The Harmony Hotel

Facilities

• Dining: Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the open-sided restaurant, with a menu offering local, organic food with good vegetarian options. The juice bar serves a great selection of salads, wraps, soups and sandwiches - and wonderful blends of fruit juices. There's a bar too
• Communal areas: The lush tropical gardens have direct access to the beach
• Internet Access: There's free WiFi throughout, with laptops for guests to borrow
• Swimming Pool: The beautiful pool is freshwater, with comfy loungers
• Spa Treatments: Try the Healing Centre and massage pavilion for reviving treatments, with wonderful names such as 'Banana Bliss' or 'Papaya Delight'. Yoga is available each morning
• Recreational: There's table-tennis in the Juice Bar and bicycles to borrow
• Weddings and Celebrations: Not suitable
• Meetings/Functions: Not suitable
• Disabled Access: One room has been adapted for disabled guests with entry ramps, a shower with ramps, and bars in the bathroom
• Pets: Not accepted
• Languages Spoken: English, Spanish

Also...

• There's a cute and well-stocked (if expensive) shop, with a wide selection of books, art supplies and bits and bobs you may have forgotten to bring with you

Environmental Policy

There's a real and palpable (but never guilt-inducing) commitment to sustainable tourism in the shape of local environmental and social projects. The vegetable patch serves the kitchen, food is organic, shower water is recycled, big bottles of non-toxic shampoos and recycling bins are provided in each room and there's a rain-water drinking fountain and an organic juice bar.

When to go?

Costa Rica has 2 seasons: dry and wet (the latter has been renamed the ‘green' season by the tourist board). In the dry season (October-April), days are hot and the beach and roads can be busy (and dusty). We visited at the beginning of the 'green' season (May-September), and experienced few showers and lots of sunshine, with clear skies. The rain is tropical and usually only lasts for a few minutes, though you may want to avoid September and October, which are the wettest months. Late April is a lovely time to come - Nosara is quiet, the roads are clear and the waves smaller making it ideal for those wanting to learn to surf.

Author's tips

Stay for as long as you can - a week, if possible, would be bliss.

Bring small US dollars for local cafes and bars. Also pack some trousers for the canopy tour and hiking boots if you want to tackle the jungle trails.

Features include:

• Restaurant
• Bar
• Vegetarian menu
• Walk to restaurants (offsite)
• Garden
• Internet access
• Outdoor pool
• In room treatments available
• Table tennis
• Bicycles available
• Disabled access
• Airstrip / Helipad
• Airport Transfers