People at El Remanso

In line with the general policies that we apply at El Remanso, all the employees that work here at the lodge and office are locals.

Many of them have not had the opportunity of education, therefore at El Remanso it is a priority to offer them continuous training and education to provide them with the tools for a secure future.

All the staff has integrated itself in the “El Remanso spirit”, and for them the biggest satisfaction is to please you during your stay. Without asking for anything in exchange they will give you their best smile and conversation.

Their kindness turns into another of the great and unique experiences of our guests.

Here you can get to know a little about them in advance:

Our Puerto Jimenez Office Team:

Melissa Vásquez

Melissa is one of the ladies that works in our office in Puerto Jimenez and she has been with us since 2006. She is in charge of operations, logistics and accountability and is the person that takes care of all the purchases for the lodge. She is 26 and comes from Golfito, at the other side of the Golfo Dulce. She is married to Captain Ronny (the one in charge of the Dolphin Watching tours) and they both have a beautiful 2-year-old daughter, Oriana, who dances all day long.

Melissa is very sweet and you will often find her greeting you with the best of her smiles when you land in Puerto Jimenez.

Angie Ibarra

Angie is the second half of our town-office team. She is the sweet person in charge of all reservations and that for sure will exchange many emails with you before arrival. She is 25 and she was also born in Golfito. Her English is almost native but this is due to the fact that she is married to Richard, a very nice guy from Philly. If you have any doubt about the lodge or if you need any help with trip logistics, she is the one who will give you a wonderful helping hand. You will often see her with her beloved lab puppy Belle and together with Melissa they will be the persons greeting you upon arrival into Puerto Jimenez.

Cecilia Fallas

Cecilia is the wonderful hard-working woman that takes care of the laundry in Puerto Jimenez. As the lodge runs 100% with hydropower, sometimes it is difficult for us to take care up in the lodge of all the laundry and this wonderful woman is the person in charge of this very important duty. She has lived almost all her life in the mountains of Osa and she has five grown up children and 8 grandsons/daughters.

Our Restaurant & Bar Team

Taking care of you at the bar and during meals you will find these 3 fantastic people: Sharline, Maikol and Elyer.

Sharline Wahington

Sharline is our star waitress at El Remanso. She is 19 years old and her good mood will always make you feel comfortable. Each day she is improving her English, and she always makes herself understood with her big smile. Sharline was born in Heredia, but she has been living close to Puerto Jimenez for 5 years with her mother and siblings. She loves challenges and is the only one of the ladies who dares to ride a motorbike on our roads! She is studying in order to go to university and she would love to become a veterinarian.

Maikol Jaén

Maikol is our tallest waiter, he is 21 years old and always smiling. He is from Puerto Jimenez and lives with his mother and brother in La Amapola, a tiny town close to Jimenez. He finished high school and decided to work for one or two years in order to have some savings to start a University degree, which he has actually just begun. He has been working with us for 2 years and although he joined us having no experience as a waiter or speaking English, he has had great success! If you see him attending the bar, don’t hesitate to ask him for a Tropical Sangría… one of his best! You won’t regret it! He likes traveling, playing soccer and hanging out with his friends. He tries hard with his English and loves meeting and chatting with new guests.

Elyer Jiménez

Elyer has been a part of the El Remanso team since December 2006. In fact, he was actually born at El Remanso beach in 1981. That’s a very nice story to hear! At El Remanso he is the Head of the Restaurant and he is an excellent waiter and bar tender. Don’t miss his Margaritas! Without any doubt the best ones, even though he is not Mexican! He is a really hard worker and is always keen to give you a hand in anything you need. He is self-educated and is a really smart person that loves to learn new things. He learned English on his own and his dream is to travel around the world. He just began doing it with a 3 month working experience in Spain in 2008 and for sure he will continue with his purpose in the future. In his free time he loves to go fishing, have a beer with friends and enjoy his 2 year-old daughter Genesis and family.

Our Kitchen Team

These are some of the people that will make your culinary experience at El Remanso unforgettable:

Geiner Badilla

Geiner is the head Chef at El Remanso. He is 25 and from La Palma, a little town close to Puerto Jimenez. He has a 4 year old son called “Deiner” that is just like him. Geiner began at El Remanso doing garden and maintenance more than 3 years ago, but we all soon realized that he is a natural cook with a lot of potential. He started in the kitchen as assistant cook and received training from different chefs. When our previous chef, Santos, decided to open his own restaurant, we upgraded Geiner to chef and with his intuitive and creative skills, he soon assumed the huge responsibility of the El Remanso kitchen. He has a very special sensibility for the kitchen and great instincts. At El Remanso we are proud of his job as he is very talented and we consider that our kitchen should also be one of the highlights of your stay! Geiner is a nice person and gets on very well with all his colleagues. He is a bit shy but we are sure that you will succeed in getting him out of the kitchen to say hello! Geiner loves to hang around with his friends and girlfriend Anita and being around his beautiful family.

