17 Best Hotels in Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

Swiss expats Guido and Agi spent their first years in Costa Rica living off the land without running water or electricity, but today their little paradise is a full-fledged farm with cows, horses, chickens, and rustic cabins for overnight guests. Handcrafted by the owners, cozy cabins are extremely tidy, with high beamed ceilings and patios overlooking the Sapoa River, where you can spend a lazy day in a hammock. Screened windows keep the bugs away, and ceramic-tile floors keep temperatures cool. Each room has a safe, a mini-refrigerator, and air-conditioning. Wildlife is abundant here so expect to see monkeys, birds, sloths, bats, and the occasional crocodile. Agi is an exceptional cook, whipping up Swiss-tico fusion favorites with homemade breads and organic produce from the farm. They have their own moringa plantation, a medicinal plant known to prevent some 300 diseases. There is a small library providing a book exchange and board games, making those rainy days a bit more inviting. Sunny days are perfect for rowing down the river, hiking the well-marked network of trails, or horseback riding on the 160-acre property. The owners can also arrange private tours across the border to Nicaragua.

Perched on the mountainside with breathtaking ocean views, Tierra Magnifica has all the attentiveness and personalization of a boutique hotel and all the amenities of a resort. A concierge welcomes you "home," while you refresh with a welcome drink and appetizer, and take in the vista. Rooms are comfortable and spacious, especially the six "Vista Premium" that are on the top level with vaulted ceilings, spacious balconies, and draped king beds. The charming hosts are friendly and eager to share their love of Costa Rica with you, and invite to you experience "pura vida" in their former house-turned-hotel. Enjoy yoga classes in the chalet with 360-degree views, or lounge by the infinity pool with one of the best views in Nosara. Drawing a hip and trendy crowd, the Huacas restaurant specializes in tropical-modern meets Costa-Asian cuisine with a Blue Zone menu created by chef Paulo Valerios. Included in the room rate are laundry service, yoga-and-cooking classes, access to the Iguana Surf Club, and a daily cooked-to-order breakfast. 

Perched along a forested mountainside, these wooden cabins feel like tree houses; you'll hear howler monkeys and an array of birdsong from your bed. Steep steps lead to the rustic aeries built on stilts, with screens for walls on three sides, comfortable beds, and balconies hung with hammocks. Once you drag your luggage up the hill, you will be rewarded with great views from the upper cabins. Blankets buffer you against the sometimes cool, breezy nights. Blue Jay's three lower cabins are larger, but lack the arboreal charm of the rest. Four new, larger cabins come equipped with kitchens and air-conditioning. Breakfast is in the open-air restaurant, next to an attractive blue-tile pool. Head to the nearby beach and surf break or climb the mountain trail behind the cabins to look for birds.

This chic and charming breezy boutique hotel is a welcome hideaway from the dusty bustle of Tamarindo, but still walking distance to everything. There are eight clean and comfortable rooms with king beds surrounding a refreshing pool. A carefree aesthetic abounds, encouraging you to leave your worries behind. The French owners treat you to a different delicious breakfast every morning and will take care of anything else you may need while you're visiting. 

Beautiful views abound at this truly Costa Rican ecolodge, with rustic hacienda-style rooms and plenty of cultural activities. Be sure to visit the hot springs, which are among the best in the area and seem to go on forever, and take advantage of the mountain waterslide, along with the rest of the adventure tours.

Frequented mainly by surfers, this is a good option for anyone seeking easy beach access, relative solitude, and comfortable, if not fancy, lodging. The hotel's spacious glass-and-stone bungalows are scattered across a leafy property behind Playa Avellanas, which guests reach via an elevated boardwalk through a protected mangrove estuary. Each cabin has a queen bed and a single bed, high wooden ceiling, and covered terrace with a hammock. Eight cabins now have air-conditioning, and although four do not, their high ceilings, shady location, ceiling fans, and good cross-ventilation keep the rooms cool at night. Solar panels provide hot water. Monkeys, iguanas, and other critters mill about the extensive, forested grounds. The restaurant, under the shade of a giant guanacaste tree, serves a selection of Costa Rican and Continental cuisine at reasonable prices ($$) for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There's also a playground and game room with a Ping-Pong table and other games.

