What it's like
Ojo del Mar ("Eye of the Sea") is a small eco-lodge between the beach and the rainforest at Playa Carbonera, on the Golfo Dulce side of the Osa Peninsula, about 12 miles south of Puerto Jiménez and close to the Cabo Matapalo surf breaks. We listed it back in 2015. When we checked in October 2026, the lodge was still taking reservations and had retreats on its calendar for early 2026.
It's the work of Mark and Nico, a German couple who found the land in 2000. Mark is a sculptor who took up bamboo building, and Nico ran a yoga studio and trained as a homeopath. They started with a small home built from driftwood and bamboo and an outdoor yoga platform, and it grew into the lodge.
The guest rooms are airy, raised cabinas, each one different, built from bamboo, reforested wood and palm-thatch roofs. There are also simple Beach Nests right by the sand. The heart of the place is the Casa Grande, a shared kitchen, dining table and library where everyone meets for meals, games and conversation.
Living lightly
Sustainability isn't a sideline here. The lodge runs on solar power only, with lanterns and candles at night and propane just for cooking. Water comes from its own well, and buildings cover less than 1% of the 1.5 hectare property. The owners say no rainforest trees were cut to build it. Food comes first from their own gardens, then from neighbors and Puerto Jiménez, and there are no plastic drinking bottles.
That also means no air conditioning, no TVs and no room phones. If you need those, look elsewhere.
Food
Breakfast is included: fresh juice, tropical fruit, homemade granola and a hot dish such as eggs, gallo pinto or banana pancakes. Lunch can be packed for a day out. Dinner is a candlelit, shared buffet with vegetarian, chicken or fish mains. The kitchen can handle vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and most allergy diets with notice, but not keto, paleo, raw, kosher or halal.
Yoga and things to do
There are morning Vinyasa and Hatha classes in a bamboo yoga shala (for an extra fee), and the space is open to guests the rest of the day unless a retreat has booked it. Retreat leaders and groups can rent the lodge for their own programs.
Without leaving the grounds you can swim in the pool, bodyboard the gentle beach break, or book a massage at the beachside spa. Squirrel monkeys, spider monkeys and scarlet macaws are regulars in the trees. Farther afield, Corcovado National Park is within reach for guided day hikes, and more surf breaks are a short walk along the coast. Nearby, Lapa Ríos is a larger, more polished option in the same corner of the peninsula, and Rancho Tropical runs tours from Carbonera too.
Who it suits (and who it doesn't)
It suits travelers who are happy with rustic comfort in exchange for wildlife, quiet and good food, plus yoga groups looking for a small venue. It won't suit anyone who wants air conditioning or nightlife.
Getting there
Fly or drive to Puerto Jiménez, then take a taxi or drive the coast road south toward Cabo Matapalo. The lodge's site has GPS coordinates and directions. Wi-Fi and cell signal are patchy here, so download maps before you set out.
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly is Ojo del Mar?
On the beach at Playa Carbonera, near Cabo Matapalo, about 12 miles south of Puerto Jiménez.
Does it have air conditioning?
No. It's a solar-powered eco-lodge without air conditioning, TVs or room phones.
Are meals included?
Breakfast is included. Dinner is a shared buffet, and packed lunches are available.
Is there yoga?
Yes. Morning classes run in the bamboo shala, and groups can book the lodge for retreats.
