What Resort to Choose in Costa Rica
- lisa71541
- Mar 18, 2024
- 14 min read
Updated: Aug 27
Where should you stay during a vacation in Costa Rica? There are numerous resorts available, and they are quite spread out. Do they provide excellent dining options and activities? What are the pool and concierge services like? Do any of them have animals on the premises? We stayed at two different resorts in Costa Rica and dedicated time to finding the best luxury resorts. I'll detail all of that for you in this post.
Transportation to Resort
I would suggest that your resort help with arranging transportation. We shared our flight details, and they managed everything, including monitoring our flight's slight delay.
Setting up WhatsApp before your trip is also beneficial. It's straightforward to set up and uses your current phone number. I recommend this for any international travel.
Our driver contacted us via the app on the morning of our trip, even before we left Orlando. He maintained constant communication with us on WhatsApp once we arrived at San Jose Airport and were going through customs. He described his appearance and how to locate him after we exited the airport. We described ourselves to him, and he found us. This process was very simple, and he was extremely professional. Once you exit customs, you're met with numerous taxi and other drivers offering rides, which can be confusing, so prior communication is essential. It reminded me of Mexico and all Caribbean airports.
My advice is to always book your ride before your stay and never accept a random ride from a driver at the airport. It's better to be safe than sorry, my loves.
How long was the ride?
The journey to Uvita from San Jose Airport took 4 hours. However, don't let this discourage you. A major advantage of the resorts being this far is fewer tourists, offering a more authentic and natural experience. Additionally, we could book any tour or hike we desired upon reaching our resort.
During the trip, we passed through small villages, got out of the car, and walked across the crocodile bridge.
The driver made a stop during our journey to let us use the restrooms. We stayed at Rancho Pacifico for the first part of our trip, where all the drivers are resort employees. They speak English fluently, are well-educated, and our driver was very entertaining. He shared many interesting facts about Costa Rica and offered great tips for our trip.
On the other hand, our driver back to the airport was a private driver arranged by Kura. He was very friendly, but the ride was quite quiet as he did not speak English very well.
If you tend to get motion sickness on winding and bumpy roads, I suggest bringing something to help during the car ride. The journey to the resort wasn't too bad, but once we reached Uvita, the road up to either resort ascends to 600 meters (2000 feet) above sea level for Rancho and 500 meters (1300 feet) for Kura. Vehicles traveling these roads need to be 4x4 with four-wheel drive; otherwise, they won't make it, and anyone inexperienced on these roads might find it challenging. The road to Rancho was somewhat smoother, and the inclines were less steep, but my ears popped on the way up to both resorts, and I felt a bit uneasy. The roads are narrow, winding, and lack guardrails. If you've visited the Amalfi Coast, the roads to the resort are just as winding, even narrower (not two lanes), but you're off-roading (not paved like in the U.S.) and very steep.
Rancho Pacifico Resort
Some of my favorite experiences at Rancho Pacifico in Uvita, Costa Rica were as follows.
1. Concierge & Service at the Resort
Approximately a week prior to our visit, we received an email from Noelia, a member of the concierge team, to confirm some final details. When our driver arrived at the resort, Noelia was waiting at the entrance to guide us to the reception. The reception area was set in a stunning outdoor location, allowing us to enjoy the sunset as we checked in for our stay.
She was the ideal concierge for any project manager. Every car she arranged for us during our stay was punctual. Every staff member was incredibly friendly and engaging, and they knew your name and room number without needing an introduction. The behind-the-scenes communication was EXCEPTIONAL! They never missed a detail, and once I made a request, I never had to repeat it; it felt as though they could anticipate our needs.
We never had to sign a bill for any purchases. It was a pleasant experience to leave the bar or dining table whenever we were ready without waiting. At the end of our stay, we received a list of everyone who served us, allowing us to leave individual tips for any or all of them.
2. The Views & Rooms in our resort
We stayed in a stunning villa named Villa Romantica. Waking up with two walls of windows by our bed was incredible. I also enjoyed having a private plunge pool on our patio, allowing us to have peaceful moments away from other guests whenever we wanted. We frequently spotted toucans and other birds on the property and heard the howler monkeys every evening.
The spacious bathroom featured double sinks and dual shower heads. It was stunning and also had a floor-to-ceiling window.
