Punta Islita

An informal resort hotel, stunningly situated amid tropical gardens high above a long secluded beach on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast

Awake to the sound of the waves, monkeys calling through the trees and exotic birds whooping outside your window. Then step from your bedroom onto your private terrace and you can’t help smiling. Below you, thickly forested slopes descend to the curving shoreline and the slate-blue Pacific ocean.

Swing in your hammock and listen to the surf, and take a quick dip in the infinity pool before breakfast. Or immerse yourself in the natural sensuous pleasures of the spa and its blissful treatments. Sip mojitos and watch the sun set over the sea below. Dine by candlelight as warm breezes waft over you, or have a romantic dinner at the water’s edge. Everything at Punta Islita is designed for your comfort and to calm body and soul. The staff are as attentive as New York waiters, but with genuine Costa Rican friendliness. This is one of the country’s most exclusive resorts, but it’s entirely inclusive of the local Costa Rican community, who look after guests with tireless enthusiasm and considerable pride.

Highs

• Unsurpassable setting, on a hilltop above a private beach, amidst perfectly manicured gardens
• Superb amenities include a 9-hole golf course, tennis courts, 2 swimming pools and an exercise room
• A choice of accommodation, from luxurious standard rooms to 2-bed villas with private pools. All have ocean views and terraces with hammocks where you can relax in privacy
• Lots of great activities nearby: kayaking along mangrove-lined rivers is particularly recommended
• More than 3% of Punta Islita's annual gross profit goes toward community-improvement projects

Lows

• It’s quite expensive and you might find meal prices are higher than in the rest of Costa Rica. There are extra costs to use the amenities (except the pool), but the room tariff includes a good breakfast
• In peak season Punta Islita fills up with young North American couples, who don’t always make the quietest of guests
• The beach is a 10-minute walk down from the restaurant and the rooms - and it's a long walk back up afterwards if you’re tired