Kimkim Trip Reviews for Costa Rica

Beautiful property with comfortable, well-appointed cabins situated at the foot of the Arenal volcano. Friendly, helpful staff, great food (I especially loved the Arboleda bar menu and its exceptional Costa Rican chifrijo), covered jacuzzi (soak with a drink while it rains), pretty pool area and great breakfast. Would've loved to have stayed longer and taken better advantage of the yoga deck, the hiking trail (wear good shoes, it's a real hike!), and the gorgeous grounds; will definitely stay again next time I'm in La Fortuna.

This is a gorgeous property staffed by friendly, helpful people, but the room itself fell short for me on a couple of measures. My three kids and I stayed in a family suite, which contained three beds--a full and a queen on the first level, and a king in the loft upstairs. I don't love this arrangement because nobody gets privacy--four people sleeping in one room is tricky for light sleepers and people who don't all go to bed at the same time. We were given a heads-up at check-in that the room contained neither heat nor AC; you're in Monteverde, it doesn't get very hot, and can dip quite chilly at night. I can never be cold enough when I sleep, so I wasn't worried about not having heat, but the room was pretty stuffy and the loft actually hot when we arrived--I suspect it hadn't been occupied in a couple of days. It did cool off once we opened it up, and by our second night the loft was very comfortable, but the first night not so much. Another complaint is that the room was *dark*--Costa Rica is known for its energy conservation measures, and of course Americans are spoiled with our expectations of bright lights and blaring AC everywhere we go, but once the sun went down (which it does in CR between 5 and 6 all year), this room was ridiculous. There was one mirror in the sleeping area, but it was practically useless because by daylight it was brightly backlit by the windows and by night it was too dark to see yourself; this left only the mirror in the bathroom for dressing and getting ready which, again, when there are 4 people gets complicated. Hot water can be a challenge in lots of Costa Rican hotels, and that was very much the case here, where basically one of us could count on a hot shower per day, even with long intervals between people. This hotel was also just missing lots of little touches--nowhere to put your suitcase (except the floor), no extra blankets or pillows, no key to the safe, not enough water glasses or coffee cups, or supplies to make everyone's coffee or tea. I'm sure all of these things could've been had by calling the front desk, but it's already necessary to call for a shuttle to get most places on the property (which is a mile long from end to end), so who wants to keep calling for blankets and a safe key? The lunch/dinner restaurant was good, pretty views and good menus, and our dinner server Carmen was lovely. My daughter and I headed over to the pool for a hot tub soak at happy hour after a long day of hiking, only to find there is no hot tub and the pool is not heated, so we bundled up in towels and watched the sunset with our drinks. Again--delightful young woman working the bar, good drinks, but how is there no hot tub in a place that gets so chilly?! I loved sitting on my deck with a cup of coffee and watching the clouds over the gulf of Nicoya in the mornings, and we saw lots of birds and small animals as well. The location is good, walkable to some restaurants and bakeries, close to town and attractions...just a little more rustic in terms of the actual accommodation than I would've preferred. But also not a bad value for what you get in terms of the whole resort.

We ended up at Alma del Pacifico a little bit unexpectedly after having to change plans for the last leg of our trip, but my hopes were high after viewing their website. As it turns out, the website does not do the accommodations justice--Alma is one of the coolest, most surprising and delightful little hotels I've stayed in. I prefer quirky boutique hotels to big chains, and Alma is absolutely a unique little property that I cannot wait to visit again--our two nights were not enough. The first great surprise came at check-in, when we were informed we'd been upgraded; instead of two regular beachfront villas, one of our rooms was actually a beachfront suite with its own private pool. Everything about the layout and appointments of these bright, airy rooms brought me joy, from the minibar area--each had its own sink, nicely stocked bar, generous assortment of snacks and coffee and tea supplies, plus glassware and silverware for all the available beverages--to the fact that each room had abundant seating, table space, a writing desk, and an assortment of fresh fruit. The bathrooms knocked me out with their size, spaciousness, and beautifully tiled open showers, which face sliding glass doors that open onto private courtyards so you can almost have the experience of showering outdoors--one of my favorite things 😂 These are the kinds of rooms you can stay a long time in, because everything you need has been provided. Each room faced the gorgeous Esterillos beach with floor-to-ceiling windows and a private patio with a table and chairs as well as lounge chairs. The suite also had a lovely little pool that we spent an afternoon in cooling off and reviving with coffee after hours at the beach (which is not to say the pool was cold--I hate a cold pool). In addition to all this, Alma del Pacifico also features two full size pools and a hot tub nestled amid gorgeous gardens--flocks of scarlet macaws passed overhead--as well as a spa that I regret not having had the time to visit. The restaurant has a great view of the beach, as does the bar where we enjoyed our second happy hour (we took the first poolside), and the food was delicious. I'm sorry not to have gotten the name of the young woman who was hostessing/serving on Thanksgiving night; we had a reservation for dinner but when we arrived, the live music was crazy loud and we could not hear ourselves think. I asked the young lady who seemed to be in charge if she could help us out and she promptly had us re-seated on the patio by the bar, where we ate our thanksgiving dinner under the stars at a much more enjoyable decibel level. The beach is not my favorite--we left one day for Manuel Antonio, which I love, and where we had booked a parasailing excursion--but it's beautiful and the sunsets are gorgeous. Just a different vibe, very quiet, not a lot of people, but if that's what you like then you'll appreciate the beach too. We showed up for the included breakfast with only 30 minutes til our excursion and were surprised to find it was not a buffet but a sit-down, order-from-a-menu situation--ordinarily a great surprise, except we were short on time. Not a problem, though, we told our server we were rushed and he got our meals to us in no time so we were able to enjoy a delicious breakfast before we hit the road. My booking was arranged by a travel agent so I googled the rates while I sat in the pool and could not believe how affordable this experience was. I was desolate to leave this hotel.