There were only two aspects of the room that I wasn't thrilled about. First, the limited closet and shelf space for storing clothes. Second, the air conditioner was situated in the living room, and while it did cool the villa, it required us to close the bedroom curtains by early afternoon and lower the temperature before heading to dinner. We discovered this the hard way after a restless first night. Does anyone else prefer sleeping in a freezer? LOL
However, the wraparound deck and private plunge pool were incredible!
From the dining area, we also enjoyed stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and Whales Tale beach.
3. The Other Guests
We were incredibly lucky to have such wonderful guests during our stay. On our first night at the bar, we met two other couples (who weren't traveling together) who were chatting and laughing as if they had been friends for years. Dave and I quickly joined the conversation. In fact, all the couples at the resort were very friendly, and some were on their third or fourth visit to Costa Rica, offering a wealth of knowledge and recommendations on tours and other places to visit. If we hadn't been on our honeymoon, we probably would have spent much more time getting to know them.
All of the guests were quite adventurous, spending a lot of time exploring and joining tours to fully experience what Costa Rica has to offer.
This was one of our favorite resort guests that we saw daily. We were able to spot the toucans in the early morning and at dusk, but this little guy got very close one morning at breakfast. (Photo taken by another guest)
4. The Bites (aka Food) at the resort
As you all know, I adore breakfast, and Rancho did not disappoint. Breakfast is à la carte and included with your stay. They provided a delicious daily fresh juice, various coffee choices, and around 10 menu items ranging from savory to sweet.
Since they have only a few guests, they inquire during breakfast whether you'll be joining them for lunch and dinner and at what time, allowing them to plan accordingly.
Lunch is priced at $14 per person and is offered a la carte with several options available. The menu remains consistent daily, but they are adept at accommodating any dietary restrictions for any meal. They will inquire about these restrictions before your visit to ensure they have the necessary ingredients ready for you. Be sure to try the tuna ceviche—it's truly transformative!
I enjoy a wide range of foods, but occasionally I find myself craving a steak or a burger. One observation I've made while traveling abroad is that the U.S. offers excellent beef. Many other countries, including Costa Rica, don't raise cattle specifically for beef. They have beautiful white cows that are quite unique, but they tend to be very lean. I ordered a burger for lunch at Rancho, and although it was well-prepared, the taste of the meat was simply 'different'. If you're a fan of beef, traveling provides a great opportunity to broaden your palate.
Dinner varies each night and is priced at a flat rate of $49, set by the chef. The cost for the amount and quality of food is very reasonable. Each guest receives two appetizers and a dessert, and can choose between two different main courses. The chefs take great pride in the preparation, presentation, and flavor combinations of the food. We enjoyed dinner, although I prefer breakfast and lunch more during my stay. However, there's always a fish option, which Dave loves, but I do not. The dinners were good, but I preferred the lunch and breakfast options much more.
5. The Property
One aspect I loved about Rancho was the opportunity to explore and hike without leaving the property. They have two on-site trails: one leads to a waterfall and the other to a coffee plantation, both inaccessible by car. However, these trails are suited for advanced hikers. Other couples completed the hike successfully but advised starting early in the morning when it's cooler, as they found the heat challenging. We attempted the waterfall hike, which involves a 30-minute descent followed by a 30-minute ascent. We turned back shortly after halfway due to the intense heat and the rocky, uneven trail, slipping a few times. Although I'm in good physical shape and maintain a healthy diet, I have a minor condition that causes lightheadedness in hot sun and high altitudes, limiting my participation in such activities.
Noelia mentioned that if we couldn't complete the waterfall hike, she wouldn't recommend attempting the coffee farm hike, as it is longer and equally challenging.
kura REsort in Costa Rica
When our Kura driver picked us up from Rancho, we inquired about the distance to the resort, as it didn't seem far on the map. However, we had to descend the mountain and then ascend it again. What amused us was that the same dirt road we used at the base of Uvita to reach Rancho was also the road to Kura. We simply crossed the mountain and traveled up a very winding and bumpy road with steep inclines and declines, which brought us to a beautiful covered entryway. We were greeted with fresh cocktails and escorted upstairs to an outdoor seating area with another stunning view of Whales Tale beach while they checked us in. The check-in process at both resorts was very straightforward.
Here are some of my favorite things at Kura.
The Resort & Views
The resort and property are beautiful. It has a setup that is similar yet distinct from Rancho. At Rancho, the bar, concierge, pool, and restaurant are all located in one area, but each villa has its own set of steps leading to it, and they are all separate from one another, offering privacy to all guests.
