Trip Report and Reviews-Nosara, Mal Pais, Tamarindo
Jan 16th, 2008, 02:00 PM
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Trip Report and Reviews-Nosara, Mal Pais, Tamarindo
We just returned from 10 great days in Costa Rica so I thought I would post our thoughts and experiences. As a preview, the goal of our trip was to relax and surf and just enjoy the area, so we didn't do too many activities. Also, we are both foodies, so we did a lot of eating!
Liberia Airport: We arrived at the airport in the am. Small airport and very easy to get through. Right outside was the guy for National rent a car. He took us immediately to the rental car lot off the airport. Everyone at National was very friendly and they upgraded us to a larger SUV than we originally reserved. I had looked into other companies but in the end we were happy with the service we got from National and the car we got (a Toyota Prado, like a Land Cruiser) was brand new and worked like a charm. Also, National (or Alamo, they worked together) had offices in all the towns we visited so that was a plus as well.
Nosara:
The drive: We did the drive from the airport to Nosara in about 2 hours. Its a pretty simple drive in dry season--I can see how the dirt road into Nosara can slow things down if it were raining, but we had no problems.
Hotel: In Nosara, we stayed at the Harmony Hotel and we LOVED it, it was our favorite hotel of the whole trip. The staff is very friendly and accomodating. The grounds are really simple, clean and well maintained, and the rooms as well. We stayed in a Cocos room by the pool which had a great outdoor shower we used everyday. Other great things about this place: one minute walk to the main surfing beach in Nosara down a path from the hotel; a "surf board check" where they hold and watch your boards for you 24 hours a day; security on the beach to watch your stuff (Nosara is notorious for things magically disappearing from the beach!); free Wireless throughout the hotel; great, amazing breakfast menu included in the price of the stay; within walking distance of many bars and restaurants. We really loved this place and would definatley go back there without hesitation. As an aside, we looked at some of the other hotels in the area as well to get an idea: Casa Romantica seemed nice and quaint, and Guilded Iguana seemed to be pretty basic but had a good atmosphere and was pretty clean. The old Blew Dogs (now called Kaya Sol) was looking a bit dirty and run down though.
Restaurants: The restaurant at the hotel is actually pretty good--very fresh ingredients and a good mix of local food and more "American" type food as well. Just as a general note, we were initially concerned about not eating fruits, lettuce, etc., but we quickly figured out that most of the places we went had lots of tourists and therefore purified their water, and so we felt comfortable eating most things most places (and we never had any problems!).
Other restaurants we tried:
Giardino Tropical--basic pizza and pastas. Really nice location in the trees. The service was nice, although the food was just ok, but we did enjoy ourselves because it had a great atmosphere.
Rancho Tico--In the town of Nosara, probably our favorite place to eat in Nosara. A lot of locals there--great, simple fish dishes, delicious ceviche and really affordable.
Casa Tucan-Fun bar. WAY overpriced food that is just ok. But the pizza is pretty good so we would recommend pizza and beers there!
Pizza La Casonna (I think this is what it was called but not positive). On the road to Nosara. Very nice space. Great salad and the pizza was good as well.
Oasis: Good vegan sandwiches (hummus, etc.) and smoothies. But it takes a LONG time to get your food.
Activities: Just as a side note, we mostly just relaxed, surfed and hung out on the beach so we don't have too many recommendations regarding canopy, etc. The best surfboards we saw for rent were at Nosara Surf. The ones at Coconut Harry's were a bit beat up and they didn't have as many. We were told they also rent them at Casa Tucan for pretty cheap, although we did not check those out.
Drive from Nosara to Mal Pais: We decided last minute to take the coast route. Our hotel had the National Geographic book at their store that describes the route and we did find this to be helpful. I would NOT advise doing this drive in the rainy season, but in the dry season with an SUV its pretty fun, although VERY bumpy. The river crossings were definately always an adventure, but usually a local happens to be going or coming at the same time so you can just follow their route. The ONLY time we got lost was from Manzanillo to Mal Pais. The road seems to naturally go up, which is the road we took. However, the actual coast route goes around the point to the right. We did this later and figured out that it takes MUCH longer to go around. So, if you do the coast route, we recommend going up and over the hill from Manzanillo to Mal Pais. At the top of the hill, when the horrible, bumpy roads runs into a semi-paved road, go to the right and down the hill right into Santa Teresa/Mal Pais (this is where we got lost--we chose to go left, and so we had to eventually back track about 20 minutes to make it down)--there is not sign, so pay attention!). The total drive time (with getting lost!) was about 4 hours. I think it would take about 3-4 hours if your took the non-coast route in dry season.
