Our policies

Please find below our Southern Drake Lodge policies. Your booking is an automatic acceptance of the below. For any enquiries, please contact us.

Payment, booking and rates

• A 25% non refundable deposit is due at the time of booking to confirm your dates.
• Final payment is due 60 calendar days prior to your arrival date.
• You must pay reservations in full prior to arrival.
• We have a 2 night minimum stay.
• We will accept ‘walk ins’ at our discretion, dependent on room availability and receipt of payment before entry.
• We accept payment by bank transfer in dollars (USD), colones (CRC). We also accept all major credit cards and PayPal. Exchange rates and charges are subject to change.
• If we don’t receive payments in accordance with our payment policy (25% deposit due at time of booking, final payment due 60 days prior to arrival), we reserve the right to cancel your reservation and apply our cancellation policy.
• All rates shown on the website are in US dollars (USD).
• Our daily Rates include 13% Costa Rican sales tax.
• The grocery shopping fee is dependant on the amount and variety of shopping required. The amount will be quoted to you upon receipt of your requirements.
• We include transfers to and from Agujitas main beach and Drake Bay airport in our daily Rates
• Our daily Rates do not include the round trip flight for San Jose to Drake Bay.
• Daily room service type cleaning is included. Any excessive cleaning that’s required as a result of your stay will be subject to additional fees.
• Events – an extra fee may be charged dependent on the number attending and event requirements. Permission for events must be sought prior to your stay.
• Overweight/size baggage charges. We will let you know what your baggage allowance is if we book your internal flights from San Jose (SJO). You will be liable to pay any excess baggage charges.

Cancelation policy

• You can cancel your reservation up to 60 days before your arrival date. We will issue a refund minus your deposit. If you request a cancelation within 60 days of the reservation date, we will not refund your payment.
• Cancelations and “No Shows”. Due to our small size, we have a strict cancelation policy. Avoid losing your money in the event you need to cancel your reservation with us. We highly recommend you purchase travel insurance. That said, we will do our best to work with you.
• “No shows” will not receive any refund. No partial refunds or credits will be due for room reservations, services and tours, you do not use due to circumstances beyond our control. Such as change of mind, missed flights, etc.
• If you cancel a tour booked through us in less than 60 days prior to the date of the tour, you may still have to pay for the tour in full.
• In case of cancelation due to a natural disaster (e.g., hurricane or a pandemic), we will apply payments to a future stay within one year of the canceled stay. There are no refunds for natural disasters or pandemics. Credit only.

General

• Check-in time is between 1:00PM and 6.00PM. Our check-out time is at 11:00AM.
• Smoking – Costa Rican law requires that all rooms and common areas are non-smoking, smoking is allowed in designated areas only.
• Children – are welcome in the Rainforest Penthouse, Jungle Apartment and Ocean Suite. The Gatehouse Cabin is not suitable for children. Parents or guardians accept the responsibility for their safety at all times. This is especially around heights with and without rails and the pools and with our dogs and cat. Our cat Gala can give a warning bite if you try to pet her. Contact us to discuss suitability further.
• We do not allow pets at our hotel.
• Packages may be substituted for others depending on room and tour availability (additional fees may apply). That said, tours not taken may not be exchanged nor reimbursed.
• Visitors – For the security of all our guests, unauthorised outside visitors are not allowed.
• Wild animals – The feeding of wild animals including birds and monkeys is strictly forbidden. Please remember at all times our lodge is in the real jungle.
• We require an email address and passport number or Costa Rican ID and name as printed on the ID/passport. This is just for the lead person to comply with regulations. On arrival the lead guest will be required to sign a risk waiver. This is only if the booking channel has not already offered it.

Tours & Activities – Disclaimers

• Tours/activities – Southern Drake Lodge takes no responsibility for any personal injury, damage or loss incurred during any tours. All participation of tours is done so at the guest’s own risk. Relevant tour operators we work with may require you to sign separate waivers in order to participate. It is the guests responsibility to ensure any insurance policies they may have gives them adequate cover for undertaking relevant activities, for example but not limited to, SCUBA, snorkelling, hiking and sport-fishing. Participants must follow the instructions and guidelines provided by the guides, captains and staff at all times for their own safety and the safety of others. If there is very bad weather some tours may be canceled. Please be aware rain is not always considered bad weather. If the tour operator cancels the tour you may be offered a refund or possibly an opportunity to rebook.
• Caño Island and SCUBA – Please note that snorkeling at Caño Island Biological Reserve is an adventure activity and may involve certain risks. Participants should be in good physical condition and comfortable swimming in the open ocean. It is also important to follow all safety guidelines provided by the tour guides and the reserve, such as wearing a life jacket and avoiding touching or disturbing the marine life and coral. Scuba diving is a physically demanding activity and may involve certain risks. It is essential to follow all safety guidelines and instructions provided by the instructor. Southern Drake Lodge and its affiliates cannot be held responsible for any accidents or injuries that may occur during the tours. By participating you acknowledge and accept these risks.
• Corcovado National Park, Jungle Day or Night Tours, Bird Watching Tours – Please note that the tours are a wildlife observation tour and not a zoo. Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed and are subject to seasonal changes and other factors beyond our control. The tour organisers cannot be held responsible for any disappointment or inconvenience due to wildlife sightings. By participating in this tour, you acknowledge that you are aware of and accept all these risks. Additionally, visitors are advised to wear comfortable and appropriate clothing, bring insect repellent, and be mindful of their surroundings at all times.
• Sportfishing – Sport fishing in Costa Rica is subject to regulations and laws that are designed to protect the marine environment and conserve fish populations. It is the responsibility of the angler to familiarize themselves with the laws and regulations of Costa Rica before embarking on a sport fishing trip. Southern Drake Lodge does not assume any responsibility for the actions of its clients and encourages all anglers to fish responsibly and within the limits of the law. Violation of fishing regulations can result in fines and legal penalties.
• Dolphin & Whale Watching – Whale and dolphin watching is subject to weather and wildlife conditions, and sightings cannot be guaranteed.
• Horseriding – The horseback riding tour is an outdoor adventure that may involve some physical exertion and risk. Pregnant women and individuals with back or neck problems, or who have recently suffered from any type of injury, should not participate.
• River Floating Tour – The river floating tour is an outdoor adventure that involves hiking, scrambling, jumping in and out of rivers. This is a physically demanding tour, you should be in good physical condition and be comfortable swimming in a river.

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