Our villa was situated right below the main area of the resort, and our room was spacious. It featured double sinks and double shower heads. There was a heavy sliding door that separated the bathroom from the living room. Personally, I prefer more privacy in the bathroom, so having just a sliding door with Dave on the other side felt a bit exposed compared to a door that closes completely. There was a large changing room with ample space for storing luggage and a large closet with plenty of shelf space.
The outdoor area was expansive and included a hammock. However, we didn't have the expansive views we experienced at Rancho. While exploring the resort, I noticed that the other villas were in separate buildings and seemed to offer better views. We had walls on both sides of our villa.
Kura's bar, concierge, restaurant, and pool are all situated together, and while the villa we stayed in was separate, the other villas are located along the same path, each housed in its own building.
The spa at Kura is expansive, featuring a Jacuzzi, a large shower, and a bathroom. It offers a stunning view of the jungle. I highly recommend booking a spa experience at one or both of the resorts. I received amazing massages at both locations, and the staff were wonderful. I had a 50-minute tired feet massage at Kura, which was incredibly magical and much needed after all of our hiking and exploring.
The Activities
Kura offers a different class each day at 2pm. Because of the heat in Uvita, it's best to schedule your excursions in the morning, unless you're planning a night hike (which I recommend). We typically returned to the resort between 12 and 1, just in time for lunch and a swim. During our stay, we attended two classes. One was a tortilla-making class, which was more challenging than expected, especially for two people who don't cook. LOL, but Michael made it really enjoyable. At the end, they provided us with chicken, veggies, cheese, and sour cream to fill our taco shells. Delicious!
We also attended a mixology class, which was incredibly enjoyable! Alonso was an excellent instructor and made everything seem effortless. I highly recommend enrolling in these classes. Since none of the other guests joined, we ended up having private lessons. Although we were more successful as bartenders, I think we'll keep our day jobs.
We discovered that we were completing hikes or excursions in the morning and returning by 1 p.m. Since I'm not someone who enjoys sitting at the beach or pool all day, after a few days of relaxation, we realized we needed additional activities. Costa Rica is very hot during the day, with temperatures in Uvita usually ranging from the high 80s to mid-90s, along with humidity. The combination of heat and altitude can quickly tire you out. Therefore, we appreciated having alternative activities in the mid-afternoon, which added variety to our relaxation time.
Concierge and Service at Kura Resort
The wait staff at Kura and our driver from Rancho were outstanding! They were full of energy and incredibly friendly. However, the concierge staff seemed newer, and we encountered some challenges with follow-up and communication, something we never faced at Rancho.
Tip: If you stay at Kura, keep an eye out for Princess. The owners have a dog that roams the property, and she's essentially in charge. She's adorable, and we enjoyed greeting her every day.
The bites (aka Food)
The food was fantastic! Breakfast is included with your stay and is delightful. Similar to Rancho, it features a juice of the day, various coffee or tea options, and the most delicious banana bread I've ever tasted. It has a crispy crust with a soft center, and let's just say I never shared it with Dave. It was that good! I adored the coffee at Kura. It reminded me of the coffee I used to sell from Costa Rica—lively with some acidity but incredibly smooth. Most days, I ordered a breakfast burrito with eggs, cheese, avocado, and a handmade tortilla wrap, which was light and delicious. On the last day, I tried the blue cornmeal pancakes. We loved our breakfast.
Lunch and dinner are served a la carte with the same menu each day. Although the menu is limited, the food was excellent. There were several appetizer and salad options, as well as entrees to choose from. We thoroughly enjoyed everything we ordered and appreciated having the freedom to choose our meals.
Two things I loved about Kura were the ability to order room service and the convenience it offered. We had an early tour, so we requested breakfast in our room to eat quickly and get ready. In the afternoon, they offer appetizers and bar bites, along with smoothies to enjoy by the pool. Their chicken, peanut, and coconut egg rolls were absolutely amazing, and I couldn't get enough of them.
After our initial lunch at Kura, we stood up to leave, intending to walk off, but they had to chase after us to sign the bill. We had gotten used to the convenience at Rancho. Additionally, they didn't know which room we were staying in, so we had to introduce ourselves to everyone we encountered. However, everyone was extremely friendly.
Comparison of Two Resort Stays
Note* I suggest dining out in the local town for one meal. Consult your concierge for a recommendation. Although we didn't try this ourselves, several other guests mentioned they dined in Uvita, visited the farmers market, and had a wonderful experience!