Mal Pais:
The town itself is totally different than Nosara. Nosara has more of a ecofriendly, yoga, surfer vibe. Mal Pais has more of a rasta, hippy, surfer vibe. Mal Pais is pretty spread out and we had to use our car most places we went (especially because of our hotel). There are a few locations (noted below) that are more central and so could be doable without a car, but we still think it would be hard.
Hotel:
Casa Chameleon: Based on all the reviews we had read, we decided to stay at Casa Chameleon for our trip. I am sad to say we were disappointed with our choice. First, let me say that the hotel manager David and the chef Kevin were amazing and friendly and great help, with great recommendations and fun to be around. Kevin also made us a great dinner, and as foodies, we were both plesantaly surprised. So we have no complaints about them! Also, the grounds themselves are really well maintained and clean, especially the pool area. Our main complaint is about the room/villa we had. For Costa Rica, this place is definately on the pricey side, yet based on the reviews and the pictures on the website, we thought it would be worth it. However, the room is really pretty old and worn down. Specific problems: 1) The A/C is from about 1950 and is at loud as a jet engine (I am not exagerrating!); 2) The fan in the room is very pretty but does not work at all in circulating air around the room; 3) The refrigerator in the room, again pretty old school, was very loud and made this explosion type sound every few hours; 4) The bed was a double--for a place that caters to honeymooners, they should at least have a king size bed!; and 5) Breakfast is not included in the price (which it is in most other hotels in the area). How, I know you are thinking, this is Costa Rica, deal with it. HOWEVER, if we were staying at a place that was more reasonably priced and not advertised as being luxury, we would not complain. But based on what we paid and what we were expecting, it was definately very disapppointing. Also, the hotel is located up a giant hill and is not at all within walking distance to the main surf beach. We drove down the hill once and walked from there down the beach and it still took about 30 minutes. We did look at the ultra luxury villa. In terms of its amenties, it is newer and more along the lines of what I was expecting in our room. But I don't think its worth the price either for Costa Rica.
Where would we have stayed instead? We would have chosen I think Tropico Latino--it is on the beach, the rooms looked very basic but clean, nice bar, and lounge chairs and pool area. We have heard reports of break ins but you could leave your valuables with the reception and it would be fine. We wished we had chosen this hotel instead-if we were going to be in an older room with loud a/c, might as well be footsteps from the beach!
There is also a new hotel right in Playa Carmen (the main "town" between Mal Pais and Santa Teresa),I think it is called Playa Carmen Hotel. It looks very nice and modern and a great location--you can walk right down onto the main beach and it is right next to all the restaurants and shops in town.
Mal Pais Surf Camp also would be a good choice. More low key and more of a younger crowd. But the room we saw was nice although basic and it is very affordable.
Finally, on the outskirts, there is Flor Blanca which is supposed to be the nicest hotel in the area. It looked very nice when we visited and very serence. However, it is pretty far from town and the main beaches for surfing (although it does have a beautiful swimming beach of its own). So if you don't mind being a little far away, I am sure this would be a great place.
Restaurants:
Overall, the food in Mal Pais was much better than the food in Nosara. Here are our favorites:
Mary's: Our favorite place. Very mellow but nice restaurant in Mal Pais. Has pizzas, tacos, burritos, and about 4-5 fish specials every night. They also make great drinks and have a couple pool tables that you can play for free. Everyone there was very friendly and we went there 2 of our 5 nights.
Las Piedras: In Playa Carmen, this is an Argentinan ribs/chicken joint. They cook the food right on the grills in the front and they are great. The atmosphere is very relaxed and mellow and the food is basic and good.
Piedra Del Mar: Best breakfast place, right on the beach. This is a typical Costa Rican "soda". It looks like a shack and seems a little sketchy from the outside, but the food is great--you can get gallo pinto and eggs and fresh orange juice for about $3! We also heard they have great lunch but didn't get to try it.
Montezuma: We took a day trip to Montezuma as well. The beaches there are pretty nice for swimming and its a cute, artsy town. A GREAT place to eat there is called Playa de Los Artistes. Its right on the beach and the menu changes everyday. It has a pretty European feeling to it but its very relaxed and chill and the food is very fresh. The day we were there, the menu was a fresh sushi menu, if you can believe it, and it was actually great!
