Trip Summary

Favorite Experiences

What I Wish I Knew

Trip Summary

Never have we ever visited the same country twice in a one-year span…until Costa Rica! But let that tell you what an amazing place this was and how much we fell in love with it! Over winter break last year, we traveled to the Arenal / La Fortuna region during dry season. We had originally planned on including a few days in Guanacaste as well, but our flights got disrupted so badly that we had to miss that entire portion. So during a school break this year, we decided to just go back and finish up the vacation! And what a vacation it was!

We went during the rainy season this time (though, in Guanacaste, “rainy” is relative as we only got sprinkled on maybe twice for a few minutes and enjoyed sun for the rest of the time). Rainy season also means cheaper lodging as our rooms were half the price as they would have been during the dry season (and the nice areas in the Papagayo Peninsula where we stayed can get eye-wateringly expensive). Being Hyatt loyalists and having heard so many things about the Andaz Papagayo on travel forums and groups, I knew this would be a beautiful home for us while we visited this beautiful part of the country!

And what a beautiful home it was…with some of the most gorgeous pools I have ever seen at a resort, spacious rooms, excellent restaurants, and a delightful array of creatures you would see on the property ranging from monkeys to iguanas to butterflies, this place was designed to impress! A sprawling estate with various levels of rooms (each with their own balcony), it offers multiple restaurants on-site, a beach club, a spa with heated and cold plunge pools, a gym, yoga studio/dojo, and so much more. The service was also exemplary with wonderful hospitality, quick housekeeping and bar service (you can enjoy complementary snacks, coffee, and non-alcoholic drinks in your room every day), and even golf carts to help you travel longer distances or if it is too hot. There were lots of little bonuses everywhere that we kept discovering–like there are free water activities like snorkeling and kayaking, there is free coffee and snacks at the reception (and free cold brew at the front of the main breakfast area–this is not to be missed!), and you can enjoy the complimentary hot and cold plunge pools at any time.

I loved that the pools were so different, too. Almost all were infinity pools with gorgeous views, but they varied in size. Some were smaller, and some were long and spanned the view of the bay, and some even had zer0-entry points where you could wade in as if you were wading into a shallow beach. The pools were gorgeously designed, too, with natural rocks around them and trees–it made for some very pretty pictures!

The rooms themselves are lovely in their design. The bathrooms are private, there is a lot of open space to enjoy the room, the bed is comfortable, and the balcony always has a lovely view (and may even host the occasional curious monkey!). The hotel also celebrates special occasions and since it was my husband’s birthday, they had a nice bottle of champagne and sweet treat all ready in the room when we arrived!

The restaurants on the property are also quite nice, and they have an excellent buffet (or a la carte) for breakfast. They also have a tapas restaurant, Chao Pescao, which was so delicious we went there twice! They offer live music and taco nights on Tuesdays, and everything we had there was absolutely delicious. Our top favorite was the skirt steak from Chile–a culinary delight of steak, egg, potatoes, and the most delicious sauce that had you wanting to lick your plate! They also had very good food service by the pool, including the best burger I have ever had outside the United States! With caramelized onions, a delectable sauce, and a toasted bun, it was quite possibly the juiciest burger I have ever had, too! We also ate at Gaio a few times, and most of their food was good (their hot honey pepperoni pizza was especially delicious!). The coffee shop is also nice, and that is where we discovered that some of their coffees take over ten hours to make! They are very serious about their coffee there and were happy to explain all the different brewing processes. The cold brew that is offered right outside where the breakfast buffet is quite possibly the best cold brew I have ever had. Very smooth, non-acidic, and just the right amount of caffeine to get you ready for the day!

All in all, the resort is gorgeous, and I mean gorgeous. There are just a few things that keep the place from being an A+ for me. The beach club, while at a nice and calm beach, is not near as nice as the pictures on the website make it look. We were on one of the first boat transfers of the morning and were surprised when we arrived to see families already lining up to go back. I was thinking the beach had only been open for 30 minutes–were they done already? But then as my husband walked around, there were some vendors who would harass you to buy their things, the beach chairs were run down, and the pool did not have the same feet cleaning stations and filteration system, so the pool was stagnant, dirty, and honestly pretty gross-looking. We were quickly on the next boat transfer back to the main resort, so we understood why everyone was lining up to go back.

