Sleeping
We LOVED this all-inlcusive resort! To date, it may be our favorite for pure relaxation (Pura-Vida, as the locals say). We flew into Liberia and had transportation waiting. It was approximately an hour ride to the resort. We had a suite that was very spacious and comfortable for us. In fact, it was very nice, and while we were in a tropical location, it felt very “Westin”. The food was typical of an all-inclusive. In particular, there was a little sushi restaurant at the resort that we frequented. The staff was AMAZING throughout the entire resort! Beaches are open to the public, and you will find locals selling items and services. We actually did a ATV excursion one day – highly recommend and did a couples massage on the beach. Both were local folks we found on the beach. The ATV excursion was a few hours (we did a side-by-side ATV) and we had a wonderful guide. The massage was affordable and pleasant (even Paul enjoyed!). Paul played golf almost every morning, and I did yoga on the beach (which was a part of the resort activities). Our favorite part was the huge pool with the swim up bar, which opens at 10:00 am. Yes, we were there every morning, in the pool, ready for breakfast beverage. You can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning, right? Visit our Doing page and learn more about the activities we loved about Costa Rica or click here.
Eating
The food at the resort was good. They have a breakfast buffet every morning with costa rican flavors. Lunch was OK. We didn’t have anything spectacular. Dinners were very good. Our favorites were Cauri (french) and Bamboo (Sushi and Thai). We actually ate at Bamboo twice. The chef, Luis, taught a sushi making class, which we loved. He also took a special order for us at dinner – made a roll and sauce we recommended.
La Palapa: Our only off-resort meal, located in Tamarindo. It was mouth watering and where we discovered Lizano sauce!
Lizano: Costa Ricans use this sauce mostly with rice and beans, but we like it on meats as well. It was our favorite discovery of the trip. We found a little grocery where we bought a bottole, but we now buy on Amazon.
Doing
Simply put, we did A LOT of relaxing here. Many people go to Costa Rica to explore the rain forests, volcanoes, and coffee plantations. We thought about it, but not too hard. We barely left the proximity of our resort.
PERSON TO KNOW: Erik Garcia! You will read about him on Trip Advisor. He’s the main “Beach Hustler”, as we joke. He can help you book just about anything. We loved working with him. You can’t miss him. He’ll be on the beach with a blue shirt and black hat that says his name.
ATV EXCURSION: This was a blast! We booked through Erik Garcia. You leave from the hotel beach and tour some beautiful country, beaches, and small costa rican town. Frederick was our tour guide, and he was so great!! Erik and Frederick made this experience very easy and worthwhile.
RESORT CLASSES: The resort hosts an array of activities. A lot for kids and many for adults also. We did the sushi-making class and the tequila tasting. Both were a blast! Small groups. In fact, we may have been the only two at sushi making. Post tequila class, you’ll need a snack!
COUPLES MASSAGE: Every time you go to the beach, you’ll be asked about getting a massage. We often said maybe later and finally, decided to get one. $20 for a very nice swedish type massage. We went with Angie and Linda. You’ll learn their names. 🙂 Paul isn’t much of a massage person, but he enjoyed this. Worth every dollar!
TAMARINDO: We took a hotel shuttle to Tamrindo, surfing village about 30 mins away. I’m glad we went, because we had an amazing meal at La Palapa (location is where the shuttle drops and picks you up). You won’t need a lot of time here unless you plan to hang at the beach or surf. Beautiful beaches but very touristy. You can buy the same things at the hotel outdoor market for less.
GOLF: Paul enjoyed the Reserva Conchal Golf Course every morning, which is located on the Westin property. As an avid golfer, he appreciated the course being in great condition.
YOGA: The resort may not advertise this on the web page, but they had yoga almost every morning on the beach. Maybe 8:00? It was fairly early and was a perfect way to start the day.
