This time I’m going to talk about my experience at Hacienda La Isla Lodge. To me it is a beautiful colonial-style hotel located in the middle of the rain forest of Sarapiqui, Costa Rica.

For me this hotel is perfect for everything as long as you love adventure, family vacations, traveling with friends and even honeymoons. The reason why I got to that conclusion is that I loved the gardens of the property and it is on a great location.

But what’s so great about its location? Well to start it is, as I said before, in the middle of the rain forest, a 10 minute drive will take you to the Braulio Carrillo National Park. It is also just 1.5 hours away prom Poas and Arenal Volcanoes. And last but not least it is also minutes away from the Sarapiqui River, a very popular destination for those looking for some white water rafting. It is literally a great place to make it a headquarters to depart to all your tours, I know I did.

La Isla Lodge is simply beautiful. It has a Spanish colonial-architecture and only fifteen rooms. I got the chance to see the rooms and they are all beautifully decorated. Each room in this hotel is unique. They are not standardized like in other hotels; each one has a unique decoration. Plus the names of them all have historic meanings.

The rest of the hacienda is a beautifully landscaped garden. I decided to go out for a walk to my surprise I was able enjoy the company of birds and some other animals of the area such as monkeys. Some other things the hotel offers are an open air restaurant area. It has a thatched palm roof and is surrounded by the garden. In it I enjoyed a menu filled with very high quality food. The dishes here were delicious, definitely above average. Oh, and there’s also a swimming pool.

Over all in really enjoyed my stay in this wonderful hacienda and would highly recommend it to anyone traveling in Costa Rica.

Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, has been living in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for over 10 years. She has traveled here extensively. Now loves organizing vacations to this amazing part of the world, having first hand experience of all the places with her family. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

My family, some friends and I thought that it was a good idea to visit another place in Costa Rica where we hadn’t been before. So we made our bags and headed towards Tamarindo in the Northern Pacific coast of the country.

So we made our bags and headed towards Tamarindo in the Northern Pacific coast of the country. We ended up staying in Tamarindo Diria Beach & Golf Resort. I was blown away with this place. This is what the hotel is like:

We stayed in the beachfront rooms and we couldnt have made a better decision. I had never been in a hotel like this. I literally woke up with a gorgeous view of the beach just meters away from me. I was completely blown away.

I have to confess that as a mom I was concerned about taking my 4 year old son to such a luxurious place but as my husband and I saw this hotel can give comfort and luxury but at the same time it is a place where kids can have fun without it being an issue for the hotel. It has so many open areas that my son and my friend’s son were able to run around without us having to worry about them.

Tamarindo is great in itself. Because it is not just known for having the best beaches of the country, called The Gold Coast but it is also a great place to get to know the Costa Rican wildlife in its estuaries. My advice to anyone would be come to Tamarindo beach; you will love this gorgeous place.

Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, lives in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. She’s traveled these parts extensively and now loves to organize vacations to these amazing parts of the world. Having first hand experience of all the places with her family, she can recommend the best options for you. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

Puerto Viejo is not one of the most popular areas of Costa Rica, but for me it should. The beach here is beautiful and it is one of the most tranquil places I’ve ever been to in this country.

When I visited this beautiful place in the Costa Rican Caribbean I stayed in Magic Moon. Let me tell you what it is about: This place offers a beach house and a bungalow just 50mt away from the beach. These private villas are perfect for families or couples that want a relaxed honeymoon. I love them because they are also super private because they are located 3km away from the nearest town. This means you will have the beach for yourself.

The bungalow is spacious and has 1 room, perfect for couples. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens so you will want to stay in the terrace for a very long time.

The house has 3 bedrooms and can comfortably accommodate a family. It is also surrounded by beautiful gardens but its best feature is the upstairs terrace that has amazing ocean views. Both of them offer internet, maid service and laundry service. I visited this place with my family and took the beach house and I loved it.

I got the chance to hang out in the hammock and relax while by 5 year old son ran around the garden. I also loved the fact that the house was very private in a secluded, safe and simply beautiful setting. Plus it is a short drive away from one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful beaches and Cahuita National Park. I’m sure you will fall in love with this place.

It is a whole new world away from the rest of the world. Oh, and I almost forgot. It’s not just about a nice, private, pleasant stay. It is also about the wildlife and the mature that surrounds you in this property.

Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, has been living in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. Traveling with her family to all parts of Costa Rica and Guatemala, she now loves organizing vacations for people and offers first hand experience. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

The Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, area has so many great places to visit and so many things to see such as: amazing wildlife, flora and gorgeous beaches. In this area you will also find lovely places to stay in. So the first time I went there I had a bit of trouble deciding where to stay.

It made such a big impression on me that I had to write about it. It is a beautiful property that is part of the exclusive Tulemar Gardens in Manuel Antonio Costa Rica. It is Called Casa Panorama. This is a three level luxury villa with some of the best views in Tulemar.

This beautiful villa is surrounded by untouched rain forest form where you get the best of Manuel Antonio: amazing wildlife from monkeys to birds. It is situated on a white-sanded private beach and just minutes away from Manuel Antonio National Park.

It is situated on a white-sanded private beach and just minutes away from Manuel Antonio National Park. The villa is absolutely beautiful and the surroundings are amazing. Can you imagine a better option for family vacations? Or a better place for a private and romantic honeymoon?

Let me give you a small description of Casa Panorama:

I stayed in the first level which is a one bedroom suite with a private entrance, a gorgeous deck, a fully equipped kitchen, living room and deck.

But it doesn’t end here. The place is run y a wonderful manager, Diego! This guy is also on charge of another great villa in Tulemar Gardens called Villa Mot Mot. He will show you around and treat you the way he does all his clients, like royalty!

I guess that now you have an idea of why I loved this place so much.

Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, lives in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. She’s traveled these parts extensively and now loves to organize vacations to these amazing parts of the world. Having first hand experience of all the places with her family, she can recommend the best options for you. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!