COVID-SAFE PROTOCOL IN EFFECT. Celeste Mountain Lodge is a responsible tourism establishment, located in Bijagua de Upala, the door to the Volcano Tenorio National Park and its amazing Rio Celeste (Blue River). An authentic rural area, of great natural beauty, with lots of forest and lots to do, yet so accessible! Celeste Mountain Lodge is unique for its concept and profound sustainable philosophy, its innovations, its details and original decoration, contemporary architecture in minimalist style integrated in the environment. Surrounded by primary rain forest and hosting its own trail, you will be impressed by its fauna and flora, excellent bird watching, impressive views onto 2 volcanoes, own own Cuisine fusion and our friendly service, casual, warm and efficient. Share a vision of the world and tourism with ethics, refined simplicity, personality, peace and nature in an unforgettable place...
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Park View
Languages Spoken
English, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Location
Apdo. 305–2250 Tres Ríos 4 Km En El Acceso Al Parque Nacional Volcano Tenorio Rio Celeste, Bijagua de Upala 21301 Costa Rica
Our family of five stayed here in late December and used it as a homebase to explore Bijagua, Tenorio & Cano Negro Wildlife Reserve. The lodge is built into the mountain and has beautifully manicured grounds, and its own 2 km trail in the park across the street - where we saw monkeys within hours of arriving! The food incorporates local ingredients in modern French ways to create a Costa Rican fusion that was fantastic. Beds and rooms were comfortable, the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, and we enjoyed the digital detox of no screens in the rooms (especially for the kids).
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Date of stay: December 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a small boutique eco-friendly hotel high on a hillside with very personal service and useful advice from the owner. The view from rooms is fantastic - we were lucky to be allocated the "honeymooners room" even without them knowing it was our wedding anniversary, though our daughter's room was also very comfortable! We had dinner on two evenings and found the food both good value and excellent, as it largely uses local ingredients, though many items had a French twist, reflecting the chef's nationality. We also liked the well-lit lounge area (that overlooks and blends into the gardens and trail), both for reading and socialising. We also opted to go to the recommended Chocolate Tour and found it excellent - our daughter had done one in Colombia and found this more informative and very good value. Sadly we missed going on the recommended Bird Watching tour, only managing to do one in Monte Verde (though many birds are naturally different). The trek to Rio Celeste and the waterfall in Tenorio National Park is well worth it. We entered shortly after opening time at 8 a.m., when the wildlife (coatees, tapirs, and numerous varieties of birds) had not yet been scared away by tourists!
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:The cocoa farm tour is strongly recommended.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Joel Marchal, Dueño at Celeste Mountain Lodge
Responded 2 weeks ago
Thank you very much for taking the time to write these elogious comments, and to visit us! It was a pleasure to host you, happy to have been part of a nice discovery of our region. All the best!!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I loved this property, but my two companions took a dislike to it. They didn’t like the personal touch of the owner, the lodge’s design or the food. I thought all were superlative, although Joel did, perhaps, come across as a little too cloying.
I thought the property was well constructed with exceptionally good design taste, architecturally interesting and excellent and extremely well maintained. That, to my mind, reflect caring, hands-on management. Loved my room and its very comfortable bed and lots of pressure shower and hot water. Spotlessly clean, good linens.
Food is French/tropical fusion, table d’hôte. I liked my dinner well enough that I ordered a glass of wine to go along with it. The only time on the whole trip I felt moved to do so! Also, one of the few places in the country with the class to provide cloth table napkins
I suspect this is lodge people will either love or hate for its adventurous good taste. For my part, I would happily come back with my wife and spend several days enjoying the experience and the whole Tenorio area.
A few suggestions for management:
(1) put a dead bolt on the room door. (2) get some really good quality classic colour (e.g., navy, burgundy, straw) cotton, bespoke T-shirts (i.e., Lodge name, perhaps coquette o snowcap, and NO ‘pura vida’).
Apart from that, kept doing what you are doing.
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:If you don’t like bench like dining seating (however nice), you probably won’t be taken by the...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Joel Marchal, Dueño at Celeste Mountain Lodge
Responded 2 Mar 2024
Thank you very much for your great comments, we are happy you enjoyed our property and style, our "adventurous good taste". We agree that it may not be to the everybody's total liking, we are sorry to hear your friends did not enjoy it at all. We wanted to create something different than the typical Costa Rica bungalows' Lodge and here indeed no "pura vida" slogans, even if we appreciate the national stressless life style. Most people find me cheerful, helpful with infos or chatty if given the room, pro and hands-on as you mentioned yet light-spirited. As to be cloying, wow that's a bit harsh, but that's OK, I am philosophical about my life and my profession's challenges, that I both love. All the best to you and thank you for choosing us in the area! Looking forward to host you again.