Also, granted, Costa Rica is an expensive place, but whew, the Papagayo region is another level! Meals/drinks are not included in the room prices (unlike at more inclusive hotels that include breakfast and all the room drinks/snacks at the very least), and in addition to the taxes you pay on the food and the beer and alcohol taxes, you have a 10% service charge, and then you add the tip on top of that. But before you even get to these prices, you have a massive uncharge for the items. For example, I looked up the bottle of champagne we got in the room and we could have bought it in a store for $15, yet they were selling it on the property for more than $200. The same was true for meal prices as the breakfast buffet prices resembled premium Vegas buffet prices (and didn’t include any specialty drinks or alcohol). You can get free breakfasts if you are Hyatt Globalists, but we haven’t reached that tier yet. We skipped lunch most days and had dinners on the property, but those really hurt the pocketbook, and if you got a drink, those were very watered down so much that you were paying over $25 for a juice essentially. The beers in the room fridge are also not complimentary, so that is something to consider, too.

It became a running joke between my husband and I when we would discover new charges for things that were included at our other resorts–a charge for breakfast, a charge for yoga, a charge for laundry, a charge for a beer from the room fridge, a charge for an onsite tour–that this was “not Nayara”! For the price and what was included, the hotels in Arenal / La Fortuna were a much better bang for your buck, but all the same, even though the Andaz Papagayo was silly expensive, it was beautiful and a definite hotel to put on your bucket list, especially if you get it on Hyatt points! You can also apply Hyatt points toward dining charges (something I discovered and utilized this trip!), so that helps, too. The rates are much more reasonable during the rainy season, so while all of our travel difficulties made it so that we had to visit Costa Rica twice, I am glad that it worked out that way as we could see the country during two different times of the year (and enjoy the financial benefits of visiting during off-season)!

Andaz Peninsula Papagayo: A

One of the nice things about staying at such a luxurious high-end area of the country is that there are other hotels and fancy places nearby to explore! The Andaz had a shuttle that went to the marina as well as other areas of the peninsula (and a nice WhatsApp feature where you could arrange your transfers), and this was a nice way to explore more restaurants and places to enjoy the sunset. I had heard good things about the Four Seasons and all their restaurants, so I made a reservation at the Virador Beach Club. It is a beautiful Middle-Eastern restaurant on the beach, and we went there for my husband’s birthday dinner. Their food is delicious (albeit extremely rich and seasoned) and while it was the most expensive meal of the trip, it was a nice spot to enjoy the breeze along the beach, eat good food, and enjoy each other’s company.

The service was also excellent, and even though we were so full, they surprised us with some chocolate cake at the end of the meal to celebrate my husband. A lovely gesture!

Four Seasons Virador Beach Club: A

An even better place is the Prieta Beach Club! I had heard so much about the Manglar restaurant, but they don’t have a way for you to book reservations yourself–you have to have the concierge do it–and they book up so quick around sunset, so I was so relieved when we secured a reservation! The beach club is absolutely gorgeous and when we arrived via the shuttle, we stared in wonder at the beautiful beach, the pristine pools, the impeccable beach chairs, and even the wooden boardwalks down toward the water, and thought, whoa, how much is it a night here?! But it’s not a hotel! It’s like a country club of sorts for the wealthy people who live on the peninsula as the place also includes tennis courts and all sorts of amenities that cater to the likes of celebrities such as Mel Gibson, Tom Brady, and Mark Zuckerberg among others. We even met a wealthy person’s dog walker on the beach, and as she packed the sandy, wet dogs into the back of the nicest car we have ever seen, we looked at each other and were like, wow, this is a whole new world out here!

And a whole new world is nice occasionally as you get to feel fancy for a night at this place. The tables are all beachside and have a lovely view of the sunset, the service is amazing, and each and every dish is absolutely delicious! Even the salads were so, so good as well as the entrees and desserts. I loved the culinary choices they make, too, for example, the cappuccino ice cream and candied oranges are *chef’s kiss*. My husband loved his octopus entree, too, and we both loved the steak we shared. The plates were clean by the end of the meal–every bite a delight! So definitely go to eat here. This was by far, the best meal of our trip!

Prieta Beach Club’s Manglar Restaurant: A+

Whew, enough about the food, Costa Rica has things to SEE! Things to DO! On all the travel boards, I had heard amazing things about Frank the Tank, so I reached out to him beforehand to set up some tours. He offers quite a few, both in the Papagayo area and toward Arenal / La Fortuna. Having already seen the Arenal / La Fortuna area, we focused our tours in the Guanacaste region. One of the great things about booking with Frank the Tank is that if you book several tours with him, you can get discounted airport transfers, too. His tours are also more reasonably priced than some of the others in the area, and he is one of the most communicable tour leaders I have ever encountered. Super quick responses and helpful with questions! He was excellent, so I highly recommend booking with him. He runs most of his tours with contracted (and vetted) companies, so I will review them separately.

