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Costa Rica All Inclusive Resorts and Hotels

Updated on February 4, 2013
Having a hotel to come back to after a day's adventures is one of the niceties of having a stay in an all-inclusive hotel.
Having a hotel to come back to after a day's adventures is one of the niceties of having a stay in an all-inclusive hotel. | Source

Why Stay at an All-Inclusive Resort?

There are so many things that one can do in Costa Rica, even though it is a relatively small country. The size of the country makes it possible and practical for tourists to stay at an all inclusive resort. This site can be a center from which you can explore nearby areas as day trips. There are numerous resorts that are located on the beaches and the mountainous interior of the country. This guide will point out some of the highlights of particular resorts and services offered for tourists.

Pristine Beach Resorts

There are some beaches that are less popular in Costa Rica because they are difficult to get to and the journeys can take several hours, but the trip is worth the effort. Take for instance the beaches on the Nicoya Penisula. Having just gone there recently for a night tour to see the Lora turtle laying eggs on Playa Corazolito, I can attest to both the duration and difficulty of the van ride to get there. We left from Liberia. The beaches in the peninsula do not have many tourists, so they are clean and unspoiled. Here are some of the resorts that you should consider in this area:

Beija Flor

This resort near Mal Pais has 1 luxury villa and 11 spacious rooms that overlook the Pacific and a pathway that leads down to the beach. The surf is usually strong in this area and you can rent surfboards from the resort, as well as snorkeling equipment. Bike rentals are also available. There are inspiring yoga classes in their dojo which faces the ocean. A zip-line canopy tour and horseback rides along the hills near the beach are also available. Sportfishing trips can also be arranged for marlin, sailfish, roosterfish, dorado and wahoo. Day trips via 650 cc motorcycles can show you a lot of the beautiful surrounding countryside. The restaurant features cuisine that has a modern French style and Asian influences are also evident. From San Jose, it takes about 6 hours by car or van to get there, but you can also get a flight via Nature Air. The contact number for the resort is: Tel. (+506) 2640 1007 and the email link is info@beijaflorresort.com.

Hotel Riu Guanacaste

This 5-star luxury hotel-resort is in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica and is convenient for travelers who take their flights to the Liberia International Airport. It is only a 45-minute car ride from the airport. It is located on Playa Mata Palo in Coco Bay (Bahia Coco). The surf and currents of the ocean are more mild here than on the Nicoya Peninsula, making this area a popular site for diving excursions.

This area of Coco Bay is newly developed, has a new paved road, and the beaches are beautiful and are less visited than other beaches in the area. All-inclusive packages at this resort include a tennis court, windsurfing, kayaking, an introductory scuba lesson, several sports activities, unlimited local beverages, a mini-bar, and daily entertainment for children as well as adults (including music). There is a casino on site and 3 types of specialty restaurants: a steak house, Italian and Asian. You get three meals per day and can make reservations at the specialty restaurants. For more information, click on the link above.



Hotel Riu is shaped like a U that faces the beach.  There are fountains in the courtyard and next to the lobby.  It reminds me of a Hyatt.
Hotel Riu is shaped like a U that faces the beach. There are fountains in the courtyard and next to the lobby. It reminds me of a Hyatt.
A
Riu Guanacaste:
RIU Guanacaste Route, Costa Rica

get directions

This marker is on the route to the Hotel Riu Guancaste, west of Sardinal.

The Barcelo on Langosta Beach

Langosta Beach is on the south end of the community of Tamarindo. Barcelo is a 4-star hotel that is located there. It is situated at the point of estuary entrance, a place where you can go and see several different types of shore birds. If you like to be away from the hustle and bustle of Tamarindo, the beach here is less visited; but the waves can be somewhat vigorous at times. There are many things that you can do in the hotel as well; the staff schedules plenty of activities and you can schedule day trips to other locations within Guanacaste and Alajuela province with them as well. The hotel has a very good reputation for service and quality of rooms.

A Rio Celeste Day Trip

A hike along the Rio Celeste is a great day trip if you are staying near Arenal.  Reserve about 2 hours for the hike in and an hour or so for getting back.  There are hot springs in the river at the end of the trail for resting.
A hike along the Rio Celeste is a great day trip if you are staying near Arenal. Reserve about 2 hours for the hike in and an hour or so for getting back. There are hot springs in the river at the end of the trail for resting.

Hot Springs Resorts and Volcanoes

What is nice about hot springs resorts is that they are in the mountainous regions of the country and you can make trips to see the several different volcanoes: Arenal, Poas and Irazu are the most visited. The recent activity of Arenal makes it one of the most visited sites for volcanic activity observation. Located near the town of La Fortuna, you can find several resorts there that have hot springs and all-inclusive vacation packages. There are also several hot springs resorts at Miravalles, near Guayabo and La Fortuna de Bagaces.

The Springs Resort and Spa

Located on a high ridge about 3 miles north of Arenal, this luxury resort has many different hot springs pools and is surrounded by a wildlife preserve. In the wildlife preserve there are several ocelots, a puma, Capuchin monkeys, scarlet macaws, sloths, Squirrel monkeys, wild turkeys and several other animals. Recreational activities at the resort, besides the hot mineral waters and the waterfalls, include horseback riding, a tour of the wildlife preserve, bird watching, ATV tours, hiking and a game lounge. The hotel also plans to add fishing, kayaking and tubing in late 2010. There are four different restaurants on site, including one that serves sushi. For those who don't want to stay here for their whole vacation, you can get a two-day pass for only $40, which entitles you to use of the hot springs and a tour of the wildlife preserve. The accommodations are luxurious and the food is great, so it is nice to spend a few days there and enjoy the ambiance.

Volcano Miravalles

The resorts on the west slopes of Miravalles include Guayacán, Yoko and Las Hornillas. Guayacán and Yoko have places to stay. Las Hornillas is in a crater that has bubbling mud pools, steam vents and sulfur springs. You can also arrange rides on horses to the mountains or you can take the easy way on a trailer that is pulled by a tractor. The Guayacán and Yoko sites are located near a stem vent area where you can walk to if you wish. I have spotted Toucans and done some photography in the area behind this resort several times.


If you have visited Costa Rica, have you used an all-inclusive hotel? Please comment below if you have.

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There are at least two steam vent areas on the eastern slope of Miravalles Volcano.  This one is behind Guayacan Resort and the other is at Las Hornillas near Fortuna de Bagaces.
There are at least two steam vent areas on the eastern slope of Miravalles Volcano. This one is behind Guayacan Resort and the other is at Las Hornillas near Fortuna de Bagaces.
The beaches on the Pacific coast are great places to view the many colors as the sun dips below the horizon.
The beaches on the Pacific coast are great places to view the many colors as the sun dips below the horizon.
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