We stayed at the hostel Cabinas Tropicales while we were in Puerto Jimenez and were very happy there. Scroll through the photos to take a look at some of it.

Mark, the owner, has lived in Puerto Jimenez for 20+ years so he is a wealth of information about the area. He can set you up with tours, fishing trips, or help you with whatever you want to do in the area. He’s from the US so there is no language barrier either.

We liked the big open area in the center of the hostel, all the beautiful plants and flowers, and the birds that came to the bird feeders. There is a comfortable kitchen area, tables, a sofa, hammocks, and a variety of books and notices about the area, the wildlife, and things to do in the area. The rooms aren’t huge but big enough, and clean and comfortable with adequate storage shelves, something you don’t always find in a hostel. We had an outdoor shower which I thought was really fun! Not all the rooms have that but we got lucky.

I like hostels because you can meet other travelers. We talked with a couple from Spain, another from Germany, a mother and daughter from Canada, and some guys from Alaska there during our stay. The Alaska guys said there was a 100 degree difference between there and CR, and they were sweating a bit! Everyone but us had come from a cold place and were really enjoying the tropical getaway.

This hostel is also affordable and close to everything you need. Main street and the stores are only a short walk away. (The town is small so everything is only a short walk away if you stay in town.) But, it is nice to be able to cook which is less expensive than eating out all the time. We have definitely found our home away from home when we go to Puerto Jimenez.

The front door, a hint of the garden that lies behind

Mark, the owner, checks his computer while a Canadian lady looks at her photos of birds and tries to identify them in the bird book.

There are a number of bird feeders around, they also have tiki torches that can be lit at night.

The side yard with all the plants and flowers, and a hammock.

The kitchen area – there is a fridge, a pantry area, a number of burners for cooking, and all the utensils and cookware you need to make your meals.

There is also a herb garden for your use. I love his growing method and need to try this myself at home.

A pretty ginger in flower.

He has many heliconias. This “sexy pink” is my very favorite. He offered me a start but I think I’ll wait until we are past dry season to plant anything here.

The hammock in the side yard beside some more beautiful heliconias.

More heliconias – another beautiful variety.

There were a number of beautiful birds that visited the feeders all day.

He has a couple bicycles for the guests. We took them out on two days and really enjoyed ourselves.

This is something you won’t find in most hostels though – an outdoor bathroom! It had a door, walls and a roof, but above and below the wall was open.

The shower is open so when you shower you can see the sky, or the starts if it’s night. I really liked that! I should have taken another photo so you can see that along the outside wall at your feet are pretty plants. They get watered as the water splashes.

Outside the bathroom is a little private sitting area with more pretty plants and flowers.

The private sitting area outside our door.