This was our third time parasailing with Aguas Azules, and they never let us down. Parasailing is a glorious experience, especially over a setting as amazing as Manuel Antonio, and these folks make it easy, safe, and so much fun. A great bonus is that for a little extra, you can rent beach chairs and an umbrella on their plot of beach, make use of their boogie boards (and the lifeguard on duty) and order food. The public beach at Manuel Antonio is very popular, with lots of foot traffic, but this end of it tends to be a bit quieter; I also felt a little more comfortable leaving belongings at our chairs while we swam knowing that the folks from Aguas Azules were close by. I wouldn't say they provide security, but I think they'd chase a monkey away if it was trying to snag my phone :-)

Fabulous literally in the clouds!! Great trails, excellent food and with the amenities they have thought of everything.

Accommodations are very small, amenities smell bad. 45 minute walk from the ocean and reserve entrance. Beds are uncomfortable, We could not bear to stay another night due to the smell of gas in our room. The staff was very nice, but we were unable to get a refund.

Great hotel and location. Some of the rooms are small, but the amenities are of very good quality. Excellent breakfast and bar. Smelled lovely and decorated very well. The staff was friendly, knowledgable, and very helpful.

Fantastic, fun, lots to do!! Highly recommend. I would go back.

This was very interactive. Great for all ages, very informative and we got to see Sloths and monkeys. Not only taste but also make chocolate and coffee.

This was a wonderful experience to be learning from the native people themselves. They were generous and kind.

Wow, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the volcano up close and personal. Very relaxing, excellent views and opportunities to see the wildlife. An array of beverages to choose from and a lovely cheese platter.

Nice location away from the busyness of La Fortuna. Jackie at the front desk is a lovey greeter and hard worker.

Good location but not many restaurants around and the vote one is expensive. Fully recommend a Mexican one nearby El Mananitos, hard working man and great food.

Otto was a great guide and provided a lot of local knowledge as well as a Spanish lesson. Hood bikes and pace, he found us a well hidden sloth

Busy and noisy, preferred the area around La Fortuna

Would love to have done a 2 day, 1 night lodge stay (instead of the day in San Jose.)

Beautiful hotel grounds - excellent place to unwind. I particularly enjoyed the warm thermal river and the massage. I will return for sure!

Great opportunity to see animals up close, also to gain more knowledge about the rain forest. I enjoyed the experience.

Opportunity to see butterflies and sloths up close. Nice experience if you’ve never done this before.

This activity afforded me the opportunity to see the volcano from a distance. There was a lot of construction taking place at the time which detracted from the overall experience. Nevertheless I’m glad I did the tram ride. The hanging bridges was an excellent experience.

They were so incredibly welcoming and even let us tag along to release baby sea turtles into the ocean 10/10 trip hight light for us.

Great hotel and location

Wonderful hotel

Good hotel. Not to our taste as a large package style resort but the pools are great.

Wonderful place to stay

The view to the volcano at this hotel was perfect! Breakfast was good! The beds could have been more comfortable and some were unstable on their bases. The customer service was great! Every employee we interacted with was nice and professional!

The beach views were wonderful! The customer service was good! The breakfast options could be better. The beds could be more comfortable. The bedrooms had good AC and we were cool there. The downstairs area was hot. The ceiling fan did not work well. Also, it would be good to have more than 1 fan. Adding 2-3 standing fans would be great!

This hotel is in a great location! The 2 beds were too small for 2 people per bed. They should have been queen size beds.

Black hot springs is a beautiful location! The drinks were good too!

The hike was easy and we were happy to see all the animals along the way! The guides were nice and knowledgeable! The snorkeling was the best!! The pineapple snack was appreciated.

I am sure this hotel is one of the most beautiful places on earth very tranquil staff. It was wonderful and my room was just perfect close to town good restaurants.

Staff was very wonderful. Nice to be close to the airport and breakfast was very healthy and delicious again it was very convenient for me being close to the airport when I arrived.

Hilltop hotel close to town. I had a room with a great view when you can see through the clouds coming through from time to time.

My room was very nice some of the most wonderful people work at this hotel. The view was great I could see the beach I was on the beach. Everyone at this hotel are very friendly people very friendly my stay there made me feel like I must come back again.

