Finca Rosa Blanca

Santa Barbara de Heredia, San Jose & Central Valley, Costa Rica
Book from GBP Book from £219 per night

Finca Rosa Blanca

Santa Barbara de Heredia, San Jose & Central Valley, Costa Rica

An elegant country house with just 14 luxurious and unique rooms, set in beautiful wooded hills above San José

An elegant country house with just 14 luxurious and unique rooms, set in beautiful wooded hills above San José

To enter your room at Finca Rosa Blanca is to walk into a work of art. Curving white art nouveau columns, elegant arches and beautiful hand painted murals make bedrooms into interior gardens. Bathrooms are places of pleasure, with Jacuzzis in organic forms, lined with mosaic tiles. Step onto your private balcony and land falls steeply away to verdant valleys and hillsides striped with coffee farms. Yet, it's an easy drive from San José Airport. Friendly bilingual staff will arrange hikes in national parks and trips to botanical gardens with the resident naturalist guide. This organic coffee estate is a perfect place for your first few nights in the country - and many guests can’t resist returning for their last, too. It’s a very seductive place.

Behind all the luxury are an inspiring Californian couple who have become, unintentionally, pioneers of sustainable tourism in Costa Rica. Rosa Blanca was the country’s first environmentally-friendly hotel, and remains a model of how to protect the natural world without sacrificing style or comfort.

Highs

  • An elegant and unique place to stay: each room is a work of art, with sumptuous beds, gorgeous linens and private verandas
  • Close enough to offer an alternative to staying in San José - and much more relaxing
  • Stylish dining room serving delicious Costa Rican fusion cuisine and fine wines
  • Beautiful setting in gorgeous tropical gardens, with stunning views from your balcony
  • Sustainable tourism par excellence: as well as having impeccable green credentials, the owners are deeply involved in the local community and contribute profits to schools

Lows

  • If you like sleek, anonymous hotels, this isn’t for you
  • While close to the airport (20 minutes), Rosa Blanca is a 45-minute drive away from San José itself, so don't expect nightlife/lively bars in the immediate area
  • Not the cheapest place to stay, but worth it!
  • No twin beds available, but one suite has a double and a twin, and the villas have 2 adjoining suites with kingsize beds

Best time to go

The hotel is open all year. Unlike much of Costa Rica, the climate here is more consistent all year round. It’s warm and humid, and tends to rain in the afternoons from May to September, but you’ll still have time to walk or do a trip in the morning, and return to relax or visit the spa in the afternoon. October is the rainiest month, but it's still tolerable.

Our top tips

While you're here find out if any local towns are holding their annual festivals, commemorating the saints they're named after. San José has many festivities around Christmas and New Year, including a huge parade of horses, music and bull fighting.

Great for...

Eco
Family
Foodie
Romantic
Spa
  • Boutique Hotel
  • 14 rooms
  • Restaurant and bar (open daily)
  • All ages welcome
  • Open all year
  • Outdoor Pool
  • Spa Treatments
  • Beach Nearby
  • Pet Friendly
  • Disabled Access
  • Car not necessary
  • Parking
  • Restaurants Nearby
  • WiFi
  • Air Conditioning
  • Guest Lounge
  • Terrace
  • Garden
  • Gym
Room:

Rooms

Each suite is completely unique. Most are in the Gaudí-esque main house: all white walls and arched windows. Suites lead off a stunning central galleried atrium filled with plants, paintings and intriguing ornaments collected from around the world. There are Junior Suites with quaint bathrooms looking directly onto the view. One of them, Los Aves, has its own private garden with outdoor hot tub (the ensuite is just as stunning, with a mural of Costa Rican birds and a Jacuzzi). Also here are two of the Suites: Ranchito, has an interior landscape of hills and coffee farms while the stunning split-level Rosa Blanca has a bathroom overrun by a painted forest, and a breathtakingly romantic bedroom with 360-degree views from its wraparound tower windows. The Jacuzzi is fed by a little stream and the whole suite is utterly romantic.

Since our visit, two more Suites have been added. El Cielo Suite is split level with panoramic views while El Guarumo Suite has a romantic lagoon-style outdoor bathtub.

The remaining Junior Suites are shared between 2 villas, which may be hired as whole entities. Every inch of these spaces has been carefully considered and they're filled with little touches to delight the eye. The result is enchanting. Luxurious details include the softest bamboo sheets, fresh flowers and delicious organic toiletries, along with well-stocked minibars, ceiling fans, hairdryers and bathrobes.

There are phones and WiFi but no TVs in the suites - however there’s a television on the landing in a cosy little library for guests to use, along with a fine collection of art books.

Features include:

  • Bathrobes
  • Fan
  • Hairdryer
  • In-room treatments available
  • Minibar
  • Safe box
  • WiFi

Eating

Food is taken seriously here - owner Teri Jampol was once a chef and works with her Costa Rican staff to make delicious fusions of local and international cuisine from locally sourced organic ingredients - some grown in the Finca’s kitchen garden.

Breakfast starts with a choice of fresh juices and a plate of fresh fruit, followed by a cooked breakfast - either international or Costa Rican in style - all enjoyed out on the terrace, with its uplifting views of the landscape. The coffee is particularly good, grown organically on Rosa Blanca’s estate.