Tamarindo:
The drive: We drove from Mal Pais to Tamarindo. Despite what everyone says, this drive took us only about 3.5 hours (not 6) and was very easy. It might take a little longer in rainy season I imagine but it is mostly paved so probably not that much longer. Also, we did not take the ferry--you can just drive up the peninsula and we don't think the ferry would have saved us anytime, but that's just our experience.
Capitan Suizo: We only stayed here for our last night before we left, The hotel was nice but a bit outdated and run down, especially the pool areas and the bathrooms. However, our room was pretty comfortable and the A/C was so quiet! Woo hoo! Breakfast was included as well, which was a standard buffet, but definately a bonus. The hotel also has wireless in the lobby and a couple public computers for use.
However, it is still a walk to the middle of town, so if you care going to Tamarindo, I would recommend staying instead at Cala Luna, which is right next door. It is much newer and much nicer, in our opinion, and for the same price (based on what I was quoted when I was investigating rooms). We had dinner there our night in town and wished we had stayed there instead. The pool is beautiful and Playa Longosta is just a few minutes walk, which is a much nicer and cleaner beach than Tamarindo beach itself.
Just a quick note about Tamarindo--we found it to be totally dirty and polluted and could not wait to get out, especially after having been in places like Nosara. The only reason we went into town was to go to the bank and decided to spend our evening there at Cala Luna having dinner. It has changed a lot in the last five years and is now just overdeveloped and dirty and the main beach seemed to be pretty polluted. Suffice it to say, we were glad we only had one night there!
Liberia Airport: We arrived at the airport in the am. Small airport and very easy to get through. Right outside was the guy for National rent a car. He took us immediately to the rental car lot off the airport. Everyone at National was very friendly and they upgraded us to a larger SUV than we originally reserved. I had looked into other companies but in the end we were happy with the service we got from National and the car we got (a Toyota Prado, like a Land Cruiser) was brand new and worked like a charm. Also, National (or Alamo, they worked together) had offices in all the towns we visited so that was a plus as well.
Nosara:
The drive: We did the drive from the airport to Nosara in about 2 hours. Its a pretty simple drive in dry season--I can see how the dirt road into Nosara can slow things down if it were raining, but we had no problems.
Hotel: In Nosara, we stayed at the Harmony Hotel and we LOVED it, it was our favorite hotel of the whole trip. The staff is very friendly and accomodating. The grounds are really simple, clean and well maintained, and the rooms as well. We stayed in a Cocos room by the pool which had a great outdoor shower we used everyday. Other great things about this place: one minute walk to the main surfing beach in Nosara down a path from the hotel; a "surf board check" where they hold and watch your boards for you 24 hours a day; security on the beach to watch your stuff (Nosara is notorious for things magically disappearing from the beach!); free Wireless throughout the hotel; great, amazing breakfast menu included in the price of the stay; within walking distance of many bars and restaurants. We really loved this place and would definatley go back there without hesitation. As an aside, we looked at some of the other hotels in the area as well to get an idea: Casa Romantica seemed nice and quaint, and Guilded Iguana seemed to be pretty basic but had a good atmosphere and was pretty clean. The old Blew Dogs (now called Kaya Sol) was looking a bit dirty and run down though.
Restaurants: The restaurant at the hotel is actually pretty good--very fresh ingredients and a good mix of local food and more "American" type food as well. Just as a general note, we were initially concerned about not eating fruits, lettuce, etc., but we quickly figured out that most of the places we went had lots of tourists and therefore purified their water, and so we felt comfortable eating most things most places (and we never had any problems!).
Other restaurants we tried:
Giardino Tropical--basic pizza and pastas. Really nice location in the trees. The service was nice, although the food was just ok, but we did enjoy ourselves because it had a great atmosphere.
Rancho Tico--In the town of Nosara, probably our favorite place to eat in Nosara. A lot of locals there--great, simple fish dishes, delicious ceviche and really affordable.
Casa Tucan-Fun bar. WAY overpriced food that is just ok. But the pizza is pretty good so we would recommend pizza and beers there!
Pizza La Casonna (I think this is what it was called but not positive). On the road to Nosara. Very nice space. Great salad and the pizza was good as well.
Oasis: Good vegan sandwiches (hummus, etc.) and smoothies. But it takes a LONG time to get your food.
