Set on a jungle-covered hill on a private nature reserve at the southern end of Playa Nosara, Lagarta Lodge is helping usher in a new era in this rapidly growing beach town. More ecolodge than beach resort with the lush green jungle all around it, Lagarta is still quite refined, with comfortable rooms equipped with a/c and high-end Billerbeck bedding, plus private verandas with views over the treetops to the sand. Eco and social initiatives include wastewater recycling and regular Nicoya dance performance, while their art gallery is filled with Maleku artifacts. While the beach is just a short walk away, there are still good opportunities for spotting motmots and monkeys via electric boat or kayak along the mangroves that line the adjacent Nosara and Montaña rivers.