style | Family-run farm hotel with 30 rooms and a restaurant |
| Setting | Gardens, coffee plots and pasture at about 1,500 m, views to the valley and volcano |
| Best for | Couples and families exploring Turrialba, birders, coffee lovers |
| Getting there | By car via Cartago and Pacayas, or about 30 minutes uphill from Turrialba town; last 300 m on a private dirt road |
| CST status | Not listed in the CST directory (checked 2026-10-21) |
Where it is
Santa Cruz is a farming village above the town of Turrialba, known across Costa Rica for its fresh white Turrialba cheese. The lodge sits about 300 m off Highway 230, down a private dirt road near the village cemetery. According to the lodge’s location page, it’s about 30 minutes by car from both Turrialba and Pacayas. From San José, the usual route climbs past Cartago toward Irazú, then follows signs for Pacayas, Capellades and Santa Cruz.
At around 1,500 m the climate is fresh, and the lodge says rooms stay comfortable without fans or air conditioning.
The rooms
The rooms page lists 30 rooms in 3 types, all with views of either the Turrialba Volcano or the valley:
- 20 Standard rooms of about 20 m², set up for singles, couples, triples or families of 4, most with a balcony or patio.
- 4 Superior doubles of about 30 m², with a balcony, coffee maker, kettle and fridge.
- 6 Mountain Suites of about 35 m², with a kitchenette, TV and balcony.
Every room has a private bathroom with solar-heated hot water and ecological soap and shampoo. They’re comfortable rather than luxurious, and a few guest reviews note that some sliding doors have no screens, so they can’t be left open at night.
A working farm and its coffee
What makes Guayabo Lodge more than a mountain hotel is the farm around it. Cows and sheep graze the pastures, and guests can help feed or milk the cows. Guests often mention the homemade cheese and marmalade at breakfast.
Coffee is the newer project. In 2020 the owners, Don Pedro and his wife Rossana, bought an abandoned coffee plot next to the lodge, and since 2023 they’ve added about 5 hectares and planted 2 hectares of a newer hybrid variety. According to the coffee page, the arabica grows between 1,300 m and 1,500 m in mixed shade with bananas, without chemical pesticides: the farm uses Mexican sunflower and nitrogen-fixing plants to build the soil and keep pests down, and sun-dries its beans using natural and black honey methods. Some of the harvest is exported to a roaster in the Netherlands. Guests can help pick and process cherries in season, and the coffee is served at breakfast and in the afternoon.
Food
The restaurant and bar use the farm’s produce, and the menu changes daily. Breakfast features homemade products, and gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian choices are available. The terrace, with views over the valley, is a good place to watch the evening light and, on clear nights, the stars.
Nature and birds
The gardens and the surrounding mix of forest patches, coffee and pasture attract plenty of birds, and the lodge has its own eBird hotspot with a bird list built from visitors’ sightings. A walking trail leads in about 15 minutes down to the Aquiares River, and quiet rural roads climb further up the volcano. Guests can make their own routes or ask the lodge for suggestions.
What’s nearby
The activities page is a useful planner for the whole Turrialba area:
- Guayabo National Monument, about 30 minutes away, is the most important pre-Columbian site in Costa Rica, with stone causeways, aqueducts and mounds occupied from about 1000 BC to AD 1400. It’s protected by SINAC as a national monument.
- The Bosque Quemado walk at Hacienda La Central, about 45 minutes away, is a 5 km guided hike through landscapes shaped by recent eruptions of Turrialba Volcano.
- Rafting on the Pacuare River (class III to IV) or the gentler Pejibaye (class II to III).
- Las Trillizas, 3 waterfalls on the Guayabo River, about 30 minutes away.
- Cheese, coffee and cacao farm tours, paragliding over the valley, canyoning, horseback riding, and the CATIE botanical collections near Turrialba.
- Irazú Volcano, the country’s highest active volcano at 3,432 m, about 1.5 hours away.
Who it suits, and who might prefer somewhere else
Guayabo Lodge suits travelers who want a peaceful, friendly farm stay with mountain views, real food and easy access to Turrialba’s sights, and it works well for families since rooms sleep up to 4. Coffee lovers and anyone curious about small-scale farming will enjoy it most.
It’s not a rainforest lodge, and there’s no pool or spa. Serious birders might prefer Rancho Naturalista in the forest near Tuis, on the other side of Turrialba, and rafters who want to sleep on the river can book Pacuare Lodge. For more mountain stays, see the Central Valley and highlands eco lodges and our guide to organic farm stays in Costa Rica.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Guayabo Lodge from Guayabo National Monument?
About 30 minutes by car. The lodge warns drivers coming up from Turrialba not to follow signs for the monument by mistake, since the lodge is on a different road through Santa Cruz.
Can guests take part in farm work?
Yes. Guests can help feed or milk the cows and, during the harvest, pick and process coffee cherries with the farm team.
Do I need a 4x4 to get there?
The approach is on paved roads until the last 300 m, which is a private dirt road. The lodge doesn't say a 4x4 is required, but a car with decent clearance is sensible in the rainy season.
Is it cold at night?
At about 1,500 m, nights are cool and rooms don't need air conditioning. Bring a light jacket for the evenings and the terrace.