Activities: Just as a side note, we mostly just relaxed, surfed and hung out on the beach so we don't have too many recommendations regarding canopy, etc. The best surfboards we saw for rent were at Nosara Surf. The ones at Coconut Harry's were a bit beat up and they didn't have as many. We were told they also rent them at Casa Tucan for pretty cheap, although we did not check those out.
Drive from Nosara to Mal Pais: We decided last minute to take the coast route. Our hotel had the National Geographic book at their store that describes the route and we did find this to be helpful. I would NOT advise doing this drive in the rainy season, but in the dry season with an SUV its pretty fun, although VERY bumpy. The river crossings were definately always an adventure, but usually a local happens to be going or coming at the same time so you can just follow their route. The ONLY time we got lost was from Manzanillo to Mal Pais. The road seems to naturally go up, which is the road we took. However, the actual coast route goes around the point to the right. We did this later and figured out that it takes MUCH longer to go around. So, if you do the coast route, we recommend going up and over the hill from Manzanillo to Mal Pais. At the top of the hill, when the horrible, bumpy roads runs into a semi-paved road, go to the right and down the hill right into Santa Teresa/Mal Pais (this is where we got lost--we chose to go left, and so we had to eventually back track about 20 minutes to make it down)--there is not sign, so pay attention!). The total drive time (with getting lost!) was about 4 hours. I think it would take about 3-4 hours if your took the non-coast route in dry season.
Mal Pais:
The town itself is totally different than Nosara. Nosara has more of a ecofriendly, yoga, surfer vibe. Mal Pais has more of a rasta, hippy, surfer vibe. Mal Pais is pretty spread out and we had to use our car most places we went (especially because of our hotel). There are a few locations (noted below) that are more central and so could be doable without a car, but we still think it would be hard.
Hotel:
Casa Chameleon: Based on all the reviews we had read, we decided to stay at Casa Chameleon for our trip. I am sad to say we were disappointed with our choice. First, let me say that the hotel manager David and the chef Kevin were amazing and friendly and great help, with great recommendations and fun to be around. Kevin also made us a great dinner, and as foodies, we were both plesantaly surprised. So we have no complaints about them! Also, the grounds themselves are really well maintained and clean, especially the pool area. Our main complaint is about the room/villa we had. For Costa Rica, this place is definately on the pricey side, yet based on the reviews and the pictures on the website, we thought it would be worth it. However, the room is really pretty old and worn down. Specific problems: 1) The A/C is from about 1950 and is at loud as a jet engine (I am not exagerrating!); 2) The fan in the room is very pretty but does not work at all in circulating air around the room; 3) The refrigerator in the room, again pretty old school, was very loud and made this explosion type sound every few hours; 4) The bed was a double--for a place that caters to honeymooners, they should at least have a king size bed!; and 5) Breakfast is not included in the price (which it is in most other hotels in the area). How, I know you are thinking, this is Costa Rica, deal with it. HOWEVER, if we were staying at a place that was more reasonably priced and not advertised as being luxury, we would not complain. But based on what we paid and what we were expecting, it was definately very disapppointing. Also, the hotel is located up a giant hill and is not at all within walking distance to the main surf beach. We drove down the hill once and walked from there down the beach and it still took about 30 minutes. We did look at the ultra luxury villa. In terms of its amenties, it is newer and more along the lines of what I was expecting in our room. But I don't think its worth the price either for Costa Rica.
Where would we have stayed instead? We would have chosen I think Tropico Latino--it is on the beach, the rooms looked very basic but clean, nice bar, and lounge chairs and pool area. We have heard reports of break ins but you could leave your valuables with the reception and it would be fine. We wished we had chosen this hotel instead-if we were going to be in an older room with loud a/c, might as well be footsteps from the beach!
There is also a new hotel right in Playa Carmen (the main "town" between Mal Pais and Santa Teresa),I think it is called Playa Carmen Hotel. It looks very nice and modern and a great location--you can walk right down onto the main beach and it is right next to all the restaurants and shops in town.
Mal Pais Surf Camp also would be a good choice. More low key and more of a younger crowd. But the room we saw was nice although basic and it is very affordable.
Finally, on the outskirts, there is Flor Blanca which is supposed to be the nicest hotel in the area. It looked very nice when we visited and very serence. However, it is pretty far from town and the main beaches for surfing (although it does have a beautiful swimming beach of its own). So if you don't mind being a little far away, I am sure this would be a great place.