For the airport transfers, those were top-notch. The drivers were always early and very personable. We had a lot of fun exchanging stories about family, our respective countries, the wildlife, and even future goals, and our drivers were so funny (especially our last one as he called himself Loco William!). The vans were comfortable and clean, and we always got to where we needed on time. Highly recommend!

Frank the Tank Airport Transfers: A+

We also booked the Rafting Adventure Class III and IV tour through Frank the Tank. He contracts through the Tenorio Adventure Company, and the tour included transportation, lunch, and a full day on the river. I had gone white water rafting before, and my husband a bit more than me, but even so, the rapids on this trip (especially during rainy season) are intense! Frank the Tank told us to prepare for the trip to get canceled if the water levels were too dangerous, but when the day came, it seemed like everything was a go! And wow!

After arriving at the rafting adventure hub, we loaded up our gear and took a truck to the river. It was here that we met our group-members (who were a lot of fun!) and learned the different strokes we would need to navigate the river. Usually, this is done in the water in a calm eddy or pool, but I was a little surprised that they were teaching this on land. Then I looked down to the river where we would be jumping into our rafts. The water was furiously churning, and the river was very narrow and rocky–far different than any river I had done before. It was here where I started to think, oooh, are we being serious? Is this really where we get in and start?

And the answer was a resounding YEP! The guides even get a twinkle in their eyes when they see that you are new or even the slightest bit nervous because then they smile and say, “fresh meat!” The rafts are smaller than your typical ones as it was just me, my husband, and the guide in our raft, and sure enough, the guide held the raft to the side then told us to jump in, paddle, paddle, paddle, go, go, go! It was sink or swim from the get go!

With how fast the water is, you are working hard the entire time, but we had a great rhythm going, and knowing that we were a good team, I was able to relax a little bit. As scary as it was, we could do this! Our guide was also very communicative and knew the river well. You could tell when it was “go time” as she would be very polite when giving instructions like “forward, please” or “left back, please” then we would get to a rapid, and it would be all hands on deck with “PADDDDDLLLLLLE! HARD, HARD, HARD! PADDDDDLLLLE!”

The rapids were so unique that it felt like you were barely over one when you had to start navigating the next one. Some were very technical and required a lot of quick turns, some required you to huddle down in the bottom of the boat and pray you didn’t fall out, and some had the distinct instructions of “close your mouth” as it resulted in a massive wave as soon as you made it down the drop. At the midpoint, we had a chance to get out and swim a bit, and it was here that our guide taught us some Spanish (I was sure to ask, how do I say, “I’m scared!” in Spanish, ha!), told us about the wildlife, and explained the future rapids we had ahead. One thing I learned about Costa Rica is that Class IV rapids feel way different than they did in the States. Much faster and much scarier, and when our guide mentioned “baby rapids” ahead, I would look and think, yeah, those don’t look like no baby rapids!

But we were one of the only groups that hadn’t fallen out yet, but at one point, it came so close as we reached a rapid that would suck you in its undercurrent so that the only way you could get bumped out was from a boat slamming in from behind you. So we got where we were supposed to be, got stuck in the current (a pretty strong one as it sucks you under), but the boat that was supposed to bump us wasn’t there. And we waited….and waited. The water is crashing overhead and you can’t see (or breathe, honestly), and it was at this point that I thought, whelp, this is how we are going to die… 

But then that boat finally crashed into us as our boat surfaced! But yeow, what an adrenaline rush! To go from exhilaration to terror to dread to resigned acceptance of your fate to having a new chance at life…what a sequence of emotions! Phew, but the biggest drop was still ahead…Cascabel Falls, a twelve foot vertical drop where even if you made it, you crashed headlong into the side of a cliff face. Our guide casually pointed out the rapids as we went, saying, 60 percent of people fall out here, 90 perfect of people fall out here…we were making them so far. I usually never hold onto the rope on the side of the raft when huddled and going down the drops. But I was holding that rope today, and I think it was helping as my husband and I felt catapulted up from the raft multiple times only to catch the rope and barely stay in!

