From an airport Hilton to a remote surf house to a glass A-frame with howler monkeys
Where we stayed was honestly a huge part of our Costa Rica trip.
We didn’t do one type of accommodation throughout the trip. We had a comfortable airport hotel, a very remote Airbnb near the Panama border, a mountain stay in Monteverde and probably my favorite — a glassy house in the forest near Santa Teresa.
Here’s where we stayed and what we’d actually choose again.
1. The airport Hilton near San José
Best for: the first or last night of your trip Our verdict: do it.
We landed late, and after an unexpectedly eventful rental-car pickup, having a Hilton waiting for us was exactly what we needed. There’s something comforting about arriving somewhere unfamiliar at midnight and knowing exactly what you’re getting.
We slept, had a great breakfast buffet, I worked the next day while Jake hung out at the pool, and we had burgers and played giant Jenga during my lunch break.
Because of our Hilton status, we also got late checkout, which meant we could start the long drive south later in the day. Although, in retrospect, maybe don’t take the late checkout quite as seriously as we did. We should have gotten on the road earlier.
Would we stay again? Yes, especially after a late flight.
Circus Wagon tip: don’t immediately start a huge Costa Rica road trip after landing late at night. Give yourself the airport-hotel night.
DoubleTree by Hilton Cariari San José, San Antonio de Belén, Ciudad Cariari. One night, 10–11 May, booked on points. Booking link still to add.
2. Brais’s place near Puerto Pilón
Best for: surfing, getting off the beaten path and experiencing a much quieter side of Costa Rica Our verdict: one of the most memorable stays of the trip.
This place felt almost like a treehouse. The ocean was nearby, a horse farm was next door, there were hammocks around the property and banana trees in the backyard.
Our host Brais was a huge part of why we loved staying here. He lived there with his family, had surfboards available, brought things back from the bakery, cooked meals and helped arrange horseback riding with the neighbors. It didn’t feel like staying at a polished resort. It felt like temporarily being dropped into someone’s little corner of Costa Rica.
I was working remotely while we stayed here, so my days were basically: work → hammock → meeting → Jake comes back from surfing → lunch → work → beach → dinner.
There was one massive rainstorm that briefly knocked out the internet, but otherwise I actually managed to work from there.
And then there were the animals. Our first night, a gecko ran across the wall. I proceeded to sleep basically fully clothed because I was convinced something was going to crawl on me. Jake made fun of me until a flying bug went directly into his mouth. So I felt vindicated.
Would we stay again? Yes.
You HAVE to: ask about horseback riding on the beach, and eat dinner there if Brais is still cooking for guests.
The Seacret Spot Home — 150 m to the beach, entire villa hosted by Brais, co-hosted by Geraldine. Puerto Pilón de Pavones, Provincia de Puntarenas. Three nights, 11–14 May.
3. Our Monteverde stay
Best for: cloud forest and adventure activities
Monteverde was our mountain portion of the trip, and our stay put us right in that atmosphere. We woke up in the clouds, ate leftover steak and eggs on our balcony with swinging chairs, and Jake sent the drone up over the mountains.
Then we headed out for bungee jumping and the Skywalk suspension bridges.
Would we stay in Monteverde again? Absolutely.
Sunset Vista Lodge — listed on Airbnb as Private Honeymoon Villa With Hot Tub, entire home hosted by Chris. 606, Monteverde, Provincia de Puntarenas. Two nights, 14–16 May. Monteverde confirmed.
4. The glass house in Mal País
Best for: couples, the quiet of Mal País with Santa Teresa a few minutes up the road, monkeys, privacy and a little romance Our verdict: yes.
This might have been my favorite accommodation.
We stayed in Mal País, just down the road from Santa Teresa, in a gorgeous almost-A-frame house surrounded by forest. The back was basically all glass, so you looked straight into the trees. There were hammocks, a lawn, a beautiful outdoor shower and howler monkeys around the property. Our host warned us not to leave food outside because the monkeys would come for it.
It also had an outdoor soaking tub, which we used multiple times, plus a beautiful kitchen. And our host arranged for an ATV to be delivered directly to the house, which made getting around Santa Teresa incredibly easy.
The only slightly terrifying part was our last night. There was a huge thunderstorm, and because the house had so much glass, we could hear everything outside. I was convinced something was right outside the house but was too scared to open my eyes and look.
The next morning I asked Jake if he’d heard it. He had. He had simply decided to ignore it. Classic.
Would we stay again? 100%.
You HAVE to: get an ATV if you’re staying in Mal País. Having ours delivered to the Airbnb was perfect.
Mowgli’s Hideout — River Oasis — entire home hosted by Seth, co-hosted by Yam under “Surf And Home.” Mal País, Provincia de Puntarenas 60111. Three nights, 16–19 May.
If we were booking the trip again
I’d actually keep the variety.
| Stop | What we’d book |
|---|---|
| San José | Comfortable airport hotel |
| Southern coast | Local, remote surf stay |
| Monteverde | Mountain / cloud-forest stay |
| Mal País | Private house, Santa Teresa up the road |
The accommodations made each part of Costa Rica feel completely different, which was part of what made the road trip so much fun.
Related: See our full Costa Rica road-trip itinerary → · Want the stories behind all of this? Read the Costa Rica Chronicle →