Restaurants:
Overall, the food in Mal Pais was much better than the food in Nosara. Here are our favorites:
Mary's: Our favorite place. Very mellow but nice restaurant in Mal Pais. Has pizzas, tacos, burritos, and about 4-5 fish specials every night. They also make great drinks and have a couple pool tables that you can play for free. Everyone there was very friendly and we went there 2 of our 5 nights.
Las Piedras: In Playa Carmen, this is an Argentinan ribs/chicken joint. They cook the food right on the grills in the front and they are great. The atmosphere is very relaxed and mellow and the food is basic and good.
Piedra Del Mar: Best breakfast place, right on the beach. This is a typical Costa Rican "soda". It looks like a shack and seems a little sketchy from the outside, but the food is great--you can get gallo pinto and eggs and fresh orange juice for about $3! We also heard they have great lunch but didn't get to try it.
Montezuma: We took a day trip to Montezuma as well. The beaches there are pretty nice for swimming and its a cute, artsy town. A GREAT place to eat there is called Playa de Los Artistes. Its right on the beach and the menu changes everyday. It has a pretty European feeling to it but its very relaxed and chill and the food is very fresh. The day we were there, the menu was a fresh sushi menu, if you can believe it, and it was actually great!
Tamarindo:
The drive: We drove from Mal Pais to Tamarindo. Despite what everyone says, this drive took us only about 3.5 hours (not 6) and was very easy. It might take a little longer in rainy season I imagine but it is mostly paved so probably not that much longer. Also, we did not take the ferry--you can just drive up the peninsula and we don't think the ferry would have saved us anytime, but that's just our experience.
Capitan Suizo: We only stayed here for our last night before we left, The hotel was nice but a bit outdated and run down, especially the pool areas and the bathrooms. However, our room was pretty comfortable and the A/C was so quiet! Woo hoo! Breakfast was included as well, which was a standard buffet, but definately a bonus. The hotel also has wireless in the lobby and a couple public computers for use.
However, it is still a walk to the middle of town, so if you care going to Tamarindo, I would recommend staying instead at Cala Luna, which is right next door. It is much newer and much nicer, in our opinion, and for the same price (based on what I was quoted when I was investigating rooms). We had dinner there our night in town and wished we had stayed there instead. The pool is beautiful and Playa Longosta is just a few minutes walk, which is a much nicer and cleaner beach than Tamarindo beach itself.
Just a quick note about Tamarindo--we found it to be totally dirty and polluted and could not wait to get out, especially after having been in places like Nosara. The only reason we went into town was to go to the bank and decided to spend our evening there at Cala Luna having dinner. It has changed a lot in the last five years and is now just overdeveloped and dirty and the main beach seemed to be pretty polluted. Suffice it to say, we were glad we only had one night there!
Jan 16th, 2008, 09:10 PM
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We would definately choose to go back to Nosara. The two beaches are pretty different, although its hard to explain how. I think that Nosara has more of a relaxed feeling to it (which is strange since theft on the beach is apparently a bigger problem there, although we and no one we met had anything taken) and it is definately a smaller community. The beach in Mal Pais is more lively I would say, with a restaurant/pizzeria on the beach and more people just hanging out on the beach--Mal Pais is also a little more "grungy" than Nosara, which as I mentioned before has a more eco/yoga feel to it. Both are definately surf beaches, although I think Nosara is more so and the waves there are bigger as well (which is why my boyfriend liked it better!). I also noticed that there tended to be many more backpackers and younger people (younger than us even, we are in our early 30s!) in Mal Pais, while Nosara was a bit more family oriented, so this changed the atmosphere as well. Hope that helps but feel free to ask any more questions!
Jan 17th, 2008, 06:20 PM
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So glad you posted! Great trip report. The drive down the coast is something we've wanted to do for awhile--alas, seldom are we there during dry season!
Good to hear your drive from Malpais only took 3.5 hours. Amazing considering Malpais to Paquera is close to 1.5 And mostly paved! That's great. What did you think about the stretch between Paquera and Naranjo? It's been 2 years since we were on it, but it was SO bad and very slow (always took us 5.5 or so to get from Malpais to Tamarindo and we move at a pretty good clip when possible!). Perhaps it has been improved, which would be wonderful. And long overdue.