Eterley Daniel Villalobos

Eterley-Daniel is 25 and was born in San Vito de Coto Brus at the other side of the Golfo Dulce, a mountain town known for its excellent coffee. He began at El Remanso in the maintenance team around two years ago but at his request we gave him the opportunity in our kitchen where he first started as dishwasher and where he is now Geiner’s assistant cook. Sometimes he gives us a hand waiting tables as well. He is a very smart person and likes new challenges. In his free time he enjoys fishing and reading. It is a lot of fun to discuss books with him. He sings and dances very well and likes going to fiestas from time to time.

María Céspedes

Maria is that sweet lady that you will see in the kitchen. She started working with us almost two years ago and entered the kitchen team as dishwasher, but soon became assistant cook as she has excellent skills. She is a very nice person and is very patient with all of her kitchen colleagues, being the only woman in the kitchen. She is 22 and loves going to the beach with her sister Anita and her boyfriend Fabian.

 

House Keeping Team

Modesta Ríos

“Mode”, as we all call her, is the Head of the Cleaning Staff. She is the woman that takes care of your rooms and personal laundry. She was born in the Puerto Jimenez area in 1961 and she has been working with us for four years and now. Mode is a very cheerful person, always smiling and full of energy. On her free time she loves being around her friends and family, and dancing is her passion.

Other Workers

Mary Quesada

Mary is the most cheerful of our workers. She has one of the most important but unseen jobs here: she is the staff cook. She is always willing to give a hand wherever needed. Mary is a very special woman and tries to please all the team with her delicious “tico home cuisine”. She lives very close to Puerto Jimenez with her husband and enjoys hanging out with friends and family.

Maintenance & Garden Team

Geiner, Jorge, Beto and Alvaro are part of the maintenance and garden team. They are all young and from Puerto Jimenez. Full of energy they take care of the landscaping, waste management, hydroelectric maintenance and lodge needs. Although not always seen, they are always giving a hand where needed, and with their constant care, life at the lodge is easier.

If you plan to do the Waterfall Rappelling at El Remanso (highly recommended), Geiner or Alvaro will be helping Gerardo (our resident Naturalist Guide) in the adventure as security people.

 

Laura Chinchilla

If you would like the perfect massage, Laura is the person you need to meet. She is only 25 but she is the most wonderful and experienced masseuse you can imagine. In your cabin or at the massage hut, her hands will give you a very relaxing experience. She was born in San Jose but she has lived in Puerto Jimenez for 3 years. Laura is a Physiotherapist and her experience will heal your mind and body. She is a very sweet and talkative person and she loves being with friends and singing is her passion.

Gerardo Jiménez (Captain Burrito)

Gerardo or Captain “Burrito” as we all call him, is the very experienced driver that takes care of your transfers to the lodge and other destinations.

He is 26 and has been driving since he was 18. He has a wide driving experience with heavy machinery, large trucks and taxis. He is a very good and safe driver, especially on the difficult roads of the Osa Peninsula.

He might seem a little bit shy at first, as he is still practicing his English, but he can turn your ride into a great wildlife experience with his sharp eye for spotting! If you see any animals and birds, don’t hesitate to ask him.

Captain Burrito is a great singer of Mexican Rancheras and in his free time he loves leading and singing at Karaokes in town and all around the Osa Peninsula.

Gerardo Orozco Borbón

Gerardo or "Gera" as we all call him is without any doubt one of the key persons you will meet at El Remanso. He is our resident Naturalist and his tours will certainly be a highlight of your stay.

Gera is not only knowledgeable but also very passionate about nature and the very special rainforest of the Osa Peninsula.

Gera was born in 1984 just across the Golfo Dulce close to the border with Panama, where his wife and little daughter live.

He always says that from the very first day his parents took him to the forest, he felt fascinated. That day he was perhaps too little to understand how special the rainforest was but now he really appreciates all its wonders and will certainly transmit you all his passion to make you love it as much as he does.

Gera has been working at El Remanso since 2006 and he will be in charge of guiding you through the forest, taking you waterfall rappelling and leading you during the night hikes. He is that special person that will make you leave the Osa with a total different perspective.