Preface: This review is from a 25 y/o US based, moderately active couple visiting Costa Rica for their first time. My partner found this resort through our Chase travel portal and we wanted to ensure we left a very thorough review to help others understand our stay and what theirs could look like as well.
Location: The resort is roughly an hour and a half from the airport, so make sure you get snacks and drinks at the airport before you leave. The ride to the resort is simple. Slow, but simple. Costa Rica has lots of motorcycles and drivers passing around each other, so if you pick up a car, be mindful of this. When you arrive at the resort, the first thing you will notice is the dirt road that leads up to the main entrance. This road is bumpy and difficult for smaller cars, so if you rent a vehicle, be sure it has 4X4 and get the insurance due to rocks and potholes along the way. The resort is beautifully nestled at the top of a considerable hill, and some drivers will get frustrated about it, but every ride made it up without having any issues. The views are immaculate, with the infinity pool overlooking the scenery and ocean, allowing for wonderful nights swimming or eating at the resort while watching the sunset.
Rooms: We stayed on the left side of the property in a jungle facing room. From what I understand, all rooms are the same except for the view. Our room was absolutely perfect. It’s a well sized, modern bungalow that is perfectly designed for virtually any style of couple. It’s romantic, comfortable, clean, and well air-conditioned. The cleaning staff is outstanding about knowing when you clean your room and they don’t interrupt if you want to have a relaxing morning or a chill day indoors. When they do clean your room, you have options for new sheets and towels or they ask you to consider reusing them, which we didn’t mind doing. The balcony is spacious and there’s nice chairs for relaxing and enjoying the scenery. We saw monkeys (they howl, so be mindful of this) and lots of cool birds. They provide a safe and we had absolutely no issues feeling safe to leave our stuff out since it was such a small and well staffed resort.
Staff: The best part of Pacific Kalokairi is by far the staff. Virginia, Carlos, Carmen, the chefs, and cleaning staff, and everyone else who helps maintain the immaculate experience are some of the best people I’ve ever met while on a vacation or even in general. They make you feel like family. They’re always looking to help, they want to get to know you, and they communicate as a team better than most high-functioning organizations could ever dream of. They even remembered my partner’s nut allergy seven days after she told them and made sure not to include any on a desert platter they prepared for us on our last night. It was an excellent touch. They offer a shuttle into downtown and often provide helpful recommendations and share stories of the resort, their lives, and Costa Rica. Every time we left and went to do some activity, they greeted us upon return like family and were inquisitive about our day and our travels. It made us feel right at home. Oh- and there’s a black lab named Charlie that we consider an honorary employee because of how he greets everyone when they arrive and wake up in the morning for breakfast. He’s the sweetest, most gentle boy ever, just make sure to give him a nibble of fruit in the morning to keep him happy.
Food: The food at the restaurant is absolutely the best food you will find in Tamarindo. It’s extremely well prepared and we didn’t feel that a single dish was off the entire time we were there. They provide a short, revolving menu daily for you to select from for dinner and lunch. They also are not pushy or trying to upsell you in anyway. They simply want you to enjoy your experience. The food is quick and the flavors are immaculate. For breakfast they provide fruit, coffee, toast, and a list of options for you to choose from. It’s all freshly prepared too, nothing pre-made or reheated. Desert is also a nice touch at the end of the night as well. Even when we’d go out to town for dinner, we’d return for the desert. They have a wide variety of beers, wines, and cocktails as well.
Additional notes/recommendations:
Bring ample sunscreen as it is high up on a mountain and there isn’t a lot of shade by the pool after about 1pm.
When in town, get waters to bring back to the room. They provide water in the fridge that’s refilled daily but it’s about two glasses worth.
Ocean facing rooms get much hotter than others. They turn off the AC after they clean, so there’s a chance you could come back to a hot room after a long day. It doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to cool down, however.
Be nice to the staff and to others. It makes the stay much more enjoyable and worthwhile. Don’t be loud and obnoxious, but ask others where they’re from. We ended up befriending an older couple and had some of the best conversations over dinner.
You may seen tiny little bugs here and there. They are infrequent and harmless. You can only expect so much when being right in the thick of the jungle and nature. It’s not a problem at all and is something you’d see at any resort in Costa Rica. Don’t bring food home and leave it open, however, or you will get ants.
Get the pineapple desert, one of the best things I have ever had.
Summary:
If you are looking for a calm, relaxing, intimate stay while in Tamarindo, this is the place to be. We often found that, after a long day, we just wanted to return back to the resort to be with the people and relax quietly at our leisure. The stay actually felt longer than it was, which is contrary to most vacations that feel like they fly by. My partner and I were able to connect and share so much quality time together that we agreed it was the best trip we’d ever been on. Everything about this place is special, it might be on the pricier side of your options, but if you’re willing to pay a bit more for a significantly better experience, you will not regret it in the slightest.
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