At Böëna, every stay reveals a different side of Costa Rica. Following a memorable weekend at Pacuare Lodge, the journey continued to Tortuga Lodge, where canals, wildlife, and a slower rhythm offered a completely new experience. Continuing the travel chronicle, this time the story is told through Angelica’s perspective, as she discovers one of Costa Rica’s most enchanting destinations.

A Deeper Side of Tortuguero

Deep within Costa Rica’s Caribbean lowlands, Tortuguero reveals a side of the country where nature and culture are inseparable. During a weekend at Tortuga Lodge, one unforgettable experience stood above the rest: a visit to the home of Katherine and Coco, where local traditions, flavors, and warmth offered a deeper connection to this extraordinary region.

To get there, you first have to take a boat from the Tortuga Lodge dock, then continue by kayak, navigating a labyrinth of canals in waters of many colors until you reach laguna 4, deep in the territory of caimans and manatees. Yet no experience during our weekend trip to this wonderful region of Costa Rica was more worthwhile than visiting Katherine and Coco’s home.


Those who haven’t lived it might think I’m exaggerating, but I’m not. After spending several hours filling our eyes with the wonders of Tortuguero’s flooded rainforest, feeling goosebumps while looking directly into the watery eyes of a pair of enormous caimans, or being surprised by a flock of royal terns taking flight—among so many other natural beauties—it is difficult to explain what it feels like to step back onto solid ground, cross a pasture, reach their rustic kitchen, breathe in the delicious aromas rising from the hot pots, and sit down to enjoy a freshly opened cold coconut.

It is as if everything had been carefully arranged for us to understand a very simple, yet very important truth: here, in this corner of the world, humans are part of biodiversity, and local culture—the way of life of those who struggle to survive in these challenging environments—also becomes one of the many wonders we can discover and appreciate. Just look at the smiling faces of Damián and Felipe, Katherine and Coco’s sons, who always keep an eye on the time and calculate the exact moment we arrive at the canal’s edge to come pick up visitors and guide them to the house.


After refreshing ourselves with coconut water, Katherine offers us an extraordinary “starter”: a ceviche made from the tender pulp of the same coconut, seasoned in a way that mimics traditional fish ceviche, but with a sweetness and texture that makes you want to go back for seconds. Still, I wouldn’t recommend more than two servings, because that is only the first of many delights to emerge from her kitchen.

A plantain picadillo infused with the aroma of wood fire immediately makes us forget the ceviche and immerses us in the story of these communities: their gradual settlement just a century ago, their subsistence agriculture—where plantains have long been central—and the lack of services such as electricity, which meant cooking exclusively over wood fire until just a few decades ago. Her picadillo tastes like all of that—and like the immense gratitude and warmth she feels toward those who take the day to navigate that network of canals and reach her home.

Then the parade of flavors continues with a perfect tamal asado, toasted on the outside and tender on the inside, fluffy and aromatic homemade bread, rice pudding that transports us back to childhood, and a sweet ayote preserve that could easily compete with the best desserts in the world. Freshly brewed coffee, agua dulce, and hand-pressed tortillas—puffing endlessly on the hot comal—were, of course, also part of the experience. Some of us, invited by Katherine, even dared to shape our own tortillas and place them on the comal to see if they would puff up—though achieving that requires a skill none of us quite possessed.

As you might imagine, no one wants to leave. But eventually we must return to Tortuga Lodge, where sunset cocktails await us, followed by a delicious Caribbean dinner, and later, a nighttime outing under the stars to witness the miracle of green sea turtles nesting on the beach.


There are countless images to remember and hold onto with nostalgia, along with the desire to return to this incomparable place. The Amazon of Costa Rica, some call it. But after what we experienced at Katherine and Coco’s home, I would say that Tortuguero is a branch of paradise—a place where one would happily get lost forever.

Angélica Vargas