Hello again! To conclude the recap of my fabulous trip to Costa Rica this past June, we end on the Pacific Coast, in the large and varied Guanacaste province. Our group had been up in the mountains for most of this trip, so all of us were pretty excited to get to see some beaches, and some actual wildlife in the wild. Up to this point, our second to last day in the country, we had seen zero monkeys. Well, we did see a few back at the Peace Lodge, but they weren’t out in the wild or anything. It had become a big joke that there weren’t actually any monkeys in CR, and our guide was just lying to us every time he said he was on the lookout for them. Well, no sooner than we had left the hills behind and were being treated to completely different, more agricultural terrain did I spy something jumping in the tall trees lining the road. Without even thinking twice I just screamed “MONKEYS!!” and the entire bus erupted in cries of glee & our fearless driver screeched to a stop on the side of a highway. Sure enough, we were treated to a little family of monkeys jumping around in the trees, but since we were already so late from our antics in the cloud forest, we couldn’t stop for photos (plus, the side of the highway probably wasn’t the safest spot for this). HOWEVER, our fearless driver did find another group the next day and we even had howler monkeys in residence at our fabulous host hotel (which I’ll get to in a minute). I also have realized at this point that I really must get a new lens with better zoom in order to photograph any wildlife, because NONE of my monkey pictures are worth anything. There was a lovely little iguana (or giant lizard) on the side of the road though – so here’s the first of several iguana shots, along with the only picture where you can sorta tell there’s a monkey in the tree.
Anyway – after a long drive and quick lunch on the road, we passed the Liberia International Airport and quickly arrived to the Papagayo peninsula, home to a marina, several beaches, and two hotels. I didn’t visit the Four Seasons, which has been there for years, but others did and the report is that it’s lovely, but dated. a renovation is in the works though, because its brand new neighbor is FANTASTIC. We had the absolute pleasure to stay at the new Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort and it really was awesome. Being brand new helps of course, but the design and entire feeling of the place screams understated and friendly luxury, from the brightly colored staff outfits, to the wide open common spaces, to the fun touches in all of the rooms. I mean- they give you sun hats (for free)! The mini-bar selections are free! There are also awesome straw bags in each room for your beach use, which you can purchase after the trip for just $30 (which MANY of us did, including yours truly). We were treated to a tour of the entire property, from the gorgeous & calming spa, to the various pools and restaurant spaces – all of which are very nicely tucked into the lush vegetation, really blending in seamlessly. The rooms are all great, with balconies and showers open to the forest – all facing the water, so your water view just depends on how lush the forest in front of you is. The breakfasts were really awesome (though pricey!), and the casual restaurant/bar was so good I ate there twice. The genius mixologist on hand to make fabulous hand-crafted cocktails didn’t hurt either. The only criticisms I really have for the place were that the fancy-pants rooms were really a bit dark, even with wall-to-wall windows. The dim mood lighting is very romantic, but maybe not practical for everyday use. Also- the beaches right on site are pretty small, and since they’re facing the gulf rather than the ocean, you’re not going to be getting waves or anything (which some people may actually love!). That said- its spectacular for water sports (like stand-up paddle boarding, for example, which is included with your stay!), and there are several other beaches on the peninsula, including a whole beach club, that are only 5-10 minutes away. The hotel will take you to these in their adorable purple VW bug if you’d like. Finally, being out on the Papagayo peninsula, you are a little bit isolated from other civilization. The Liberia Airport is only about a half hour drive, but the next town is more like an hour away… but if you want to get away, this is the place. We all really loved it. Here are some shots:
Honestly, by the time I had to leave, I really wished I had planned an extra night there, because we just didn’t have nearly enough time to really experience all it had to offer. That next day, in fact, was so full, that we actually cancelled our planned dinner at another resort just so we could run back and actually enjoy the pools/beaches/restaurants, etc.. But anyway, moving on to that very full next day! We left the peninsula and headed south towards the surf town of Tamarindo, which is probably the most central & popular spot for exploring Guanacaste. There are little beaches all up & down the coast, and the interesting thing about Costa Rica is that there is no such thing as a private beach. So none of the hotels can claim they have a private beach, and in fact locals (or other tourists) can be on the beach in front of your hotel, even if it’s a small secluded one like at the Andaz. Because of this fact, the way resorts treat the beaches in front of them varies, and is (to me) important to note. The first resort we toured was north of Tamarindo, about 1 hour from the airport at Liberia – the Westin Playa Conchal. This place was truly a massive golf resort, which happens to be next to a beach in Costa Rica. It is an all-inclusive resort, which of course means there are tons of restaurants for you to choose from, a spa, a kids club, adults-only sections, etc. We had lunch at one of the buffets which was, to be charitable, average