A Beautiful Escape
I’ve had the pleasure of going to Costa Rica twice. Both times I stayed in two different regions so I’m going to give you the inside scoop into two different cities and let you know the best places to stay, things to do, and how to ensure you have the perfect holiday. I would highly recommend a trip to Costa Rica, generally the flights aren’t too expensive (at least from NYC), the exchange rate is strong, and the views are incredible. All photos on this page were taken by me and I’m no photographer- so imagine how stunning these views were in person.
Where to Stay
If you only have a few days and fly into LIR, then I suggest staying at Santarena Hotel at Las Catalinas. I really enjoyed my stay here- the hotel is about 45 minutes from the airport and is very close to many things to do. This is a very cute hotel as this “town” is a walkable town with no cars allowed. Think Venice waterfront but in Costa Rica. The Hotel does offer transfers to different beaches and different things to do. However, I will say the view from the infinity pool at this hotel is to die for. This was a photo I snapped of my husband from the pool around sunrise.
When I went back to Costa Rica the second time I went with my cousin and some of his coworkers. His manager was an architect and recently had a property built in Costa Rica. So we stayed at his house. While you won’t be able to stay at his house, I have found some options nearby that I think would be a great fit. Think further from the airport- so a bit of a hike, BUT more isolated, away from tourists and a more authentic LOCAL experience. I stayed in Nicoya and the views were to die for. I’ve showcased 3 hotels in the same region in the link below.
Location: Playa Pelda
About Us
Santarena Hotel so for my first trip to Costa Rica it was more of a “baecation” my boyfriend at the time, now husband and I booked this trip and it was a bit secluded and I made the mistake of not booking transfers in advance. I highly suggest if you book with this hotel you use my link to book transfers, because booking through the hotel you’ll be paying a much higher rate for any excursions. Since we didn’t book anything in advance and could not justify these high prices we really just enjoyed the local town and beach.
Location: Nicoya
While I can’t refer you to this exact view (since it’s a friends house) I can provide you with a similar view below.
What Would I recommend?
I think that really depends on what you’re looking for. When I went to Costa Rica the first time I went with my boyfriend, now husband, and we stayed at The Santarena Hotel. I really enjoyed our stay- it was absolutely beautiful. The “town” is walkable and no cars are allowed here. All the food on site is very good. I know sometimes hotels don’t have that authentic feel and the food can be subpar, but that definitely was not the case here, the food was delicious. For a “baecation” weekend getaway I would recommend staying at Santarena. If you want to explore and have more of a local vibe I’d recommend staying in Nicoya. You can also split some time between a few cities to get a feel for different regions.
Lessons Learned,
Make sure you book transfers in advance. I’d suggest having a set itinerary before you go, because when you arrive tours may already be booked out, or if you are getting a hotel to make arrangements for you- you risk it being very overpriced- this was the case for us. Unfortunately, I really wanted to visit the volcano and the rainforests but because we waited and tried to book through the hotel we just didn’t think the price was worth it. However, if you book in advance through Viator (links provided above) the prices seem much more reasonable. I’d highly recommend Costa Rica to anyone looking for a beautiful holiday.
Margarittaville (Restaurant) overlooking Playa Flamingo