And then there it was…I could see the rapids, and where the water disappeared below. I could see the cliff face beyond it and the photographer. I could see the rescuers ready with their ropes and first aid kits. Taking a deep breath, I knew this was it, this was the reason I took out extra medical insurance that included emergency evacuation! All we needed to do was make it over.

And the water dropped out from beneath us…we were falling sideways…I grabbed the rope. I could feel the boat tipping. No, no, no, we could NOT tip! We shifted our weight hard and the raft began to right just as we hit the bottom and the waves started crashing overhead. Did we make it? We were underwater, I couldn’t tell. But then I heard our guide with the most important instructions yet. PADDDDDDLLLLLE!!!! And we did. We dug deep, but we weren’t moving. PAAAAADDDDDLLLLLE!!!! We were crashing into that cliff. We had to go around it and dock at the shore, but the other boats were fast behind us and would tip over the falls soon. PAAAAAAADDDDDLLLLE!

And finally, we made it past the bend where we grasped at the shore. My husband jumped out and pulled the raft in just as the raft behind us tipped over the edge and barrel rolled, arms, feet, and legs all sputtering as they grasped at the upside down raft and fought to swim toward the shore. My husband grasped their raft, too, and since the current was so strong, it felt like watching that scene from Deadpool & Wolverine where Wolverine is fighting to the death to hold on. It was intense as we watched one raft after another tip over. It was a miracle that we didn’t flip honestly, and the adrenaline comedown from that as you realized you did that and survived was something else!

So for its action-packed itinerary, this tour gets my top recommendation. It is definitely a tour that requires top physical fitness, quick following of directions, and good swimming skills. The company says they allow kids as young as 8 on the tour, but honestly, it would be quite dangerous with kids that young. There’s no stopping if you fall out and those who did fall out got pretty banged up on the rocks. I know the river is much slower in dry season, but during rainy season, safety is paramount. For example, our guide said that if the river were any higher, we wouldn’t have been able to attempt the big drop at the end, so I am glad it worked out! But if you are strong and have a thirst for adventure, this is your tour!

Frank the Tank’s Rafting Adventure Class III and IV Tour: A+

After that, we were ready for something a little less action-packed, so we booked the Catamaran Sunset Cruise. The boat comes right up to the Andaz’s main beach, and the party starts as soon as you get on board! With drinks, rice, guacamole, and chips, we enjoyed a fun sail out to Monkey Head Island for snorkeling. After a stop there, we enjoyed a liesurely sail back to the beach as music played and we talked with new friends and took pictures of the beautiful sunset. The tour is nicely scheduled where the boat is not packed with people, and you have a lot of room to lay out and enjoy the water, the sea breeze, and the peacefulness of it all.

It would have honestly been a perfect tour if not for a few hiccups. This is also a tour that is contracted to a local company, and while the boat was nice, the snorkel guides were very disruptive to the sea life as they took starfish and set them out of the water (where they cannot survive), broke up coral, and disturbed the fish. An even bigger problem is that the alcohol they served is nearly toxic as my husband and I each just had one drink, but we ended up sick all night and the next morning. I don’t know if it had methanol in it or what, but we were both felt at death’s door that night. Not a fun time at all…

So if it wasn’t for those things, it would have been a perfect tour. Frank the Tank did apologize for it, so while I probably wouldn’t do this exact tour again, I would still do a sailing tour while there, and I would still trust Frank the Tank with your tours. He seemed like he took vetting his companies very seriously, so those problems may be remedied in the future.

Frank the Tank’s Catamaran Sunset Cruise: B

Okay, one more tour, but this one wasn’t with Frank the Tank. While he does offer private tours to the La Leona Waterfall, he typically does it during the dry season due to the high water level dangers. We had wanted to see it on our first trip to Costa Rica, but those plans were derailed, so we wanted to try again while we were here. I reached out to the La Leona Waterfall Adventure Hike company as they seemed to be the main ones that offered the tour and who were stationed at the actual waterfall so they could measure water levels accurately for safety. I also arranged for a private tour (it’s actually not much more than a group tour), because if things got hairy, the guide could focus on rescuing the two of us rather than a big group of people.

Water levels also increase the further into the day you get, so earlier tours have the best chance of making it. So we arranged for a 6 a.m. tour, and when the driver picked us up, he told us to wait as the tour company was measuring the water levels. La Leona is a bit inland, so even if it wasn’t raining at the beach, it may be raining there, and that would be bad news. And bad news it was as they said it would be too dangerous to go. Foiled again!