Offerings | Kura | Rancho Pacifico |
Drivers | Offered a mix of resort and local drivers. All good but not all English speaking | Used primarily their own drivers and everyone spoke excellent English (including ride from airport) |
Concierge | Offered IPad to send direct messages too. Went out of their way to find us a driver for an excursion I had coordinated ahead of time. However, they were lacking in their communication and responsiveness with some newer team members. | We’re on-point for this project manager. Every ride was on-time. Their communication skills from one concierge person to next as well as across all employees was excellent. Things happened seamlessly behind the scenes. I worried about nothing. |
Rooms - Villas | Room was beautiful, huge bath and dressing/closet area for all of our things. Air conditioning unit was in bedroom so it was easy to keep cool. We stayed in the Infinity Suite, I believe other villas had better views with more trees for birds around them. | Stunning views from bedroom. Two story deck with private plunge pool was amazing! We were able to spend quiet time on our deck. Air conditioning was in living room and took longer to cool down the bedroom. We learned to close curtains in bedroom after we left for breakfast and turn air down before heading to dinner. Closet and drawer space was bit tight. |
Service | Staff was very friendly. We had a couple great waiters we got to know and bar tenders. We loved our driver from Rancho to Kura! We had to sign for all meals. No tipping at the end of the stay. So tipping occurred after each interaction. | Top Notch: Everyone knew our name without an introduction. We never had to give our room # they just knew us. We never had to sign after a meal or cocktail. It was all taken care of at the end. So as soon as we finished a meal we could leave the table. |
Critters | No screens on the one slider. We were very careful to quickly open and close our door. We never saw a flying insect but a very large spider at end of our visit was on Dave’s shirt. Could have been from housekeeping going in and out and leaving doors open? | The rooms had screened as well as glass sliding doors. We followed guidance to not leave lights on inside room if we were coming and going so bugs didn’t fly in. We only saw one flying insect inside the bathroom. Never any spiders or bugs. |
Location | Same at both | high in mountain 500 meters. Expect bumpy, 15 min ride of narrow road that is very steep incline. My ears popped most of the way. If you get nasceaus plan ahead of time. |
Excursions | I would wait and have your concierge plan your excursions. They will know best private guides vs touristy guides. They can also coordinate rides. Easy to get scheduled and reasonably priced. | Same at both |
Beach | Offers shuttle daily to beach for free. At request will pack umbrella and a cooler with snacks. | you can request drive to and from beach. About 25 min drive from either resort. Watch my highlights for what to expect at beach before you go. |
Resort Activities | Spa and daily at 4pm there are classes you can sign up for . We did a mixology and tortilla making class | Spa. 2 extreme hiking trails. one to waterfall and one to coffee farm. Bartender was so fun and we had a lively group each night and made some new friends |
Clientele | Seemed like an older crowd, half of the guests were European. We found one couple we spent some time talking to but otherwise everyone kept to themselves. | Seemed like a more adventurous crowd. Everyone was scheduling hikes and excursions. Very outdoorsy group that was well traveled to similar spots. We had a mix or guests from US and Europe. Made some fun friends at the bar each night. |
Room Service | Yes | No, but we brought stuff back to our room. |
Top Luxury Tourist Areas
I recommend the two resorts we stayed in Uvita, but if you are curious about other areas of Costa Rica, here is what i learned from other guests we spoke with during our stay.
La Fortuna /Arenal Mountain ( 2 hours from San Jose airport)
This area offers stunning views of Arenal Volcano.
I suggest staying at Nayara Resorts, a larger property comprising three resorts within one compound. We considered it for our stay, but it was the most expensive option among all the resorts I evaluated. The resorts include Nayara Gardens, Springs, and The Tents. According to a few other guests and a bartender at our resort who previously worked there, The Tents are exceptional. The resort is very luxurious, with numerous dining options, wildlife, an on-site reserve, and pools fed by hot springs. It is quite large, requiring a golf cart to navigate.
Uvita (4 hours from San Jose airport)
I definitely recommend Rancho Pacifico and Kura. These are both small boutique resorts offering exceptional service and featuring just 7-8 villas, allowing them to provide more personalized attention to each guest.
Monteverde Cloud Forest (75 min from San Jose airport)
A guest who stayed at Nayara Tents also visited the Cloud Forest. She mentioned enjoying coffee in the clouds but felt that Nayara and Kura were much more pleasant resort areas.
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