2 Best Hotels in Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

Nature, tranquility, luxury, and an unbeatably beautiful beach setting make this environmentally conscious boutique hotel the most elegant choice in town. Nestled in a tiny forest between Playa Tamarindo and Playa Langosta, the hotel offers a variety of room types. Balcony rooms surround a large, curvaceous pool shaded by native trees and greenery. If there's ever been a place to splurge, it's on Room 75, with stunning hardwood floors, a private balcony, and a linen-draped canopy bed that looks onto the sea. Enclosed by walls of glass, the airy bungalows have Jacuzzi tubs, outdoor showers, and sunken lounge areas. Second-floor rooms in the main building have high, angled ceilings and lots of screens, offering an ocean breeze as an alternative to air-conditioning (which the rooms do have). Lower rooms are smaller and a little darker, with terraces edging the lush garden, which is visited by iguanas, raccoons, howler monkeys, and birds. A beautifully decorated and romantically illuminated terrace restaurant, overlooking the pool and beach, serves upscale, contemporary cuisine and hosts beach barbecues (December 21–May) with live marimba music every Wednesday and Friday night.

The name of this beachfront bed-and-breakfast means "Dream of the Sea," and the front gate opens into a dreamy world of intimate gardens, patios, and hand-painted tiles. The downstairs rooms are a little dark but full of interesting, often amusing folk art, and have Balinese showers that open to the sky. The only drawback is that they are lined up along the main corridor, so there isn’t a lot of privacy. If privacy is paramount, opt for the breezy honeymoon suite upstairs, a sensuous lair with rich red fabrics, rugs, hanging glass lamps, and an ocean view. There are also two large casitas with kitchenettes and loft bedrooms. A lavish, multicourse breakfast is served on the patio next to a tiny garden pool. Nonguests can come for breakfast ($15), by reservation. Or you can take your morning coffee on the beach, with chairs and hammocks amid the trees and driftwood—it's also the perfect spot for sunsets. At low tide a large snorkeling pool forms in the rocks that surround the beach, but the swimming area is a 10-minute walk to the south.