So many seashore resorts around the globe observe the identical common playbook that whenever you go to a very distinctive one dealing with the ocean, it makes you wish to linger some time and soak all of it in. I undoubtedly felt that approach after waking up at Punta Islita, a luxurious hillside and seashore resort in a secluded a part of the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica that’s celebrating its thirtieth birthday this 12 months.
Getting there was not half the enjoyable, I’ve to confess, particularly since I needed to do a good bit of driving at midnight, a few of it on winding mountain roads and a few on roads with potholes and gravel. (We recommend renting a automotive by our native companion Vamos Rent-a-car and choosing a sport utility car, not a sedan. Get a 5% low cost and a price that features the required legal responsibility insurance coverage by our hyperlink right here.)
The trip again by the Nicoya Peninsula was beautiful although after I obtained to do this within the morning, on my technique to San Jose. Punta Islita’s location is a giant a part of its draw, nevertheless. It shares the bay it’s on with some personal properties and a village, however there’s not a complete lot else round to spoil the view and the lengthy seashore is rarely crowded.
Check out this video tour to get a go searching, then are some things we cherished about this resort, now a part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection.
Large Suites With an Outdoor Area
There are a number of classes of rooms at Punta Islita and two completely different adorning types because the outdated ones step by step get renovated, however other than the “deluxe king” class, all of them are spacious suites or at the very least junior suites. All of the and all have some type of out of doors lounging space. Mine had a giant hammock and a plunge pool, with a view of mountains and the water from both one.
The Honeymoon Suite has a bigger pool on a deck, an out of doors bathe, and a free-standing tub with a view within the spacious toilet. Then there are villas out there from the rental pool if you happen to’re coming with a household.
A Large Permaculture Organic Garden
Many resorts that boast of getting a backyard on website are actually simply rising a couple of herbs and greens, not almost sufficient to serve the wants of the restaurant(s) they’re working. The permaculture backyard at Punta Islita is a complete completely different story nevertheless, with the resort making up for its far-flung location by rising most of its personal greens, greens, legumes, chilies, and root vegetation like ginger and tumeric.
As this natural backyard continues to develop, a number of the fruit timber within the orchard space that aren’t mature sufficient to bear fruit but will provide these wants as effectively, although there are already banana, mango, and papaya timber on the grounds that staffers can pull from. Coffee and cacao are additionally within the combine among the many 65 vegetation within the backyard and there’s a rooster coop that provides contemporary eggs.
The results of all that is that I had a number of the finest meals I’ve skilled in Costa Rica at this resort–not as a result of they had been fancy, however as a result of they had been so flavorful and contemporary. It makes a distinction when your meals comes from an natural backyard in strolling distance relatively than having to be shipped from hours or extra away.
Close Involvement With the Punta Islita Community
Many resorts in secluded places contribute quite a bit to the neighborhood by strong employment and that’s definitely the case with this one. “Most of the year, 90 to 95% of the employees at our resort are from the local village,” says Lenner Garrido, General Manager at this Autograph Collection resort.
“We really want to empower the local women though,” he provides, “so even the ones who don’t work here directly are involved. All the artwork in the rooms and many of the textiles are from local female artisans and we sell their work in the gift shop. We have them lead classes in bracelet or keychain making that the guests can sign up for.”
While I used to be there, I walked to the village and did two quick workshops: I hand-patted some tortillas we cooked on a wood-fired comal and discovered how they make the candles which are used across the resort. While I used to be there I obtained to see a couple of murals plus a gallery space with native work.
Unique Guest Experiences and Excursions
I used to be imagined to arrive sooner than I did, in time for a turtle launch evening, but it surely ended up getting canceled as a result of the tide was too low. The child turtles would have too far to journey earlier than attending to the surf. The consultants are usually not simply doing an exercise for the vacationers: they’re making an attempt to do what’s proper for the native wildlife.
The subsequent morning I obtained up for a nature hike although and we made our approach downhill towards the seashore, trying out some birds and studying slightly about native vegetation. Just a few devoted birdwatchers had been on a special stroll with a birding knowledgeable, armed with their scopes and binoculars. They didn’t must go very far to get began: a dozen hummingbirds had been flitting round a flowering tree proper outdoors of the reception space.
Punta Islita has a couple of ATVs and vans with benches to get company out and about. I obtained in one of many latter and skilled one thing for the primary time in my life: ziplining at evening. This was a totally completely different sensation that using a zipline in the course of the day, a bit scarier and feeling sooner since there are fewer visible cues.
Other actions embrace extra strenuous guides hikes within the mountains in addition to sundown actions the place microphones are planted within the timber and company can hearken to the sounds coming from there with related headphones. There are plant drugs workshops, yoga lessons by the ocean, cooking lessons, and extra. A chef’s desk class within the backyard is within the works and a children’ membership is on the best way.
A View Up High or Oceanfront
Punta Islita offers the perfect of each worlds as a result of you could have two eating places, two bars, two swimming pools, and two lounging areas, one among every up and one down. The principal palapa space, the infinity pool, and the sleeping quarters are excessive upon a hill, with a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean.
Down under although, there’s the Aura Beach Club, with one other restaurant open for lunch and a swim-up bar within the giant swimming pool. Walking again from the seashore membership generally is a robust climb within the tropical warmth, so there are shuttles on demand going backwards and forwards between the 2 areas. See that video earlier on this article to get a have a look at each areas.
A Secluded Spa With a Sense of Place
I’ve been to my share of resort spas through the years and most of them might be interchanged with one other and no one however the staff would discover. The Nanku Spa actually makes you’re feeling such as you’re close to nature in Costa Rica although, with its playful decorations, out of doors pool space surrounded by vegetation, and home windows that permit in loads of pure gentle.
I wasn’t on website lengthy sufficient to squeeze a therapy in between the entire different actions and a few seashore time, however I felt like my coronary heart price instantly dropped a couple of notches after I entered this stress-free house.
Nanku Spa affords the standard manicures, pedicures, and conventional massages, but additionally facials, exfoliations, vitality remedies, and “olfactory awakenings,” many of those typical native plant elements.
See our detailed assessment of Hotel Punta Islita right here.