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

Meaning “Blue” in the native Chorotegan language, Nantipa is the epitome of the Blue Zone magic with both luxury and wellness manifesting health, happiness, and longevity. Since its opening in 2019, the string of beachfront-and-garden bungalows have lured those seeking rest and relaxation, along with all the creature comforts; smart TVs, hammocks, Wi-Fi, a/c, minibars, and plunge pools that open onto private terraces are just a few of the perks. Follow the white pebble-strewn pathways past the pool and yoga pavilion to Manzú, the beachfront restaurant specializing in traditional Tico recipes passed down from generations. You can take it up a notch with the two-story villa equipped with an infinity pool, personal chef, fitness instructor, babysitting service, three bedrooms, and kitchen and living space. For the ultimate in tranquility, book a treatment at the NUMU Wellness Center specializing in Blue Wellness experiences that will take you from nature to pampering via surfing, cuisine, massages, and beyond.

Bordered by the Ostional-Nosara Wildlife Refuge, a private path through native jungle gets you to the beach at this welcoming hotel, which has a surf school and organic restaurant on-site. Mindful of every detail, from the beautiful mosaics done by local artists that adorn the exterior to the kitchenettes in rooms and free laundry service, the Olas Verdes and its staff make you feel right at home. At this small Costa Rican hotel, you can chose from poolside rooms, beach apartments, or luxury suites that can sleep up to four guests. Regardless of the category, rooms are spacious with day beds, coffee makers, mini-refrigerators, and refillable canteens. 

Less than a five-minute saunter to the sea, this Spanish colonial adults-only hotel has clean, modern rooms that surround a pool. There's a beer garden and restaurant, yoga classes, and activities like movie night, so there are plenty of opportunities to make friends. The rooms are a bit bare-bones, but there is good Wi-Fi and air conditioning.

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.

Tranquil, comfortable, and nicely priced, this small hotel and spa a short walk from the beach is consistently the best deal in Malpaís. Red-tile-roof bungalows here are simple yet tasteful, with high wooden ceilings, large bathrooms, lots of windows, front terraces, Wi-Fi, and air-conditioning. Some bungalows, arranged in a semicircle around the large amoeba-shape pool and gardens, have views of the sea and the jungle. Two smaller rooms are a bargain, or there's a kitchen-equipped studio that sleeps four. The reasonably priced Italian restaurant in front of the property is open for breakfast and dinner and serves more than two-dozen types of pizza (you can also design your own) plus tapas. There are also fresh fish dishes with a selection of sauces, and tasty pasta offerings such as farfalle with fish and shrimp curry sauce. There's a pleasant yoga deck and best of all, the hotel fronts a paved road, so there are no clouds of dust to contend with, and you can actually hear birds singing.

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.

If quiet and cool is what you are seeking, these comfortable, tastefully decorated rooms above the popular restaurant of the same name are air-conditioned and soundproofed—and they are a bargain. Since 1989, Sano Banano has been the go-to community spot in Montezuma, ever since they offered movie night long before Internet came to town. Modern bathrooms, gorgeous jungle murals on the walls, colorful bedspreads on firm beds, and breakfast in the restaurant are included. The only drawback is that most of the rooms have no windows, and some of those that do don't open. The central location and affordable rates make this the perfect hotel for travelers that want to spend time exploring. For some views and fresh air, you can walk 10 minutes along the beach to sister hotel Ylang Ylang Beach Resort, and use the beach resort’s pool and lounge on their hammocks.

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.

Centered on the scenic sweep of placid Bahía Tambor with its warm, shallow water, intimate Tambor Tropical offers "beds with a view" in spacious suites, along with sportfishing, a turtle hatchery, horseback riding, bird-watching, and just lolling in a hammock by the pretty, blue-tile pool. Attractive two-story houses, with up-and-down suites equipped with kitchens, are entirely built and furnished with varnished, tropical hardwoods: floors, ceilings, walls, and even toilet seats. Large front windows provide panoramas of the sea and surrounding gardens—slightly pricier second-floor rooms have the best views—and platform beds really do enable sunrise views. All rooms have air-conditioning. Carefully prepared meals are served poolside or in the thatch-covered dining room during the rainy months. Paddleboards and kayaks get you out onto the water, and bird-watchers can comb nearby trails with a guide, in search of about 250 species. The spacious reception area also serves as an art gallery for local artisans.

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.

Although most travelers visit this out-of-the-way spot for its famed French restaurant by the same name, Deevena is equally gaining renown for its hospitable staff and elegant rooms that surround a pool. Under exposed-beam ceilings, king-size beds rest on polished cement floors with L-shape lounges large enough for two extra beds on request. Double glass doors open onto front patios with Adirondack chairs overlooking a saltwater pool. Outdoor showers add a touch of luxury, as do the welcome cocktails, in-room massages (by reservation), and gourmet meals prepared by chef Patrick Jamon. Rates are reasonable, and service is outstanding at this family-run hotel named for the child the owners have sponsored for years. Rooms are void of TVs, so bring a book and prepare to unplug.

Although the handsome garden restaurant is the main attraction at this elegant hotel, the spacious rooms and well-equipped villas are quite comfortable, too, and the hotel is about a block from the beach. Rooms have beamed ceilings, terra-cotta floors, comfortable mattresses, and tropical color schemes. The smaller Standard rooms around the small pool are a good deal, and they open onto small terraces with chairs. The larger Superiors above the restaurant sleep more people, but if you need more room, you're better off springing for a one- or two-bedroom suite in the buildings across the street. They have kitchenettes, large balconies or terraces, and are steps from a larger pool. The restaurant has excellent food, including filet mignon with a brandy-and-peppercorn sauce, perfectly cooked mahimahi, and garlicky butterfly shrimp. Service is polished but the atmosphere is not stuffy, especially when there's live music in high season.

Incorporating Costa Rican culture at every turn, this convivial, unique member of the W chain leaves no detail overlooked, from the "forest" of guanacaste trees at the pool and restaurant, to the "pineapple" elevator tower. The circular parking area is shaped like a bull ring, a traditional Guanacasteco pastime. The bright and splashy decor, including at the three dining options, takes its cue from the oxcart, another customary Costa Rican emblem. There are two massive pools; one in the main dining area with a pool deck and one at the beach club, which leads to turquoise waters lapping onto a sugar sand beach, plus a more private pool in the cushy spa. The rooms are inviting, with sumptuous bedding, bars made of real surfboards, and colossal bathrooms; most units have ocean views. The immense suites will blow you away with private pools, one-and-a-half baths, foosball tables, and mini kegs of Heineken in the minibar. Parents will love the (free) kids' club—the only one in the W Hotel chain.

This vast all-inclusive property is set on 2,400 acres with nearly every vacation wish granted, from lagoon-style pools and a picture-perfect beach to eight restaurants and a championship golf course. In the labyrinthine guest village, the ocean tends to disappear and the only views are of lush gardens and other buildings exactly like yours. The split-level Spanish colonial–style villas have huge marble bathrooms and sophisticated sitting rooms equipped with plasma TVs. The Royal Beach rooms are even posher, closer to the beach, and have their own shared pool and a private concierge. There's a kids' club, babysitting service, and a section of suites dedicated to families. The resort also has the largest—and perhaps warmest—pool in Central America. Grown-ups can amuse themselves sailing, snorkeling, kayaking, playing tennis, or rejuvenating at the spa. Restaurants range from Asian fusion to Italian (dinner reservations required). If you're into the beach, try to get booked into Bungalow 1, 2, or 3.