We enjoyed Tropico Latino a lot--would stay there again. So disappointed to hear your report of Casa Chameleon--very surprising (especially as you say, considering the price).
Welcome home and thanks again for taking the time to check in!
Good to hear your drive from Malpais only took 3.5 hours. Amazing considering Malpais to Paquera is close to 1.5 And mostly paved! That's great. What did you think about the stretch between Paquera and Naranjo? It's been 2 years since we were on it, but it was SO bad and very slow (always took us 5.5 or so to get from Malpais to Tamarindo and we move at a pretty good clip when possible!). Perhaps it has been improved, which would be wonderful. And long overdue.
We enjoyed Tropico Latino a lot--would stay there again. So disappointed to hear your report of Casa Chameleon--very surprising (especially as you say, considering the price).
Welcome home and thanks again for taking the time to check in!
Jan 18th, 2008, 04:08 AM
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Thanks for posting, especially all the restauramt info. Will be in Santa Teresa in May (at Horizon Hotel) and won't have a car, guess I'll play it by ear as to how to get around. Most likely will do a day trip to Montezuma, how long did that take and how was the road? What area would you suggest in Mal Pais/St Teresa for laying out & taking a dip (or is it too rough?) and any good places to watch the surfers?
Jan 18th, 2008, 05:14 AM
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I am surprised by your comments about Casa Chameleon. I also completely disagree with you. We were just there again in November. I don't see how someone can say $235 for a private ocean view NEW room at a boutique hotel anywhere is expensive. At Florblanca it is now over $600 a night for a room by the road. No, their beach is not swimmable. We stayed there in 2005 through wwww.CostaRica-BeachRentals.com.
Which by the way was very helpful on our first trip to the area. It was expensive then! They didn't include anything in the minifridge(same type as CC has). Not even a bottle of water. Casa Chameleon gives free drinks and snacks as a welcome basket to their guests. They have always done this since our first visit. They do not advertise these extras. They don't charge extra for room service or anything really. The honor bar is cheap with all kinds of drinks. You never feel price gouged there. That is why you have an option of a gourmet chef - I agree with you on one thing, Kevin was amazing!- but they give you restaurant recommendations like the Piedra Mar you mention. You were upset they didn't include breakfast? Kevin, the gourmet chef does the breakfast too and to have his amazing peach crepes with bacon, eggs, toast, fresh juice, coffee or anything you want I think $7.50 was cheap!
You say the room was old-how so? When we were there 2 months ago everything looked perfect. The resort was just built a few years ago. The rooms are cement construction with solid teak posts and railings. They made all of the furniture out of local hard woods. It is natural but certainly not rustic. The bed is a queen and the a/c is a window unit but not old. If it made a noise you should have said something. Did you? Because I know these people and they would have done something immediately. They bend over backwards for their guests. You wrote about how nice the staff was and the views, etc. But these small things that could easily have been attended to has you writing things like 1) The A/C is from about 1950 and is at loud as a jet engine (I am not exagerrating!)
Obviously that's an exageration!!!
I just had to say something because I found it very rude. Especially that you wrote such a harsh review on Trip Advisor. I find it funny you say it wasn't a bargain when trip advisor just chose them as one of the BEST BARGAINS IN THE WORLD. Everyone has a right to their opinion. This is why I'm giving mine. I love this place! The people are definitely what make it BUT the hotel is incredibly beautiful. Especially since they added teak walkways all over and many upgrades in October just before our November visit. They constantly add new things and are very environmentally conscious as well. They only have 3 villas as opposed to slapping 20 or 30 on their large property. To do this and still have the prices so reasonable with all they offer is a bargain. It's a shame you just didn't get it. I personally am not a fan of Nosara but to each his own!
Which by the way was very helpful on our first trip to the area. It was expensive then! They didn't include anything in the minifridge(same type as CC has). Not even a bottle of water. Casa Chameleon gives free drinks and snacks as a welcome basket to their guests. They have always done this since our first visit. They do not advertise these extras. They don't charge extra for room service or anything really. The honor bar is cheap with all kinds of drinks. You never feel price gouged there. That is why you have an option of a gourmet chef - I agree with you on one thing, Kevin was amazing!- but they give you restaurant recommendations like the Piedra Mar you mention. You were upset they didn't include breakfast? Kevin, the gourmet chef does the breakfast too and to have his amazing peach crepes with bacon, eggs, toast, fresh juice, coffee or anything you want I think $7.50 was cheap!
