La Paloma Lodge is a family-run lodge of 11 ocean-view rooms and two-level ranchos on a cliff above Drake Bay, on the northern edge of the Osa Peninsula. It has been receiving guests since the 1980s, it packages meals and guided trips into Corcovado National Park and out to Caño Island, and it suits travelers who want a well-organized base for the Osa’s big wildlife days, with a pool and a sea view waiting at the end of each one.
At a glance
| Location | Clifftop above Drake Bay, beside the mouth of the Agujitas River, Osa Peninsula |
|---|---|
| Style | Small family-run lodge with 7 ranchos and 4 rooms, all meals included |
| Setting | Regrown forest on former pasture, facing the Pacific and Caño Island |
| Best for | Couples and families who want guided Corcovado and Caño Island days with comfortable rooms |
| Getting there | Flight to the Drake Bay airstrip plus a short road and boat transfer, or road to Sierpe and a boat down the river |
| CST status | Not in the official CST directory on 2026-Oct-21 |
Where it is
Drake Bay is one of the two main gateways to Corcovado National Park, and the village is still mostly reached by water or small plane. La Paloma sits on a bluff on the far side of the Agujitas River from the village, looking west over the bay toward Caño Island. The lodge’s home page describes it as a short walk from the river and from small black-sand beaches.
There are two usual ways in, both laid out on the getting here page. The quick one is a domestic flight from San José to the Drake Bay airstrip, then about 20 minutes by road to the village and a five-minute boat ride across the bay to the lodge’s own dock. Small planes enforce strict luggage limits, so pack light. The slower option is a shared van down the Pacific coast to the river town of Sierpe, then an hour by boat through the mangroves and out to sea, arriving around lunchtime.
A pasture that became a forest
The land was cattle pasture when Mike and Sue Kalmbach bought it in the early 1980s. Their daughter’s account on the lodge’s history and sustainability page describes a single dirt-floored hut, no road, no running water and a small generator. The thatched clubhouse went up first, finished in 1986, and the family moved into one of the ranchos in 1988. The place was first called Drake Bay Lodge and aimed at sport fishermen. After the family’s fishing boat sank on its way up from Panama, the focus turned to the forest and wildlife around them.
Today the lodge reports a staff of more than 30, and Nichole DuPont manages it alongside founder Sue Kalmbach.
Rooms and ranchos
The accommodations page lists four kinds of room, all with air conditioning, ceiling fans, hot water, a safe and an ocean-facing balcony or deck:
- Superior Rooms: one king bed, sleeping two or three, with a private balcony and a hammock.
- Deluxe Ranchos, single level: one king and one single bed, sleeping three.
- Deluxe Ranchos, two levels: king, queen and single beds with a bathroom on each floor, sleeping five or six.
- Sunset Ranchos: also two storeys with two bathrooms, placed for the clearest view of the sun setting behind Caño Island.
The home page puts the total at seven bungalows and four rooms. There are no phones or Wi-Fi in the rooms. A connection is available in the clubhouse, though the lodge warns it can be patchy this far out.
Food
Meals are served family style in the clubhouse and are included with every stay. According to the FAQ, breakfast offers continental and à la carte choices, lunch is light, there’s an afternoon snack, and dinner runs to four courses. The kitchen cooks fresh fish, shrimp, chicken and beef, bakes its own bread and puts out plenty of fruit. Vegetarian meals are made on request, and other diets can usually be handled with notice. Drinks are extra.
Days out from the lodge
Stays are sold as packages that include three guided outings: a day in Corcovado through the San Pedrillo ranger station, a night walk and a locally guided hike, plus transfers between the airstrip and the lodge. The activities page covers:
- Caño Island Biological Reserve: snorkeling or diving in clear water around a 300-hectare island once used as a burial ground by the Diquís people.
- Whale and dolphin trips: the lodge says humpbacks pass on two migrations a year, and bottlenose, rough-toothed and spotted dolphins are seen year round.
- Sierpe mangroves: a river trip through Central America’s largest protected mangrove area, looking for caimans, crocodiles and the mangrove warbler.
- Kayaks and paddleboards: free for guests from the dock on the Agujitas River, with small waterfalls upstream and the open coast past the river mouth.
- Birding: toucans, macaws, tanagers and manakins can be watched on the grounds, and resident guides lead dawn walks.
- Horseback rides, sport fishing and in-room massage.
There’s also a 10-meter pool, and the staff will run you down to a quiet beach in a golf cart for a sunset picnic.
The night walk
Drake Bay’s night tour has a reputation of its own, and La Paloma helped start it. Biologists Gianfranco Gómez and Tracie Stice write on the lodge’s site that the Kalmbachs backed them when they began guiding, and that the forest around the lodge has since drawn film crews from the BBC and Discovery Channel. In May 2018 the lodge hosted the first study cataloguing the area’s arachnids, which the pair say turned up species new to Costa Rica.
Sustainability and community
The lodge’s own list is practical rather than glossy. It has replanted its property and worked on reforestation around the local school, and it says it campaigns to keep motor vehicles out of trails still used by wild cats. Drinking water comes from a reverse osmosis and UV system, so no bottled water is sold, and beer and soda come in returnable glass. Food scraps go to a local pig farmer, and the rest is composted. The lodge says it belongs to a local group working to end single-use plastic, and that it brought the first electric car to the area.
In the village, La Paloma reports helping to start a school library, buy land for the medical clinic, refit the police station and maintain a bridge and trails. It also supports turtle conservation and the Corcovado Foundation. These are the lodge’s own claims, and La Paloma does not appear in the official CST directory.
Who it suits
La Paloma suits travelers who want Corcovado and Caño Island handled for them, with experienced guides and boats leaving from the lodge, and who like returning to air conditioning, good food and a sea view. Two-level ranchos work well for families or friends sharing. The lodge recommends at least three nights.
It’s less suited to anyone with limited mobility, because the property is on a steep hillside. Budget travelers will find simpler cabins in the village. The lodge closes each year for the wettest stretch; in 2026 that’s September and October. For other Drake Bay options, compare Aguila de Osa Inn or Copa de Arbol, browse all our Osa Peninsula eco-lodges, and read our Corcovado and Osa Peninsula guide before you go.
Frequently asked questions
Which part of Corcovado do La Paloma's guided trips visit?
The included park day goes in through the San Pedrillo ranger station, the closest sector to Drake Bay. It's reached by boat along the coast.
Can you swim or snorkel without booking a tour?
Yes. Guests can take kayaks and paddleboards from the lodge's dock on the Agujitas River for free, and small beaches are a short walk away. For coral and clearer water, the Caño Island trip is the one to book.
Is the lodge open all year?
No. It closes for the rainiest part of the year; in 2026 that's from September 1 to October 31. Check with the lodge for other years.
Do the rooms have air conditioning?
Yes, every room and rancho has air conditioning and ceiling fans. The lodge notes that many guests sleep with the windows open anyway, because the westerly breeze off the ocean keeps the clifftop cool.