Facing the beach, this small, pleasant, well-tended hotel is one of Sámara's best values. The bright, tidy rooms have dark-wood furniture, white walls, and ceramic floors. Eleven of the rooms have air-conditioning and private bath; six lack air-conditioning and share baths, but they also share a common balcony with an ocean view, and sea breezes help to cool them. The premium room is No. 19, with a private balcony overlooking the beach, air-conditioning, and a small fridge. The hotel has a giant cold-water whirlpool shaded by a vine-enlaced tree in a small garden. There's a small, pleasant bar and breakfast area, and a huge mural featuring a quetzal. Limited private parking is available and the beach is just across the road.

This eco-conscious hotel in the heart of town has two small swimming pools surrounded by greenery and brilliant bougainvillea, which gives the property a Mediterranean look. The terraces of the back rooms overlook a curvaceous blue pool surrounded by tropical plants; newer rooms with terraces look out onto the other turquoise pool in a grassy space with lounge chairs. The quietest rooms are Nos. 15 to 19, because they don't get any road noise. The rooms have light bamboo furniture, Guatemalan wall hangings, and hand-painted bathroom tiles. The hotel's Italian restaurant is one of the best in town. The main drawback here is noise from the restaurant and the street, which is why roadside rooms should be avoided; ask for a room overlooking the second pool. A small breakfast is included in the room rate and hungrier guests can order more from a menu.

With a prime location on the beach, this place is perfect for surfers, nature lovers, and sun worshippers with a range of budgets. The name, which means "the turtles," is no accident; this hotel was designed with turtles in mind. Owner-conservationist Louis Wilson made sure that room and restaurant lights don't shine on the beach, because light disorients the turtles. Rooms are spacious, with good beds, stone floors, terraces, balconies, and colorful tile bathrooms. Las Tortugas accommodates all budgets, with options ranging from spacious suites to economical dorm-style rooms in an annex at the back of the grounds, which we don't recommend unless you want to rough it. They also offer an array of apartments up the hill, some with kitchenettes, that rent by the night, week, or month. All of this adds up to the best value in Playa Grande, and one of the best deals on the Pacific coast. The main surf break is just to the south of the hotel, and turtle tours start at the ranger station next door. Rip currents are a danger on the beach here, which is why many guests prefer the pool shaped like a leatherback turtle (the turtle's head is the kiddie pool). A palm-lined entrance and lush gardens slung with hammocks round out the grounds' appeal. The restaurant serves a good selection of fresh seafood and grilled meat dishes; a beach snack bar has Caribbean-style food and tacos.

Part of a national wildlife refuge, this is the most comfortable and affordable base for bird-watching, crocodile spotting, and nature appreciation on this side of the Río Tempisque. The 1,000-acre property is also a cattle ranch and salt producer, with nearby salt flats and a freshwater lagoon that attract wading birds (and crocodiles that snack on them). You can tour the ranch on horseback ($35) or take a boat tour through the Abangares mangroves ($35, minimum six people) or alongside Palo Verde National Park, with a birding guide ($50, minimum six people). The wood cabins are modest but comfortable, with verandas and big screened windows that let the light and breeze in. Because most of them are duplexes, they don't afford a lot of privacy, so ask for a freestanding one. The rancho restaurant serves buffet-style Italian and Costa Rican meals, including beef raised on the ranch.

This hidden ecolodge with a kidney-shaped pool is made up of five bungalows themed after Africa, Persia, and Mexico. White-pebble pathways wind among the trees to the units that have concrete floors, stone-wall showers, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, a coffeemaker, and a mini-refrigerator—though the good prices and tasty food at the palapa restaurant hardly make it worth stocking up on snacks. European cuisine is on the menu except on Tuesday, which is sushi night. Included in the rate is an impressive breakfast of fresh fruit, homemade yogurt, local honey, and your choice of tasty dishes like banana pancakes or eggs with rice and beans. Thick jungle terrain blocks the ocean view, but you can still hear the sound of the waves from the Persian rooms. Larger groups can opt for the apartment that sleeps up to six guests. The friendly owners speak German, Dutch, English, and Spanish.