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Stayed 3 nights here in July with a birding group. One of my favorite places we stayed for the entire trip. The lodge is lovely, and a bit quirky. The rooms are well appointed and all have great views overlooking a well-manicured garden, as well as mountains and forest in the background. There are feeders for viewing from the dining room and common area. The size of the hotel is just right to accommodate a few smaller groups like ours or small families, without the large touristy groups you might find in more touristy areas. It’s also well situated for birders looking to spend time in northern Costa Rica – and with easy access to the Liberia airport. But one of the main attractions (for me) of this location is the dining experience. There is no menu (at least I never saw one), but each meal was an experience. The (French) owner clearly takes great pride in the cuisine offered here, and visits with each table at the beginning of every meal to explain the meal (often his kitchen’s take on a local ingredient) and to wish everyone a “bon a petit”. The food was to die for. Highly recommend this place if visiting the northern reaches of Costa Rica.
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Joel Marchal, Dueño at Celeste Mountain Lodge
Responded 11 Sept 2023
Hello, Thank you ever so much for taking the time to share in such a beautiful way your experience at Celeste Mountain Lodge. A haven for birders, with a total count of 409 on Ebird.org! With good meals as a reward for spending the day in the wild. We look forward to host you again soon! Cordially
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Drive up the maintain was spectacular and arrival into the clouds surrounding the lodge was beautiful. Very welcoming check in that explained a bit about the lodge and pointed out the manicured gardens and bird feeder that was full of feasting birds of many varieties.
They asked about dietary considerations and when indicated one of our family requires strict gluten free due to celiac and they said no problem. All gluten free meals presented (2 dinners and 2 breakfast) were carefully prepared with gluten free alternatives including fabulous breads, muffins and desserts. I need to also say the family style seating in long shared tables was a highlight to meet other travelers and share stories.
From this resort we did a full day out with tubing in morning and then hike through the nation park to see the waterfall. Great wildlife sightseeing along the way.
The owner was a perfect host, helping answer any questions, as well as sharing stories of the creation of the very eco friendly, minimalist style lodge. As a family we were inspired by the use of salvaged materials and focus on the environment that is clear in every part of the space. Our family would happily return to this lovely hotel.
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Joel Marchal, Dueño at Celeste Mountain Lodge
Responded 28 Feb 2023
Thank you very much for coming and staying with us then to take the time for these great comments. All the best to you!!
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We were only able to stay for one night, but this hotel has absolutely impeccable views from all rooms! The garden is immaculate and the man who runs it seemed very kind and friendly without being intrusive. Our room was tidy - no TV, which may bother some, but we had no interest in TV being in Costa Rica!!! They do ask you to not bring food into your room (they don’t want ants) - so plan to eat there or before you arrive for the night. The location isn’t super close to restaurants but they have a kitchen there and prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner for guests.
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Joel Marchal, Dueño at Celeste Mountain Lodge
Responded 20 Mar 2022
Thank you for coming and taking the time to write your comments! All the best to you
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Thanks to Joël and his team for their hospitality and advice. We really enjoyed this stage, which was unfortunately very short on our side because we had not yet understood that night fell early in Costa Rica and that it could be dangerous to ride at night (i.e. after 6:30 p.m. in this season). The next step was already in another establishment. The room was comfortable. In the early morning, we discovered a magnificent patio and a gargantuan breakfast, with delicious fresh homemade bread every day (among other things). A special mention to the chef, also French, who treated us to dishes combining Costa Rican flavors with those of our country. It was a great discovery. Thank you for your welcome. Please note: while talking with guides throughout our journey, we realized that Joël is well known for the rigor with which he runs his establishment and for his sense of welcome. We wish you good luck.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Parking disponible
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed here for 2 x nights (couple with 18yr old son) in 2 x rooms. Our Agent booked us in full board & so pleased they had. The chef is French & supported by his amazing kitchen staff, the food was delicious. The story behind the architecture of the building uses the very best of the an environment with fresh air removing the need of air conditioning. There is an ethos of using recycled materials & upcycled furniture which is fun & inspiring. We didn't expect to be greeted by owner Joel, however this personal yet unobtrusive approach is his style. There is plenty to see with the Tenorio National Park literally down the road. We enjoyed an afternoon just relaxing in the open plan gallery overlooking the beautiful gardens watching the birds with a very nice glass of wine & cold beer (at a very reasonable price). There are no TV here, but that was fine by us, we didn't goto Costa Rica to watch TV! There is wi-fi, so our son was happy. Our only regret was not staying here longer. Our agent had booked us into some pretty cool hotels and lodges during our 2 1/2 week adventure exploring Costa Rica, however this was our favourite. Joel is a great host and we felt privileged to have stayed here.
