An Eco-Island on the Sierpe River in Costa Rica

We stood on the edge of the Sierpe River.
A small motorboat appeared in the distance.
It pulled into a rickety wooden dock.

The crowd of tourists around us fussed about their suitcases and babbled about their coming adventures in Drake Bay. We weren’t going to Drake Bay though. We clambered onto the overloaded boat, wary of a crocodile eyeing us hungrily from just beneath the surface, and darted off along the river. Part of the way through the hour-long journey an aquamarine motorboat zoomed out of the mangroves to pick us up – just us. We threw our rucksacks over and climbed across into the new boat. On board, we met Alberto from Isla Violin.

Isla Violin

Isla Violin is a family-run eco-lodge hidden deep in the labyrinthine mangrove forests that line the Sierpe River. Isla Violin is a very special eco-lodge.. It’ a secluded eco-retreat and a self-sufficient, self-sustainable eco-farm.

Alberto, who has impeccable English, introduced us to his family, who live in this blue painted house at the top of a small hill. The house is kitted out with a solar panel which moves with the sun, their own electricity generator, water system, and even working internet connection fashioned from a series of smartphones – all of which they set up themselves.

The Cabanas at Isla Violin

Sleeping at Isla Violin really is about being close to nature. Their cabanas, which are spaced out along the hillside up from the main house, have walls made from a translucent green mesh material. This means that you can see the island’s wildlife from your room during the day and at night. We were lucky enough to spot a prehistoric-looking armadillo right up close in the bushes by our cabana one evening when walking back up the hill.

From the top cabana, you can look out over the island and see the Sierpe River in the distance. When the sun set, the sky looked like a pastel painting.

Isla Violin’s Farm

At Isla Violin, they grow almost everything that they eat themselves. Luke and I were incredibly excited to get a tour around their farm, as self-sufficiency and growing vegetables is something which we would like to learn about for the future.

The family grow everything from bananas, pineapples and star fruit to rice, corn and yucca.

We got to try red bananas, which look like little stubby bananas that are blushing in the heat, for the first time. The taste is similar to a normal banana, but sweeter and a little bit softer. We also got to try yucca and palm root.

The farm produce their own milk too. Did we want to have a go at milking the cow? asked Alberto. I shook my head no, and Luke nodded his head yes. As I suspected, I didn’t quite get the knack of it, but Luke was a bit better.

The family explained that they milk the cow everyday, which produces about three litres of milk! That’s a whole lot of whole milk. They use the milk to make their own cheese, cream and white sauce.

Boat Rides on the Sierpe River

Boat is the only way of getting to and from Isla Violin. The river and the countless channels through the mangroves have a decidedly mythical feel, and it is easy to imagine that you have left the real world far behind as you move deeper into the maze. Alberto was kind enough to take us kayaking through the waterways, and without him as a guide, we would never have been able to find our way back to the eco-lodge.  When we left the island after our final night, we were met by a glorious early morning sunrise over the water.

Isla Violin was our third stay in a Costa Rican eco-lodge, and the experience was completely different from both of our previous stays, different even from anything else I’ve done on my travels. Whilst Tipi Jungla and Hacienda Baru were also eco-friendly, protecting and conserving nature and teeming with wildlife, Isla Violin immersed us in a whole different way of life. We learned all about achieving self-sufficiency, organic farming, and the ecosystem of the island.