All our accommodation in Costa Rica (including costs!)



We found some real gems in terms of places to stay in Costa Rica, so I'm putting these down in this post in case anyone is planning a trip at any point in the future! I have to say that we got extremely lucky with our bookings - I did spend a huge amount of time researching and checking reviews (partly as I was pretty nervous about costs in Costa Rica during the planning process) but even so I was really surprised at how fab most of the places we stayed were.


Budget

When we were drafting the plans for Costa Rica I'd set a max budget of £70 a day for accommodation (though I hoped it would come in a bit under this). On average we spent £64 a night on accommodation for the four of us (taking off my Mum's share for her 16-nights with us). We could probably have gone for slightly cheaper spots but I was reluctant to go for anything too basic with the kids/my Mum (and having spent ages trawling through booking.com I don't think we'd have been able to shave too much off the costs - there weren't *that* many places that came in much cheaper).


All of the places we stayed

935 Lodge San Jose

Two-bed apartment: UK£55 per night

We only stayed here for one night after landing (as we all arrived in
the evening) but it was spacious and spotless, and there were a bunch of Asian restaurants right around the corner. We could also walk to the bus station where the bus to Manuel Antonio went from which was an added bonus!



Pura Natura Lodge Manuel Antonio

Two-bed apartment (sleeps 8): UK£61.50 per night

We had three nights here while we explored nearby Manuel Antonio National Park (highly recommended with kids!). It's a budget option but the two-room apartment we had was really big and the views are AMAZING. The veranda of the apartments looks right out over the hills and down to the ocean, and the sunsets are incredible. There's also a fab communal deck with hammocks for chilling out in.



Note that we had the two-bed apartment here that sleeps eight in total (my Mum was with us at this point in Costa Rica so we needed more space). Each room had a set of bunk beds and a queen size bed, so if you're a bigger group it would be ideal (or if you're a family of four/couple then there are smaller, cheaper rooms too).


It was about a 15minute bus ride down to Manuel Antonio village and the entrance to the National Park, and there were a couple of supermarkets a short walk away that made it easy to self-cater and keeps costs down.


Rafiki Safari Lodge

2x Safari Tent (sleeping 4 and 2): UK£285 per night


I've written a whole separate post about Rafiki Safari Lodge here. 


It's expensive but well worth splashing the cash if you can as it's such a unique experience. Breakfast is included in the rate but you'd need to budget for lunch and dinner; dinner was around US$15-22 per person.

We spotted so much wildlife in our short stay here that it was definitely worth the trip/cost.



Villas Cabuya Beach & Jungle

Cabin (sleeps 6): UK£84 per night

This was a lovely little find - a handful of cabins set around a pool and communal covered area with hammocks, table football and general space to chill out. Our cabin had a queen size bed, a set of bunks and a sofa bed, plus a pretty well-equipped kitchen. The rate includes a good breakfast (eggs/toast or eggs/rice/beans with juice). 


Villa Alta Tamarindo

Four-bed apartment (sleeps 8): £116 per night

Whilst we didn't love Tamarindo, this apartment was a fab base for our stay (and the turtles!). There was way more space than we needed, but this was nice as for once everyone got their own room (with en-suite)!

There's a little pool, a fully equipped kitchen, free parking and
it's only a few minutes walk down to the main strip in Tamarindo where you can find loads of restaurants, tour companies, bars and surf schools.

Arenal Xilopalo, La Fortuna

Two-bed apartment (sleeps 7): £59 per night


I've written a good chunk about Arenal Xilopalo in my blog post on La Fortuna here. It was one of our faves in Costa Rica - amazing staff, access to loads of activities and tours, a massive room and loads of wildlife right on the doorstep. Plus stunning views of the volcano and quick access to everything in town.



Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat

Family Suite (sleeps 5): UK£56.50 per night





Its a fab place that works with the local community to build sustainable tourism in Sarapiqui. Their expert knowledge of the area and their links to local activities and tours make this a fab stop (as well as the amazing rooms and home-cooked food!).




Cabinas Yamann, Manzanillo

Cabin (sleeps four): UK£64 per night

This was a quiet little spot with just 3 or 4 cabins and an open-air kitchen and shared pool, just a few minutes walk from the beach. We had fairly torrential rain here for much of our stay which made the rooms feel a bit cramped for the four of us (as we ended up spending so much time inside!) but once the sun came out this wasn't so much of an issue. 



It does feel right in the jungle and the noise of insects/frogs around you at night is deafening! 

The little kitchen was well-equipped but only had one small table/chairs which meant it wasn't the easiest place to all hang out and eat/do school work. The staff though were really lovely, and one set of laundry is included for free in your stay (which is always a massive bonus when you're travelling for a while!)

Cabinas Cahuita

Family room (sleeps four): UK£49 per night

This was the place we stayed the longest in, and luckily it also turned out to be our favourite! We loved the chilled out vibe here and the oodles of communal space - the little pool, the outside seating areas, the massive kitchen (with free pasta/rice/beans/coffee/tea) and the dining space. Our room was small but all this communal space more than made up for it!



They even had yoga mats so I managed to stretch every day during our stay, and a book exchange. The national park is about a five min walk away and the black sand beach where we spent most of our days was about 15mins. Fab value!

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