You say the room was old-how so? When we were there 2 months ago everything looked perfect. The resort was just built a few years ago. The rooms are cement construction with solid teak posts and railings. They made all of the furniture out of local hard woods. It is natural but certainly not rustic. The bed is a queen and the a/c is a window unit but not old. If it made a noise you should have said something. Did you? Because I know these people and they would have done something immediately. They bend over backwards for their guests. You wrote about how nice the staff was and the views, etc. But these small things that could easily have been attended to has you writing things like 1) The A/C is from about 1950 and is at loud as a jet engine (I am not exagerrating!)
Obviously that's an exageration!!!
I just had to say something because I found it very rude. Especially that you wrote such a harsh review on Trip Advisor. I find it funny you say it wasn't a bargain when trip advisor just chose them as one of the BEST BARGAINS IN THE WORLD. Everyone has a right to their opinion. This is why I'm giving mine. I love this place! The people are definitely what make it BUT the hotel is incredibly beautiful. Especially since they added teak walkways all over and many upgrades in October just before our November visit. They constantly add new things and are very environmentally conscious as well. They only have 3 villas as opposed to slapping 20 or 30 on their large property. To do this and still have the prices so reasonable with all they offer is a bargain. It's a shame you just didn't get it. I personally am not a fan of Nosara but to each his own!
Jan 18th, 2008, 09:11 AM
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Shillmac--the drive most partly paved/partly gravel, but not that bad at all (especially compared to some of the other roads we drove on), so that is probably why we were able to do it so quickly.
Tully-The road to Montezuma was pretty easy--not paved, but pretty smooth gravel most of the way. It took only about 40 minutes I think. The beaches in Mal Pais are very swimmable--there are definately waves but nothing that makes it hard to swim there. The main beach is Playa Carmen and that streches all the way down to Santa Teresa. Playa Carmen seemed to have more sand than the others (which tended to be a little more rocky), but they are all nice swimming beaches. Playa Hermosa is also pretty nice for swimming, which is just past Santa Teresa, but I think you need a car to get there. And the surfers are everywhere! Especially in Playa Carmen and Santa Teresa!
siempretrvls--As I mentioned in my report on Casa Chameleon, I thought the grounds and the views and the property itself were beautiful and do agree that it was very nice to be secluded and away from the chaos. However, we just were not happy with our room based on our experience and that's all there is to it. And it was nothing that they would have been able to fix, although I agree that they would have been more than happy to if they could--the AC unit was just really loud, not broken! To each their own!
Tully-The road to Montezuma was pretty easy--not paved, but pretty smooth gravel most of the way. It took only about 40 minutes I think. The beaches in Mal Pais are very swimmable--there are definately waves but nothing that makes it hard to swim there. The main beach is Playa Carmen and that streches all the way down to Santa Teresa. Playa Carmen seemed to have more sand than the others (which tended to be a little more rocky), but they are all nice swimming beaches. Playa Hermosa is also pretty nice for swimming, which is just past Santa Teresa, but I think you need a car to get there. And the surfers are everywhere! Especially in Playa Carmen and Santa Teresa!
siempretrvls--As I mentioned in my report on Casa Chameleon, I thought the grounds and the views and the property itself were beautiful and do agree that it was very nice to be secluded and away from the chaos. However, we just were not happy with our room based on our experience and that's all there is to it. And it was nothing that they would have been able to fix, although I agree that they would have been more than happy to if they could--the AC unit was just really loud, not broken! To each their own!
Mar 14th, 2012, 09:57 AM
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I live in the area and cannot agree with this review more! Very accurate on many points. One thing I tell friends and family who drive from Nosara to Mal Pais is to break up the drive and stop by the Pueblo Nuevo/San Miguel/San Francisco area. There are some great places for lunch or to spend a night and enjoy the empty beaches here. In Pueblo Nuevo ask for Dona Denise's (back of cantina) and enjoy amazing typical food, Loma Clara in San Francisco has generations of women in the kitchen and Tonga's on the beach on Punto Coyote has AMAZING fresh seafood! Hotels in the area: Arca de Noe & Cristal Azul. People need to take care when driving the beach road and know the tides. This can cut the trip down by two hours and is only recommended during the dry season. Be sure to follow signs and not GPS. Check out Product C in Santa Teresa for great fusion seafood/fresh fish and Ylang Ylang for a romantic treat!
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