at best. It’s such a large resort that golf carts are on-call to zip you around to where you need to go. The standard rooms honestly felt a bit cramped, while the suites were massive – but meant for only two people. For such a family-friendly resort, we couldn’t picture a family of four squeezing into a standard room, and none of the rooms are connecting either, for what that’s worth. The adults-only pool was very quiet when we were there, and the main pool is actually the largest one in South America (I think!). Maybe because Playa Conchal is a larger, more popular beach, there is actually a sort of gate/entrance that guests have to use to access the beach, and nothing on-property actually boasts a view of the water. The fence/barrier also prevents any ocean breeze, so especially on this hot day, this place was just sweltering. (It’s MUCH hotter by the coast than in the cloud forest, unsurprisingly!) The beach itself was interesting- with a whole bunch of vendors out selling their goods in the shady area before the actual white sandy beach, which seemed to have plenty of jet skis and other equipment available to rent. Peaceful and remote is NOT what I would use to describe it! We met a couple from Louisiana who were spending almost a full week at this resort and they seemed really happy there, and it IS very popular, but you won’t get a true, authentic Costa Rican experience, in my opinion. Though we did run across several iguanas on the tour… Here are some photos in & around the resort:
Next up we went into the actual town of Tamarindo, which is along Playa Grande & Playa Tamarindo. This is a really cute and quaint little surfing town, with lots of shops and cafes. There’s a reason it’s popular – the beaches were great, with some surf breaks, but also some calmer areas. There are tons of boutique properties in/around town, and we were fortunate enough to tour the Capitan Suizo, located just past the center of town. This little property was adorable! It seems to be comprised of a main house, with a collection of villas/duplexes tucked around it in a lush garden, right in front of the beach. They’ve got a small spa and really nice suites in a neighboring house, with awesome ocean views. The bathrooms were a little more rustic and old-fashioned (this is by no means 5* luxury, after all!), but the whole place had such an authentic charm to it. We loved it! Plus, though they did have security between the pool and the beach, it was not so separate like at the Westin – and the beach here was truly lovely! It’s at the far end of Playa Tamarindo, so you don’t have to worry about crowds, but you’re of course close enough to walk to the center for surfing lessons or whatever you need. There is a small restaurant on-site, but what sounded the best was that they have their own German-style bakery that makes fresh treats each morning! Best of all, the prices, especially in lower seasons, are really reasonable. If I make it back anytime soon – this is where I’d like to stay.
Finally, we continued south down the coast away from Tamarindo to our final resort – the JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa. What a contrast! Similar to the Andaz (and Westin a bit), this resort was off by itself really in its own little world. From the moment you entered, it felt like you were visiting a Spanish hacienda (complete with fields of cows on the road leading to the property). This property is much smaller and more-easily-walkable than the other two large resorts, but still offers plenty of choice- there are multiple restaurants on site, from casual pool-side to elegant steakhouses, the pool is huge & lovely, and there are actually three small beaches to choose from. The furthest beach is about a 20 minute walk along the coast at low-tide, but there you’re treated to a local favorite – a beach-side bbq joint, complete with a pet pig that runs around from time to time! (The name escapes me, but apparently, if you’ve ever stayed at the JW here, you know it- everyone goes there!) There is also, of course, a spa and a gift shop – and there are even some local iguanas running around! The rooms certainly feel like nice, clean Marriott rooms, but unlike the Westin, there was more of a charm to this property. Maybe it just felt newer & nicer, or maybe the increased accessibility & views of the ocean helped, but we all vastly preferred it to the Westin. (Of course, the price reflects the increase in quality, I’m sure). Also worth noting, this property is the furthest from Liberia airport with about a 1.5 hour drive. Here are some pictures to help you get a feeling for it:
By the end of our tour, we were all really hot & tired. So much so, that I even tried out one of the hammocks around the lobby area (result: dangerously low for difficult entry/exit, but nice enough). Like I said, rather than have some time to enjoy their pool/beach and have what would’ve been a lovely meal, we cried uncle and jumped back in the bus to get back to the Andaz. Touring all these beautiful places nearly non-stop for a week is exhausting!! Fittingly, we were treated to the most dramatic and vibrant sunset on our drive home, and then a spectacular full moon that night. Swimming in the peaceful waters by the Andaz under the light of a full moon was really a great way to end the trip. That, and one more excellent cocktail featuring my new favorite liquor – the local Cacique. 🙂
Besides the wonderful places we saw, we all had really a great time getting to know each other. Our hosts were all so friendly, our guide and driver were awesome, and once again – I was just impressed by how interesting and fun my fellow travel professionals are. Big thanks again to the folks at Memorable Costa Rica for organizing a fabulous trip, and to the Signature Travel Network for making it happen and putting together such a great group of people. On to my next adventure!