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Joel recommended the Tubing down the Rio Celeste rapids, was great fun 😀
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Joel Marchal, Dueño at Celeste Mountain Lodge
Responded 21 Apr 2022
Thank you so much for this wonderful review! Makes us start another day with energy and will to continue. It was a pleasure to host you and hope your trip here got to an end just as nicely. Cheers
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My husband and I spent only the first night of our trip here, but would've loved to stay longer! There was only one other couple staying while we were there, being the start of rainy season. The lodge is beautiful, tucked away on the mountain hillside with full view of volcano and it's simply amazing. Also a quick drive back into town if needed, and the hike to Rio Celeste falls is right up the road. Leave your windows open at night so you can be woken by the sounds of nature - howler monkeys and so many birds! The other couple went out with flashlights that night to the ponds and saw the frogs. The trail across the road was a fun hike, although a little slippery as it had rained. But worth it, just bring your bug spray. The food was AMAZING!! We kind of balked at first on a $25 per plate for dinner...but it was SO worth it and worth the price! Way more food than we could eat...but everything was delicious and made with LOVE! Breakfast was also amazing. The property is peaceful and tranquil and the very definition of vacation. The owner (Joel I think is his name) came down to chat at meal times and was very friendly and happy to talk with us. I can't say enough about how much I loved this property and just the Bijagua area in general. Hope to come back some day and revisit our experience!
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Date of stay: May 2022
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Positives: Property is well kept and nice looking. The service personnel and the owner are friendly. The distance to the Tenorio National Park is short.
Negatives: The breakfast is extremely basic considering the room rate of 135 USD. Yes, it is very well showcased, but in the end you only get a piece of white bread, two eggs sunny side up and two small sausages. That's it! We had dinner the night before at the Mirador restaurant just 5 km away from the lodge and got great filet mignon steak for 15 USD. So it's possible to get your money's worth in the area. The rooms are pretty basic as well, but clean. Wi-Fi is present but very weak. During the night it gets cold in the room, but you have warm blankets.
All in all, the experience was alright, but the room is not really worth the price. 80 USD / night would be a fair price.
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Joel Marchal, Dueño at Celeste Mountain Lodge
Responded 20 Mar 2022
Thank you for your comments sir. Our breakfasts are balanced and many people do not finish all food served, which also included a fruit salad, homemade jams, the bread is homemade, natural fruit juice, coffee, tea. These rotate each day, scramble eggs and yoghurt, cheese omelette and oatmeal. Rarely but it happens at times, some guest asks us for something else, big eaters, and we have no problem in giving more. Just ask. As for dinner, here this includes appetizer, main course, dessert, natural fruit juice, coffee/tea, taxes and service for US$ 25 all under the high gastronomic quality that all guests mention. We invite readers to see all other comments on food and meals. We thank you for visiting us Sir.
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Celeste Mountain Lodge offers a whole list of activities, a night tour on property, bird-watching, horseback riding, tubing, kayaking, rafting, chocolate tour, guided nature walk at Rio Celeste, massages and more...
Check with us!
Hello, sorry, didn´t see this message within TripAdvisor.
Have you contacted us yet via another way, our page maybe?
We would not take dogs unless... let us know what kind .
Thank you
Hi, the road is very rough so is best if u have a 4x4 car. During rainning season the road could be worst, but is worth the trip.
Do please rent rubber boots to go inside the park. Is a beautiful experience.
There are more places to choose from in the Bijagua de Upala area.
PRICE RANGE
S$183 - S$217 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
celeste mountain hotel bijagua de upala
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of AlajuelaBijagua de Upala
NUMBER OF ROOMS
18
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Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.