The most comfortable way to experience the birds and wildlife of the Tempisque wetlands is to roost at this eco-boutique hotel, a luxurious version of a traditional hacienda, set in a private reserve directly across from Palo Verde National Park. Rooms and suites in the handsome, modern ranch are startlingly modern, combining a stark, Mondrian palette of red, black, and cream with an interesting mix of contemporary furniture, antiques, local collectibles, and large-scale wildlife paintings. You can take a guided tour along earthen dikes through a spectacular wetland, teeming with raptors and aquatic birds, along with crocodiles, wild boar, and deer (included with the price of the room). Beds and linens are top drawer, and bathrooms are spacious and sleek, with vessel sinks and rainforest shower heads. All rooms have air-conditioning and huge picture windows with screens, and most have private decks. There's a large deck with a curvaceous pool featuring a mosaic of a jabirú, the red-necked stork that serious birders hope to see here. Staff are a little shy but very accommodating. Meals, included in the rate along with the wetlands tour, aim at sophistication but aren't quite there yet. The feast for your eyes is the main event here; be sure to bring binoculars and cameras.

One of the few hotels right on the beach, this small inn has lofty, breezy bungalows with air-conditioned bedrooms perfect for folks who love the open air and looking down on the beach action. Guests climb up wood stairs to the separate "tree house" cabins, each set on tree-trunk pillars with hammocks slung between at ground level, plus a table and two beach chairs and a barbecue grill set out on small patches of grass. Each cabina has a kitchenette, ceiling fan, and unscreened wall-size window to let in as much sea air as possible. Mosquito nets over the beds protect from any unwanted visitors at night. Two ground-floor cabinas by the pool and Jacuzzi have air-conditioning. There's a bar by the pool and breakfast is served at nearby tables shaded by a thatched roof. There's safe parking for six cars.

This simple family-run lodge with cozy rooms on the outskirts of Cuajiniquil provides the closest accommodations to both Playa Bahía Junquillal and Santa Rosa National Park, making it a good option for nature lovers and anyone who wants to stray from the vacationing crowds. The owner is a former fisherman who switched to tourism, converting his family home into a bed-and-breakfast. The rooms have varnished hardwood walls and ceilings, plenty of windows, and small bathrooms—rooms 5 and 6 are the nicest, because they overlook the garden. The lodge is reminiscent of a mountain cabin with spotless rooms, each with a/c and Wi-Fi but void of phones and TVs. A typical Costa Rican breakfast is served in back, and lunch and dinner are available at the adjacent seafood restaurant. Manuel can arrange an array of tours with local guides that include a hike through the Murcielago sector of Santa Rosa National Park, a boat tour of a mangrove estuary, and whale-watching (August to February). The area's closest grocery store is conveniently next door to the lodge.

The name of this beachfront bed-and-breakfast means "Dream of the Sea," and the front gate opens into a dreamy world of intimate gardens, patios, and hand-painted tiles. The downstairs rooms are a little dark but full of interesting, often amusing folk art, and have Balinese showers that open to the sky. The only drawback is that they are lined up along the main corridor, so there isn’t a lot of privacy. If privacy is paramount, opt for the breezy honeymoon suite upstairs, a sensuous lair with rich red fabrics, rugs, hanging glass lamps, and an ocean view. There are also two large casitas with kitchenettes and loft bedrooms. A lavish, multicourse breakfast is served on the patio next to a tiny garden pool. Nonguests can come for breakfast ($15), by reservation. Or you can take your morning coffee on the beach, with chairs and hammocks amid the trees and driftwood—it's also the perfect spot for sunsets. At low tide a large snorkeling pool forms in the rocks that surround the beach, but the swimming area is a 10-minute walk to the south.

Located 25 km (15½ miles) northeast of La Cruz, this remote eco-estate is made up of four hillside bungalows with stunning volcano views and a backdrop of Lake Nicaragua. Built on stilts, each wooden bungalow on this working organic farm has a private balcony where early risers are greeted by hummingbirds, toucans, and monkeys. Owners Adrien and Fahimeh make you feel like part of the family. Rattan furnishings decorate spacious rooms, complete with wooden showers, quality linens, and organic soaps. All bungalows have either two or three bedrooms and can accommodate between five and seven people. Guests are welcome to experience life on the farm during one of their workshops, ranging from milking cows to tilling fields. Despite the bumpy road, half the fun is getting here since the owners will gladly transport guests in a 4WD vehicle, on horseback, or in an oxcart from La Cruz free of charge. A variety of unique tours and activities are offered including archery, night hikes, a hike to waterfalls, and more. Considering the remote location and delicious food, it's a good idea to request the full-board option, with breakfast, lunch, a three-course dinner, and half-day activity with a nature guide for $99 per person per day.