Punta Islita, Autograph Collection

I have traveled worldwide for 70+ years and stayed at some of the finest resorts - and I have to say that Punta Islita now tops the list. EVERYTHING was truly five-star: ambience, food, service, rooms, views, activities. Absolutely ideal for a romantic vacation. We were there in "rainy season" so occupancy was low, but it's warm tropical rain that had little affect on our enjoyment of the resort. It is a little remote - a rough three hour drive from Liberia airport, or a local small plane hop (the better option) to an air strip a few miles from Punta Islita. I'm hoping to return!

It's been a few months since our magical visit to this amazing place and my wife and I are still in awe of our time there. The term "resort" doesn't even fit when I try to put a label on Punta Islita, Autograph Collection. Its an oasis where you can have an amazing time with tours on site, or simply rejuvenate your soul with the one you love which is what my wife and I chose to do. The view of the Pacific and surrounding jungle from the upper infinity pool is breathtaking. The walk to the lower pool was fun and different each time as it meandered between mango and papaya trees with parakeets in the branches and macaws flying overhead. The lower pool is a gorgeous resort unto itself and we enjoyed walking to the rock formation down the black beach during various tides. Our room had a plunge pool so every morning we had coffee in it while the clouds went through the valley to our left and we heard the distant call of howler monkeys. Even now I'm speechless to describe how surreal of an experience it was. On one such morning we even adjusted when we would retire because, if you allow it, this place will re-calibrate what's important in life. Amazing and healthy food, incredibly nice and kind people, and Joe was super helpful setting up tours and he really cared that we were having a nice time - even having a bottle of champagne delivered to our room for our anniversary. As another reviewer said, "just go," so just go and we'll see you there as we're planning our next visit already.

I loved staying here. I especially loved taking sunset yoga classes daily with Sarah. As a beginner yoga student, Sarah gave me specialized attention and made me feel special. She instilled in me a love for yoga! Thank you to Sarah and the whole staff at Punta Islita.

If you are looking for a complete refresh, this is the spot. Designed to make you catch your breath, it is tucked away, naturally beautiful and offers experiences that immerse you in the natural world. The staff is amazing - our second visit and we felt like we were visiting family on our return. We enjoyed the turtle hatching, local crafts, cooking lessons, spa, howler monkey families and of course, the scarlet macaws. Meals are beautifully crafted, unique dishes using local ingredients and often grown on property.

My wife Jamie and I had an amazing time here! It was sad to leave, and I wish so much that we could have stayed longer. The hotel is unique in a really good way. For example, instead of the usual mass-produced, foreign-manufactured toilet paper dispenser, our bathroom featured a beautiful, one of a kind, live-edge wooden TP holder. I absolutely loved the level of detail and personal touch. The finishes all throughout the property are creative and constantly remind you of the natural surroundings. They genuinely value artwork and even encourage guests to participate in free local art classes facilitated by the hotel. Attached is a picture of my keychain that I made. His name is “Ralph”. It feels so good to express creativity while relaxing on vacation. Usually creativity serves as a much-needed temporary escape from chaos of daily life, but starting the creative process from an already relaxed state is a game changer. I would highly recommend it! The staff at this hotel were such a pleasure to talk to. This was some of the absolute best service I have ever experienced in my whole life at any hotel. Everyone was so nice and happy. I want to especially thank Joe and Edward: I first met Joe at the concierge. He said if we need anything during our stay, please let him know. A few hours later down at the beach club Jamie and I were talking about how we wanted to make dinner reservations for that evening’s Annexation of Nicoya bicentennial celebration. I said to Jamie “we will need to try to catch Joe when we get back up the hill to the front desk”. Seriously, just a few minutes later Joe appeared at the beach club, addressed us by name, and asked if there was anything he could help us out with. Right there at the beach Joe made us a dinner reservation using his wireless phone. Edward was usually working the bar at the main pool/restaurant. Jamie was so happy with everything he made. There were some handcrafted house cocktails and some nonalcoholic fresh local fruit juice that Edward mixed up from scratch. I enjoyed making solo trips to the bar for drinks to bring back to Jamie in the room because Edward was so great to talk to. Thank you to Joe, Edward, and their entire team for A+ Excellent customer service!

Incredible! Stayed 7 nights in a suite with amazing views of the rainforest and ocean. Monkeys & Parrots on the lovely patio - which was also well sealed from the rain! The staff were great to organize all the extra fun included activities, but also plenty of opportunities to just enjoy this special place, sipping Costa Rican champagne (spring water!) The blue zone life at its best! We did the evening zip line, turtle nesting, mixology, cooking and spa days. Antonio and the wait staff looked after us every meal. Time passes differently here so once you relax the soak it in, the service makes sense. The only even better if would be to have snack options at the main bar and more bartending there like they have at the beach. The beach is public but feels private and pristine. Tanya took great care healing us at the spa, it’s a must! This is a true gem at a reasonable cost, don’t let the drive deter you from visiting, it goes quick and they have lovely big vans with drinks. 10 out of 10!