So we rescheduled for the only other free morning we had–on our last day–and 6 a.m. came by again…but this time, we were fresh off of the sunset cruise and still nursing the worst hangover we’ve ever had in our lives from one drink. Closing my eyes and just fighting to breathe one breath at a time, we waited in the car again, and the driver said, okay, it’s a go! We would finally be able to see it!

Whew, but it meant putting on my big girl panties as this would be a hard tour with climbing, swimming, and rappelling! Ain’t no time to waste feeling like death! So after the drive there, we got our gear and hopped into the back of a truck where we made the rest of the way to the trailhead. And what a trail! I’ve done river crossings before, but this was a new level as the river was quite strong and would reach your waist and chest in sections. We climbed through bat caves, scurried up and down ladders, crossed the river some more, and then we reached the pinnacle of the tour…the part where you had to swim through a cave and pull your way through a very strong current to rappel up to the base of the waterfall. The guide went first and started pulling himself against the current via the ropes overhead. I was quickly behind him and kicked to keep myself moving forward…but the current was getting stronger and my kicks were doing nada…so I focused all my attention to my arms, one hand over the other. About three arm pulls away from the part where you had to transfer ropes and rappel up, the current was crazy, and I could feel myself making less and less progress with the arm pulls.  Whew, am I going to be able to make this?

The guide kept looking behind him at the water crashing down and motioned for me to hurry. Go, go, go! So I dug deep. This was the only chance we would have to make it. But even when you reached the other rope, you had to rappel up all while water is crashing down on you from above. Dig deeeeeeep! Then the yank on my life jacket as the guide helped me up. My husband was quickly behind me, and as we stumbled into the cave where La Leona’s waters thundered down overhead, my husband sputtered, I was not expecting that to be that difficult!

But what a reward! The cave was unreal as the water churned around us and the glory of La Leona roared overhead. Its a gorgeous waterfall and the pictures I had seen were during dry season when it is more serene and the waters below are blue–now, it was angry, powerful, and just commanded all your respect and awe. Or fear…as our guide pointed to the top and showed us where the normal levels of the water were versus the higher levels they were at now. “This makes me nervous,” he said. “We are in an enclosed space.”

Well, say no more! If the guide was nervous, then I was nervous, so we took a few quick pictures and we were out of there! The way out of the waterfall is just as adventurous as the way in as you hold onto some metal climbing rungs as you make your way down the rocks. With the current being as strong as it was, I quickly wiped out and was only holding onto the rungs until the guide said just let go and let the water take you. Wait, let go? Are you sure? The water was powerful and crashing over my head and body, so I couldn’t hear him very well. “Let go!”

Um, okay! So I did and was quickly swept downstream. When I righted myself and looked behind me, I could see the guide and my husband jumping in then floating toward me in the current. La Leona’s roar started to fade as we were washed away downstream. It was only a short time, but what memories in those moments!

The hike back was fun as we did all the water crossings again and hiked through bat caves. We ended up passing a lot of groups, and this is when we were so glad that we had booked the first tour of the day. With how crazy it was getting to the waterfall, it would have been even more difficult with a big group and while the pictures make the area beneath the waterfall look big, there isn’t actually a lot of room to stand, especially when the water is churning so hard. Our guide told the other guides to hurry, hurry under his breath as he walked past them. He wasn’t sure if they would make it with the water rising as fast as it was, and I could only imagine how disappointing it would get to hike all the way out there only not to see the waterfall. Let this be a lesson that those 6 a.m. tours are worth their weight in gold!

So for the tour, the guide, and the amazing waterfall, this tour gets high marks. The tour itself wasn’t very expensive, but the transportation from the resort to the waterfall was ridiculously pricey, so that’s where it loses a little bit for me. I still recommend doing this excursion, though!

La Leona Adventure Hike: A

So there you have it! It was a wonderful vacation to one of our favorite countries, and we enjoyed every bit of it! I love that we had a good mix of adventure and relaxation as it was just what we needed. We would go back in a heartbeat, so if you have any recommendations for our next visit, let me know!

Favorite Experiences

There were a lot of favorites as this area of Costa Rica is so different than Arenal / La Fortuna. You get to see totally different wildlife, and it was so fun to see lizards and iguanas everywhere you went as well as monkeys in the mornings. The Howler monkeys would hang out by the spa/gym area of the resort and the Capuchin monkeys would visit the pools and breakfast area. It was amusing watching them steal bread rolls from the buffet and sugar packets from the tables. The staff had spray bottles that they would spray at them to keep them away, but they would quickly scurry back and plot out their next move. Such cute little thieves!

