My family and I enjoyed a fun filled action packed week at the Gilded Iguana Hotel Nosara, Costa Rica arranged through Jose at Costa Rica Sun Tours.
We assembled a group of six families which included 10 adults and 11 children and took over one corner of the Gilded Iguana Hotel. The property was totally refurbished recently, and everything has a surfer vibe with all the amenities you may need. The rooms are large with high ceilings lots of wood & tile detail, outdoor space, either a balcony or a walkout patio. If you care about small details the Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, shower, and bedding we’re all excellent. The rooms do not have a television, which is a fantastic way to help you to escape the “real world”. If you need a video fix the age of streaming will get you everything you need and worked well at the hotel.
The property has a good restaurant and the room rate included a hearty breakfast selection. The pool area has plenty of lounge chairs and two separate pool areas, one where most of the kids seemed to hang out and another area which was quieter. There is also a pool bar/restaurant. Towels and umbrellas are plentiful. We traveled in February and it was very hot, so you are in and out of the water constantly throughout the day from the ocean to the pool.
The resort hosts a many amenities geared toward the “Nosara Vibe” including a gym, yoga studio, jujitsu room, free bikes, clothing shop if you forgot a T-shirt or bathing suit however the focal point is an immensely well-stocked and organized surf club.
The wait staff and front desk staff at this property are fantastic. They smile and greet you in a genuine way all day, every day. Service at Gilded Iguana, unlike many parts of Central America and the Caribbean, is very much on par with a high standard North American hotel. This is not an expensive vacation and you will feel that you will get great “bang for your buck” with every meal, drink, surf lesson and room charge.
The surf club is a few steps from the hotel toward the beach. You should note that the hotel is not located “on the beach” but about two blocks from the beach. In Nosara, the beach area is protected by the government and so all buildings are located a block or more off the beach.
The Beach Club at Gilded Iguana is well worth the weekly membership of $350 for up to five persons. They have nearly 100 surfboards and dozens of boogie boards and skim boards as well as rash guards and anything else you would need to have fun in the waves. There are a half dozen surf instructors on staff on any given moment as well as a few hosts helping with boards and gear. There are lockers to store anything you might not want to take to the beach and a very comfortable lounge area with shower facilities. There is also a surf stretch and workout area if you want to get warmed up before getting in the water. The surf club also has foosball and ping-pong table as well as a juice bar and snack bar and is a great place for kids to “hang out”.
If you have never surfed (which was all our group!) this is probably one of the best places in the world to learn, or at least try. The break is very constant and regular and the water is very warm. If you are more advanced there are areas of the beach or other beaches nearby where the surf is more challenging. I think it has a bit of something for everyone. It really is a surfer paradise. And if surfing isn’t your thing, the boogie boarding can be enjoyed by all.
I am a slight yoga neophyte and ended up taking a couple of classes while in Nosara. The town is littered with Yoga and Pilates as well as healthy food vendors. It is really a place you can go and exercise and eat well without having to look far for your fix.
Before arriving in Nosara it was recommended that we rent bikes and/or a golf cart to get around town. However, we never found it necessary as there are 20 or 30 restaurants within a 10-minute walk not to mention there a many “tuk tuks” that operate as taxis. There are no chain style restaurants. The restaurants are owner operated by locals with mostly healthy and unique menus. Food is not expensive, and service was generally very good. The local people could not be friendlier, and the town is made up of a lot of gypsies, and ex pats from all over the world trying to live a laid back lifestyle.
There are a handful of trendy restaurants in Nosara that you can show up in a wet bathing suit and flip-flops and still win best dressed. I do not recall seeing more than a couple people wearing shoes and I certainly never saw anything approaching a Gucci loafer. If you take a fashionable wardrobe you will be out of place. Be sure to pack flat walking shoes as the streets are not paved.
Nosara is not easy to get to. It is roughly a 2 1/2-hour drive from Liberia Airport. The last hour of the drive is on a bumpy dirt road. I guess the bumpy dirt road probably keeps the riff raff out. That is the only conceivable negative about going to this location. And realistically that aspect of the area is probably what keeps it low key.
Here are just a couple of things to keep you busy in Nosara:
Visit the Sibu Wildlife Sanctuary, Grab a towel and head to the beach every night for the most amazing sunset, Grab a bike and ride on the beach or the trails along the beach, Go Zip Lining, Take a Yoga or Pilates class at Bodhi Tree.
My family had a very enjoyable relaxing vacation at the Gilded Iguana. Granted, we went with a fun group of friends, however the whole town is a hotbed of relaxed, smiling, happy people.