Lunch can be prepared for you to take on your excursions, or eaten on the terrace. The style is distinctly Costa Rican, and our salads and papusas (corn tortillas stuffed with beans) were very good.

Dinner is a real occasion, eaten in the elegant surroundings of the Tigre Vestido restaurant, with charming and attentive staff who really look after you. Sophisticated flavours are reflected in the stylish design of the restaurant, with its polished wood floors, lofty rafters and elegant seating (dark high-backed chairs and comfortable couches) arranged around a traditional tiled fireplace. Tables are beautifully dressed and lit by candles - it's a romantic place for couples and a relaxing environment for friends. Start or finish with a cocktail or a glass of fine wine in the bar - Rosa Blanca’s list of Latin American wines is well-chosen.

The food is among the country’s finest. Delicious concoctions of Pacific fish and organic vegetables introduce new ingredients and complex sauces. We had delicate smoked fish on a bed of fresh greens and sweet potatoes, tiger prawns in lemon couscous, exquisite salads with fresh herbs, and local fish or organic meat in the most subtle sauces with surprising ingredients. A perfect last dinner before you leave Costa Rica.

Features include:

  • Bar
  • Organic produce
  • Restaurant
  • Vegetarian options
Eating:
Activity:

Activities

  • Take the sustainability tour to discover Finca Rosa Blanca’s impressive efforts to protect the environment and contribute to the local community. Explore nearby villages, with visits to the local school (sustained partly by profits from the hotel) and the senior citizens centre, which produces rag rugs for the hotel
  • A tour around the Finca’s organic coffee farm is fascinating; alternatively, you can take a more commercial tour around the famous Café Britt, with tastings included
  • Early morning bird-watching with Manolo, the Finca’s incredibly knowledgeable resident naturalist guide, is amazing
  • Hike in Braulio Carillo National Park amongst stunning pristine rainforest; Manolo can accompany you if you want a guided walk. The park includes the Barva volcano, where you can do a wonderful hike to the crater, seeing wildlife along the way
  • Head to the Poás volcano and call in at the La Paz Waterfall Gardens on the way - a great day out for children
  • Visit the handicraft workshops that produce the famous painted ox-cart wheels at nearby Sarchí - and wonderful wooden items too. Complete the trip with a walk in the lovely Else Kientzler Botanical Garden
  • The Finca arranges day trips to San José for museums and sights, including the National Theatre, the Central Market, the Gold Museum and the Jade Museum of pre-Columbian artefacts
  • Go on a river rafting expedition on the Pacuare river (grade III and IV), the Reventazón river (grade II and III), or the more gentle Sarapiqui river (grade I and II), which is more of a float trip. Manolo takes the latter trip as the wildlife is amazing
  • Book an organic spa treatment - there's a whole range to choose from including hot stone rubdowns, Reiki, volcanic mud wraps and a decadent chocolate exfoliation. Afterwards, swim in the pool - ionised, solar-heated and beautifully situated on a rise, with wonderful views from its loungers and outdoor Jacuzzi

Activities on site or nearby include:

  • Birdwatching
  • Hiking
  • Hot air ballooning
  • Museums / galleries
  • Plantlife / flora
  • Private guided tours
  • Rafting
  • Shopping / markets
  • Swimming
  • Traditional cultures
  • Wildlife

Kids

Children are welcome at Finca Rosa Blanca, though the hushed atmosphere might suit older kids better. The villas each house 2 Junior Suites and can be hired as whole entities, and the Suites have additional beds. Children would enjoy splashing about in the pool, going horse-riding and taking trips to the local volcanoes and waterfalls.

Best for:

Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Babysitting:

Babysitting is available by arrangement.

Baby equipment:

Baby cots are available on request.

Remember  baby and child equipment may be limited or need pre-booking

Kid Friendly:

Location

Finca Rosa Blanca is in Heredia, just 20 minutes from the international airport at San José (SJO), and only 45 minutes’ drive from the domestic terminal at Pavas.

By Air:
San José Juan Santamaria International (8km away) is the closest airport, and is the arrival point for most international flights to Costa Rica as well as almost all the internal flights. Some charter flights land at Liberia (210km away), from where there are domestic flights to San José. A few flights from within Costa Rica land at the Tobías Bolaños (Pavas) Airport (19km).

From the Airport
Finca Rosa Blanca can arrange transfers with a reliable driver. You can also take a taxi from San José.

By Car:
If you're driving yourself around Costa Rica, the short trip between the airport and the Finca will be an easy start - see our car rental recommendations. Choose a 4-wheel drive if you're doing subsequent journeys, which might not be as straightforward as the one to Finca Rosa Blanca.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Costa Rica and getting around

Airports:

  • San José Juan Santamaria International 8.0 km SJO
  • San José Juan Santamaria International 19.0 km SYQ

Other:

  • Beach 90.0 km
  • Shops 1.0 km
  • Restaurant 1.0 km

Our guests' ratings...

Based on 3 independent reviews from i-escape guests

10/10
Room
9/10
Food
9/10
Service
6/10
Value
9/10
Overall

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Rates for Finca Rosa Blanca

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