Guarumo Lodge & La Hoja Gardens Review: Birding, Sloths & Highway Noise

If you’ve looked up birding in Costa Rica on Instagram, you’ve probably seen the famous feeder stations at Guarumo Lodge (also known as La Hoja Gardens). It looks like a tranquil jungle paradise swarming with toucans and honeycreepers... but is it actually worth £100+ a night? 🤔 ​Dave and I stopped here on our drive to the Caribbean coast for a quick 24-hour wildlife mission. In this video, we’re giving you a completely honest review of what it’s like to visit during nesting season, the reality of the location (spoiler: it’s next to a very busy highway 🚛), and the incredible wildlife we still managed to see. ​📍 WHAT’S IN THIS VIDEO: ​🚗 THE JOURNEY & BUDGET ALAJUELA Picking up our rental car, spotting Variegated Squirrels in the park, and an incredibly cheap (£30!) overnight stay at "Velaz Guest House" in Alajuela. ​🦥 ARRIVAL AT GUARUMO LODGE Pulling into Guapiles and immediately spotting a Three-toed Sloth with a baby! Plus, a full room and lodge tour. ​🦜 INSTAGRAM VS REALITY: THE FEEDERS What the feeders actually look like during the March nesting season. We still spotted: ​Yellow-throated Toucans ​Red-legged & Shining Honeycreepers ​White-necked Jacobins ​Golden-hooded Tanagers & more! ​🕺 THE LEKKING MANAKIN Getting to watch a White-collared Manakin at his "lek" site practicing his display dance! ​🌍 READ THE FULL DIY GUIDE ON MY WEBSITE: www.oceantojungle.com ​✨ MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO: 🏨 Velaz Guest House (Alajuela) 🦜 Guarumo Lodge / La Hoja Gardens 🚗 Driving to the Caribbean Coast (Manzanillo/Cahuita route) ​📱 FOLLOW THE JOURNEY: Blog: https://oceantojungle.com ​🕒 TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 🦜 Instagram vs. Reality: Guarumo Lodge 0:28 ✈️ Landing & £30 Budget Stay in Alajuela 1:30 🚗 The Drive to Guapiles 1:50 🦥 Arriving & Spotting a Baby Sloth! 2:12 🛏️ Room Tour & The Noisy Highway Truth 2:50 🍌 The Famous Feeders (Nesting Season) 3:11 🌿 Toucans 4:00 📸 Kingfishers & Highway Traffic 4:08 🐦 Honeycreepers & Tanagers at the Feeders 4:58 🕺 The "Lekking" White-collared Manakin 5:21 🌅 Morning Birding & Woodpeckers 5:44 🇨🇷 Final Verdict: Is it worth a stay? ​#CostaRicaTravel #GuarumoLodge #LaJoyaGardens #BirdingCostaRica #CostaRicaWildlife #OceanToJungle #Sloths #WhiteCollaredManakin #DIYTravel #CostaRicaRoadTrip