The pleasant Ya-koo Lodge near Santa Elena is a complex of 7 thatched oval cottages (each containing 2 rooms) in the local style. The rooms all have small private bathrooms with a glassed-in shower, but are fairly simple. The lodge is German-run and more sophisticated than the Chivaton, with a very attractive open-sided bar, restaurant and gift shop area housed in the central thatched main building. Food is of a good standard. There is a ‘pool’ in the grounds, which is in fact a dammed section of the stream that runs through the grounds.