Drake Bay Greenleaf

We had an amazing experience at the Drake Bay Greenleaf. As other reviewers have emphasized, Hellen and Steven are incredible hosts. We truly felt like family. They take care of your every need. We forgot a waterproof backpack - no problem Hellen provided one for us. We ran out of sunscreen and insect repellent - no problem Hellen fixed that too! Every meal was amazing, and they are all different. And of course the wildlife is unbeatable - we saw howler monkeys, white-faced capuchins, and fiery-billed aracaris within 5 minutes of arrival! Hellen and Steven have created a truly special place. Look no further for your Drake Bay accommodations!

We had an incredible time at Helen and Steven's place. Within three minutes of driving in to the estate we saw howler monkeys, tucans, capuchins, and a coati. Not to mention many other bird species that we saw. The room was spotless clean and during our 4 day stay, not once did I see an insect in our room. The view from both the room and the common dining area was incredible. What makes this place special is Helen and Steven's hospitality. We felt as though we were visiting our relatives the whole time we were there. They treated us like family from the moment we met. Helen made anything we asked for possible. Every meal of each day was different and amazing. It was as if we were eating at a gourmet restaurant in a big city! Words are not enough to describe how awesome of a time we had. They are also friends with the best guides so you are guaranteed to get a great guide by staying here when you do the Corcovado tours. The only negative is that we forgot to get a picture with them! We will have to come back for it. We hope that we made life long friends and cannot wait to come back!

Outstanding small boutique hotel with neighboring nature and terrific views. Hellen and Stephen are very special hosts and make you feel like cherished family rather than clients. The lodges are wonderful, the food is exceptional and the animals and birds right on the property almost negates the need to trek into the jungle! We were up close with howler and capuchin monkeys, coatis and ‘Robert’ the visiting tapir, just steps from our lodge. Hellen organizes everything for you, so you can relax and enjoy. Thank you so much 🙏

We stayed at GL for 3 nights in March 2024. Hellen and Steven were just the consummate hosts. Truely Hellen is queen of Costa Rican hospitality! From the second we arrived at GL, to the second we departed, Hellen looked after us so well. We booked a package on the GL website which included tours, food etc. Hellen coordinated everything for us, from making sure we had breakfast perfectly timed before leaving each day, to getting us to the tours bang on time. We really didn’t have to think about any of the detail! Steven looked after all our transport - he was waiting for us when we arrived on the beach at Drake Bay, brought us to the beach for each tour departure and collected us when we returned. The property itself is beautifully kept, and very intimate (currently 3 bungalows). Our bungalow was spotlessly clean, spacious and bright, with a stunning view down to the ocean, and a lovely deck to enjoy it from. We loved sitting here in the afternoon and spotting toucans, humming birds, macaws, monkeys etc (all of which we had multiple sightings per day, super close up!). There is also a tapir (Robert) that visits regularly, we were lucky enough to see him up close one of the nights. The food is excellent, with so much thought going into each dish, and a focus on healthy ingredients. (Hellen also makes a great margarita!) We were originally looking at a couple of other options for accommodation in Drake Bay, but I am so so happy we chose Green Leaf, and got to be looked after so well by Hellen and Stephen. Do not hesitate to book!!!

We had a wonderful stay in this amazing place. The wildlife that visited the property rivals the nearby national park - which was our principal reason for going to the Osa peninsula. The accommodation was very comfortable and we slept incredibly well despite our being light sleepers. However, what made our stay so special was that the hosts Hellen and Stephen really couldn’t do enough. The food for us at breakfast lunch and dinner (given we are finicky vegetarians) was absolutely fabulous.

We love, love, LOVED out stay at DBG! Though we may have loved our hosts even more. Steven is hilarious and chauffeured us wherever we wanted or needed to go. Helen though, she was a host on a level I have never experienced. She was present at every meal, she delivered us amazing coffee every morning at 5am, she made sure we wore long sleeves when we went scuba diving, tall socks to limit ticks in the jungle, and made sure we always had plenty of water on our treks. Do not leave this place without getting to know these two! The rooms were absolutely exquisite, we could not have chosen better accommodations. They are bright and airy, surrounded by the tropics, with ocean views. Then there was the food. I don't even know where to get food this good in Denver. Every meal was good enough to be my last. Thank you so much Helen and Steve; we will be back.

My husband and I returned from our third vacation at Drake Bay Greenleaf, having enjoyed it just as much as our first two and discovering even more bird species! Hellen & Steven provided the same stellar service as on our prior visits. The bungalows, property and dining area remain extremely well maintained and immaculate. The meals were incredibly impressive, even to the point where Hellen remembered what she’d served previously to us and, with the assistance of her creative chefs, presented entirely new exciting dishes! We cherished each day we spent at Greenleaf, enveloped by the lush foliage, immersed in the surround-sound of the rain forest, in the company of Bella’s capuchin troop, George the Coati and so many beautiful birds. Topping it off, was the opportunity we had to share all this with such warm-hearted owners of this amazing jungle property and their great staff. With gratitude to Steven, Hellen and Vincent for another wonderful stay!

Wonderful visit to Greenleaf. The setting is beautiful, very relaxing, staff was very attentive. Food was excellent and plated perfectly. Saw so many birds and animals With Helen’s help. The grounds are well maintained and couldn’t be prettier.