My stay was very brief because of the drop off time and the pick up time and my Wi-Fi would not work in my hotel room. I had to come downstairs in the lobby and the food was not that good

Best time ever wild and crazy and fun

For a 65-year-old man that is not in the greatest shape did this wonderful excursion and enjoyed every bit of it. It was slightly rough, but I would recommend this excursion to anyone that can handle it.

And amazing experience

Best time ever somewhat scary but I had a great time. Just be careful not to slip and fall on some of the slippery rocks.

This experience, I had been looking forward to for a very long time to actually see whales in their natural habitat. I got a chance to see two pairs of mother and baby well together, jumping out of the water and swimming under the boat. It was such a great time that experience, I will never forget, never ever.

The beach was just amazing right below of my hotel room. I was able to walk the beach and look at the white face monkeys, jumping from the trees tree to tree a lot of fun. They were very comical. The water was great. Nice and warm beautiful sunset. Great memories.

We have never seen a hotel room decorated so amazingly for our anniversary! There was a hand written note, balloons, heart shaped confetti, towels folded into swans and wine! They really went over the top to make our anniversary special! The airport shuttle was so helpful to have and worked out so well for us! I would highly recommend this hotel!

This is one of our favorite resorts we have ever stayed in! The staff was so genuinely sweet and helpful, the grounds were absolutely gorgeous and the room was new, beautiful and clean! We also had two of the best restaurant servers we have ever had in our lives! We also had a fabulous experience in the spa! It rained a ton while we were there and it only added to the fun of the experience!

It was a beautiful park, but for us the timing was not great!

We had a blast! It was so much and one of the highlights of our trip!

We had so much fun on this adventure and I'm so glad we did it!

The rooms were a good size, but not the most well-kept. The biggest issue is there is only one small fan in the corner of the room pointed at just one of the beds. The room was in desperate need of a couple ceiling fans or an air conditioning unit. The grounds of the property were very beautiful and the staff were all very friendly. The food served was also fairly good, and changed up the menu just enough between days.

The bungalows were a fantastic blend of jungle environment with modern accommodations. The rooms were very spacious and the beds comfortable. There were ceiling fans for each bed as well as mosquito nets, all of which were very much needed. The location was also fantastic, as it was close to several nice beachside restaurants in Cocles. If you wanted to go into Puerto Viejo, its a short taxi or bicycle ride. Breakfast was also good and quite filling

The town was very nice and enjoyable to walk through. It wasn't necessarily "guided" as it is mostly 90 minutes of your own time to explore the town

The boating tour was a great and relaxing way to see a lot of animals in the park up close. The guide as well as person operating the boat were quite good at spotting animals and making sure everyone on the boat got a chance to see them.

This was one of the better snorkeling experiences I've had as the waters were very calm and Kendall was a fantastic guide. We got to see many different schools of colorful fish and other aquatic life. The hike was a nice short walk through the park where we saw a snake, sloth, and plenty of monkeys!

The cooking class was a fun, intimate way of experiencing a part of Caribbean food and culture. Glenda was a fantastic host and made the experience special. Overall, it was the right balance of us getting to be involved in some of the steps, while not being stuck doing the more laborious tasks.

The zip-lining experience was great and a thrilling way to experience the rainforest! We did wish the guides would have talked a bit more about the nature as we went, but they were still great at making sure everyone was safe and enjoying the zip lines.

Nice evening stopover from the airport to our destinations

Wonderful location, staff, food and ambiance

Unique hotel with a wonderful “jungle” vibe. Staff was friendly and accommodating. Nice pools. Food was nice. Beach was scenic

Just did a massage, went to the pool, ate and slept

Got a chance to see the town for some shopping.

Best part of the trip- seeing a mama sea turtle lay eggs, bury them and return to the sea

Great visibility in warm water

Great highlight of the trip. Saw sloths and monkeys before hitting the beach. Wonderful cool, cloudy day

This a great value-for-money deal. The hotel is located apx 20 minutes away from the airport (depending on traffic), it's very clean with all standard amenities, good cruising although not particularly local, great breakfast and very helpful personnel.

Amazing people working in this 142 acres of excellence. My Mountain room was spacious and clean and although there is no AC, it wasn't needed when I was visiting. There are many activities to do and I did most of them: tubing, hanging bridges, ziplining. Breakfast was great but otherwise, the restaurant offered food is nothing exceptional and quite pricy. With no available markets in the close proximity that can be an issue for some people.

Nothing great and nothing bad. This accommodation is the perfect average but it is affordable, clean and in a good location.

An amazing experience! Rosie and Roger dreamt of a place where humans could connect with nature and they accomplished something extraordinary. I have nothing but compliments for this place.

This was my first time surfing. The instructors took about 20 minutes to prepare/inform me about safety and technic and then we jumped in the water. The guides were all super friendly giving me feedback after every attempt to surf:)

Very easy to find, the people working at the front desk speak good English and the guide (although super young) was very helpful and friendly.