Costa Rica Jungle Lodges | near Limón – Puerto Viejo | Finca Van Maare

If you are looking for a real-life experience of the Jungle and Farm life, Costa Rica jungle Lodges Lodges “Finca van Maare” are a good opportunity for your holiday.

With the presence of group accommodation and a campsite, you can enjoy with your friends or family the lush nature of the jungle and rainforest of Costa Rica in the district of Limón.

Van Maare is the name of our organic farm near Bananito, called after our mom’s last name by three Dutch brothers. The surface area is approximately 60 acres, mostly covered by forests; just around 8 acres are maintained to live and grow food. The boundaries reach from Bananito’s riverside to the mountain ridge, so there is no need to fence the place.

We plant all kinds of tropical fruits and vegetables; our main products are Cacao and Bananas. But there are much more growing o: Pineapple, Citrus, Cassava, Kastane, Starfruit, Avocados, and so on. Keep in mind the vast amount of naturally occurring medicinal plants and fruits. Most of it is for our use, a part for the wildlife, and little is sold.

As the geographical nature of the farm is so steep, from riverside to mountain ridge, the soil type and vegetation are also very variable and give the opportunity to grow a wide range of greens. At various levels, we discovered plain areas perfect for building and growing, as did the first indigenous settlers long ago.

As we maintain footpaths all around the jungle/farm and create more microhabitats in the form of ponds to attract as many species of wildlife as possible, the goal is to observe as much flora and fauna as possible.

On the riverside, we allocated Plantains for Cook Bananas, ‘yucca’ (Cassava), and corn for the need the most light; the soil is very fertile, being flooded by the river occasionally. This is all amidst a pioneer forest of giant Balsa Wood (the lightest in the world) and other fast-growing trees, the first to occur along a riverside.

A level higher up, we planted loads of fruit trees and other stuff that thrive well on clay soil and lesser light. The birds and Mammals like Cherengas and Armadillos love it too since food is abundant for all.

The more you move up, the wilder the vegetation gets; on top, you will find secondary rainforests with substantial hardwood trees (like Katcha, Cedero, and Nispelro) and all the wildlife in this ecosystem.

Since we have owned the land since 2008, we do not allow hunting or cutting trees to sell. Nature is flourishing; we have even found the Claw marks of a Jaguar on a tree. This could be an indication of a top predator in the past. This indicates that our place is well protected and all the components of this natural system are still present and even accumulating.

Although Finca van Maare is relatively remote, most basic facilities and infrastructure are in place. The lodges have:

• toilet and shower facilities
• no electricity, headlamps are used, of course, we have some light in the group accommodation (but headlamps are required)
• freshwater from our natural mountain source (water is tested, so bottled water is not necessary)kkitchen, though cooking is done the primitive way, first make the fire, then the coffee and food
• pillow, sheet and bed cover, bathroom towels
• Wi-Fi: is not available; you must use your internet (for example) phone card.

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Fresh Fruits

Upon request, all meals and fresh fruits are available so that you can enjoy the typical Costa Rican kitchen made by our Hosts. There are also barbecue and grill facilities. All are tailor-made and upon request.

Of course, your regular travel gear, it is essential to bring with you:

• insect repellant
• sunburn protection
• good shoes, as well as at least one pair of long pants
• water shoes, as you have to cross over the river, our host will handle the luggage
• bring enough shirts
• swim clothes and beach towel
• Headlamp and flashlight (not for the tours), as there is no electricity in the lodges, it is crucial, as you live in the jungle, to bring them with you!

And, of course, your camera and an adventurous, open mind.

The Costa Rica jungle lodges and Group Accommodation of Finca van Maare are combined with our tours. For other purposes, for example, long-term stay (like biologists/ecologists), options are available. Please get in contact with us for pricing and availability.

Apart from enjoying a day tour, we invite people to stay over and help us build, grow or join any other project to improve this wonderful place.

Finca van Maare is located close to the local village of Bananito, away from the tourist track. First, you have to follow the Bananito river upstream, where nature takes the overhand.

