Costa Rica is a destination unlike anything in Mexico or the Caribbean. Offering fabulous beaches, mountains, rivers and an assortment of activities, this is my favorite destination to go to when it is time to recharge the batteries.
One of my favorite resorts in Costa Rica is the Riu Guanacaste, located in Guancaste area on the western side of Costa Rica and on the beach!
Easiest way here is to fly into the Liberia Airport (LIR) which is about 30 minutes away. Flying into the capital of San Jose will have you looking at about a 4 hour scenic drive shall we say.
Guanacaste is in Costa Rica`s northern Pacific region and is popular because of its amazing weather, exuberant natural surroundings. This resort is a resort that fits in perfectly here.
Upon arrival at the hotel I was greeted by staff with a nice cold drink and in no time I was checked in and in my room.
The resort is close to the Monkey bar and there are plenty of opportunities to see Monkeys. There is also a casino nearby where you can win lots of money, or not.
Now if you are bringing your laptop or tablet and plan to do some work, well Free WIFI is only available in the lobby area and you pay extra to have it in your room. Plan accordingly.
In the shower of my room, the soap dispenser was empty but the resort did provide those little plastic bottles you normally see at a hotel with shampoo and conditioner. The room did not have a coffee maker and the soft drinks, alcohol and water were replaced every couple of days. I am sure if I had run out of something they would have replaced it sooner by just asking the staff.
Dining here gives you several options. Like any restaurant you have the buffet and here the buffet was good, not great but good. The best part was the amazing assortment of fresh fruits they offered.
Breakfast was very good with fresh bread and fruits and your eggs were order and good variety of meats to add to your plate.
As for the other dining options:
Since the Chinese restaurant was open nightly and did not require reservations, this was our go to spot when the buffets got to be too boring.
There are also 3 other reservation required dining options which require you to make reservations to dine. I would strongly advise you to make reservations as soon as you arrive as you are most likely not going to find them available later. The 3 are, Italian, Seafood and a Steakhouse.
My husband and I were able to eat at all 3 but we ran into other people who waited to make reservations and were left with the buffet or the Chinese restaurant as their only option.
The Italian food options at “La Toscana” were terrific at dinner and not at all like the Italian options offered during the day at the lunch buffet.
The Seafood restaurant was ok. I was somewhat disappointed in the selections considering the resort is right next to the ocean. This could have been better.
The Steakhouse was OUTSTANDING. Maybe one of the best steakhouses I have enjoyed at an all-inclusive resort. If you can make reservations for only one of these three restaurants, make it for the Steakhouse.
The plates were arranged beautifully and the servers were always very kind and accommodating.
We spent the mornings by the resort pool and after lunch headed down to the beach at the resort.
The resort pools were VERY clean and there was a variety of activities provided each day (including Bingo, table tennis tournaments, stretching, yoga, fun games etc.)
We found that it was much cooler and more private on the beach with less distraction from relaxation and our books on the beach. The only thing you might not like sitting or laying out on the beach is that you will be approached by what I call beach vendors. They sell all kinds of things but if you are not interested a quick no and they will move on.
The on site Scuba Caribe company also provided free water activities such as snorkling and such but also paid options such as fishing trips and a boat ride to a nearby towns for affordable souvenirs. The staff was wonderful and very helpful here.
You do need to spend some time in the “Renova Spa“ and enjoy and experience some of the treatments they offer. Our favorite was the open air couples massage. Relax with the sounds of the ocean in the distance, cool breezes and an excellent massage. We liked it so much we actually did this one twice in the week we were at this resort.
The Riu Guanacaste offers 24 hour room service so you can get pretty much anything you want, any time of day.
The hotel includes a gym, table tennis, volleyball, a tennis court, windsurfing, sailing, snorkeling, kayaking and other water activities. If your favorite sporting activity is Golf, the Four Seasons golf club boasts fantastic views over the ocean and a challenging course.
For advice on what to do, head for the pool bar and ask for Miranda. Besides knocking out some awesome drinks, he knows about all of the fun local things you can do for excursions and where to book them.
Interline rates at this four star resort start at about $103pp from InterlineTravel.com. You can book online on their website or call them at 800 766-2911 and you avoid booking fees either way that some of the other interline agencies will charge you.