The pools at Andaz are also beautiful and are so nice to relax in. I love the architecture of them with the infinity pool designs and the rocks and trees around them. The resort is just teeming with wildlife as we also saw armadillos, deer, white squirrels, and so many yellow butterflies as we walked the grounds. So beautiful.

I also loved our adventurous excursions–the river rafting and the waterfall hike. Both were adrenaline-filled and made for some amazing memories. We also met some amazing people on this trip that we keep in contact with, so it just added to the memories we made here.

What I Wish I Knew

So I am a planner, and I like to know what to expect so I can prepare for it (which means I do not like surprises), but this trip was a lesson in just going with the flow and living life Pura Vida! I had reservations already made for our dinners, but then discovered that some of the restaurants we had planned to eat at were going to be closed (this isn’t reflected on the reservation sites), so we had to do a lot of rearranging. Our reservation at the Prieta Beach Club had taken weeks to get scheduled as you can only do this through the concierge and they can be quite slow to answer emails, so when I discovered that we would have to reschedule, I was afraid we would not be able to eat there, but then a last-minute spot opened! I had also wanted to eat at the Dive Bar at the marina as so many people had recommended it on travel blogs and forums, but it was closed the week we were there and would reopen the literal day after we left. We did not learn this until the concierge told us, so this was another last-minute change (but this meant that we ate again at Chao Pescao, so it wasn’t a total loss!).

Unfortunately, the unpredictability of things extends beyond when things will be open as weather and even tours are very much in the air sometimes. We had tried to see Rio Celeste twice–a gorgeous blue waterfall, but a mudslide had wiped out the path to see it and it was still closed during our second trip to the country, so if it reopens, be sure to see that as the pictures are beautiful! Be flexible, be chill, and who knows, maybe an unexpected surprise will fall in your lap. My husband calls these “happy accidents,” and we run into them a lot when we travel!

The chill-vibes and flexibility help when you go into your resort with some expectations, too. I knew this was a family-friendly resort, but I think I was a little taken aback from just how many kids were there. Like the last time we were in Costa Rica, adults-only areas are not enforced, so even in the adult pool and adult areas of the hotel, kids are everywhere and when they are not supervised by their parents, it makes for a less relaxing experience, so just be forewarned. They are especially loud and rambunctious in the pools and in the restaurants. We met a lovely family from the UK with absolutely delightful children and had a great time hanging out with them, but they were an exception to the rule as there were a lot of misbehaved young kids at the resort who just ran wild.

Oh, and if you need cash, make sure you withdraw all you need before you get to Costa Rica, because the fees will cost you an arm and a leg. I had to pay cash for all the Frank the Tank tours and we also carried around cash for tips, but I was two dollars short on our last day, so I went to withdraw some more. There is an ATM near the lobby of the Andaz, but not only is it difficult to use as it times out so quickly (especially as you are working to translate the Spanish-only screen), but it charges $7.80 for a $20 transaction. This is on top of the $5 fee from your bank, so this was a flipping robbery. I was so irritated when I saw all that on our bank statement, so take out more than you think you need beforehand!

The airport in Liberia is the quickest way to access the Guanacaste area, and since it is a small airport, there is only one flight that gets in per day. So if you have any flight delays/cancelations (like we did on our first attempt to come here), you are looking at a big trip disruption as you may well end up losing multiple days of your vacation. So trip insurance is a must! Luckily, all worked out on our latest trip to Costa Rica, and there is even a brand new lounge that opened up in the airport! It is the VIP lounge and is open to Priority Pass members, so if you have an eligible card, it is a nice place to relax, get a drink/snack, and avoid the hustle and bustle of the rest of the airport. The airport also has a VIP option to get through immigration, but we have always come in on non-busy days so didn’t feel that we needed it. It could be helpful if you have a lot of kids or passengers that cannot wait in a line, though.

All in all, though, let this review show you what an amazing place Costa Rica is and how much it deserves a visit! So beautiful, so much wildlife, and so many adventures to be had here!

I also post reels and TikToks regularly of all the places I’ve reviewed on here, so if you want to see some videos of what to expect, check out my social media here:

TikTok: @touristyteacher

Instagram: @touristyteacher

Happy travels!