After 4 miles there is a tiny village Called Banaga where most people live from their farms and there is practically no tourism. The local bar ‘Monterrey’ is our meeting point, from there we cross the river.

Now you have reached the property of Finca Taykü Land of our neighbor Johnnie Abrahams.  Finca van Maare, is 1 mile, located further inland and upwards the Bananito River. The Finca is a true ‘green paradise’, reaching from the edge of the river till deep into Primary Rainforest.

You can come with your own transportation. Upon request, we also can arrange this service.

Finca van Maare, together with neighbor Finca Taykü Land, together with a neighbor, has over 300 acres of jungle properties.

When you cross over the Bananito River, the terrain starts with a secondary rainforest. It was farmland approximately 40 years ago; nevertheless, it has become a diverse wilderness. Trees grow amazingly fast in these tropical regions. Here are the ranchos built in harmony with nature.

The owners of Finca Taykü Land and Finca van Maare protect this tropical rainforest together from hunting and logging. This makes the place flourish with flora and fauna, serving as a cradle of biodiversity.

Historically interesting, there must have been indigenous people living on these lands for centuries. Some archeological discoveries have been made, and the Fincas have been visited by biologists, as well as ecologists, for their research projects or as a ground basis for research in the area of District Limón and Canton Talamanca.

Further upwards on the Finca, you will arrive at the primary rainforested foothills of the Caribbean slope. Far and more deep and higher up, the Finca Taykü Land even has a waterfall where you can swim.

The primary and secondary rainforest of Finca Taykü land, and neighbor Finca van Maare, also inherent lots of wildlife. There is a large variety of species of mammals, birds, insects, snakes, frogs, river turtles, and even reptiles, like small spectacled caimans.

During the tours, you will be encountered the lush nature, wildlife, flora, and fauna of this secondary and primary Jungle Rainforest.

Our Cacao is of the highest quality, Criollo Matina Bataan. Introduced to Costa Rica about a century ago as it was spread all over the Caribbean province of Limón. Most old plantations have been abandoned, causing a fungal disease called Monillia destroyed the harvests. Nowadays, farmers are growing Cacao again with a more resistant strain, but the quality is not the same.

As we discovered a couple of hundred abandoned Cacao trees on the property, we decided to recuperate the old plants. As time passed by, our production got better, opening up the Cacao ‘forest.’ Then we went further to ferment and dry the ‘brown’ gold in our simple build dryer. Toasting, pealing, and milling are done mainly by local family and friends to reach an end product of 100% pure Cacao blocks ready for you to use as you want.

You can rasp the block to add to a cake or chocolate shake, mill it some more while adding sugar to it, making it like chocolate bars. Visit the farm and learn more about the process from bean to bar.

The drinking water from Finca van Maare comes from several springs uphill; the quality has been tested and can be compared to Swiss spring water.

The soil filtered it, has no contamination whatsoever, we do not use agrochemicals, and there are no cattle whose feces might pollute it.
A couple of swimming spots along our Bananito riverside give great relief from the tropical heat even more after having done some activities on the farm.

The Bananito River is protected by law since it serves as drinking water for most people in Limón.

Right now (2022), we have built two houses, one big enough for eight people to stay, and a community area that serves as a camping spot and get-together.

But we do not plan to stop building yet; there are more accommodations on the agenda, some simple, others more luxurious.

With our neighbor Finca, we can accommodate groups of over 20 people in Eco Lodges and Group Accommodation, besides the campsite.

But we do not plan to stop building yet; there are more accommodations on the agenda, some simple, others more luxurious.

We offer a variety of tours in Bananito, Limón Area, close to Cahuita, in the middle of the Jungle / Rainforest of Bananito.

And lots of other tours on request, like:

• Multiple-Day Deep Jungle Rainforest Trekking
• Fishing at the Bananito and surrounding Rivers
• Kayak / Canoe Tour
• Frog Tour in the Rainforest of Costa Rica
• Bird watching in the Rainforest of Costa Rica

Of course, it is possible, in the case of multiple-day tours, to make a combination of the above tours when staying multiple days in the Jungle and Rainforest of Bananito.