• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Abroad Reach Travel

Smooth Sailing for Your Next Adventure

  • Home
  • DIY
    • Boat DIY
    • Van DIY
  • Van Life
    • Van Life Diaries
  • Sailing
    • Intracoastal Waterway
    • Sailing Destinations
    • Small Boat Living
  • Travel
    • Sailing Destinations
    • Central America
    • Europe
    • North America
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Shop

Hotel Punta Islita

March 3, 2019 by Gwen Leave a Comment

Updated on June 16th, 2021

Hotel Punta Islita is located on the Nicoya Peninsula on the west coast of Costa Rica.  It is a secluded resort with a focus on sustainability and encouraging its guests to responsibly enjoy the natural beauty of Costa Rica.

At the beginning of 2018, Andy asked me if I could do anything during the year what would it be? I said I wanted to spend a few days at a beachside resort.  I wanted to swim, lounge in the sun, and read a few books. Hotel Punta Islita seemed like the perfect place to just sit back and slow down.  It is remote, eco-friendly, and had one of the most beautiful pools I had ever seen. Not to mention that early December is shoulder season for Costa Rica and Hotel Punta Islita so we got a great deal and the resort was basically empty!

Disclaimer:  In the interest of transparency, please be aware that this post may contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links may result in a small commission for us at no cost to you.

The Views

To say the view at Hotel Punta Islita was stunning would be an understatement.  The view from the pool, our room, the beach, basically anywhere on the property was gorgeous.  Pacific sunsets, seaside cliffs, and jungle everywhere and it can all be enjoyed from your private balcony, the infinity pool, or a secluded beach?   It makes Hotel Punta Islita feel like paradise.

Pacific View in Punta Islita Costa Rica

The drive out to this secluded part of the Nicoya Peninsula had equally breathtaking views.  Hills covered in cocoa and monkeys hanging from roadside trees were just some of the highlights.  The hotel offers a shuttle service, but the drive, while not for the faint of heart, was one of the highlights of our Costa Rica trip.

Beach and waves crashing at Playa Islita in Costa Rica

The Food

The food and drinks at Hotel Punta Islita were delicious.  Our very first taste was a complimentary welcome beverage with mango juice and pineapple poolside while we were checked in.  Both pools have swim up bars and we ate two lunches in the swimming pool.  The nachos were really great and I would highly recommend the watermelon margarita!

All of the dining is open air, some covered and some not.  You can enjoy a pacific sunset while eating dinner or just enjoy being under the stars.  Our favorite dinner dish was the Beef Tenderloin with blackberry sauce and cassava pie, but we also enjoyed a tropical chicken and fajitas.

Breakfast was equally as delicious.  Andy enjoyed huevos rancheros and I had the traditional breakfast both mornings.  There was fresh squeezed juice available and the coffee was amazing.

The Activities

Hotel Punta Islita offers many complimentary activities.  They also have a few options that that have a slight charge. When I booked our stay at Hotel Punta Islita I had said we were going to relax and not do a ton of activities but it was so hard not to take advantage for all the great offerings.

I have always wanted to go horseback riding on the beach.  After a pretty awful experience horseback riding on our honeymoon, Andy had said he would never ride a horse again. After six and a half years, I begged and pleaded and he agreed to give it one more try.  I mentioned to our guide that Andy needed a really nice horse and he gave him the oldest and slowest horse I have ever seen. It was perfect.  We went for a trail ride through the jungle, listening to howler monkeys, and then emerged onto the beach for a walk.  It was so much fun and checked off a bucket list item for me!

The ziplines at Hotel Punta Islita would be a great first zip for anyone!  After ziplining elsewhere in Costa Rica, we had so much more fun on these lines because they were slow enough and long enough to actually enjoy the scenery around you.  The trees are so close at some points it feels like you’re in a tunnel! It was one of my favorite zips we’ve ever done.

On our last morning, we went for a hike to look for monkeys.  We found a group that had seven or eight adults and four or five babies.  It was so much fun to watch the babies playing and chasing each other through the trees!  The guide brought a telescope so we could get an extra close-up look, and we were even able to snap a few pictures through the lens!

Monkey in tree in Punta Islita Costa Rica

Some other activities that are offered by the hotel:

  • Cooking Lessons
  • Mixology Lessons
  • Yoga
  • Kayaking
  • Golf

The Wildlife

We watched leaf cutter ants carrying their loads along the pool deck and had a huge iguana sunning itself on our balcony. We even had a band of raccoons break into our room and steal seven dollars worth of mini-bar chocolate. They were lucky they were so cute because the three am scare was not welcome. We had howler monkeys as alarm clocks and watched scarlet macaws primping and cleaning each other in a tree just outside our room.

Two Scarlet Macaws in tree in Punta Islita Costa Rica

Hotel Punta Islita is located next door to the Punta Islita Wild Macaw Reserve run by the Macaw Recovery Network. The Macaw Recovery Network (previously the Ara Project) is a sanctuary for Scarlet Macaws.  Our first day at the hotel we were in the pool and I looked up to see seven scarlet macaws flying around the valley.  It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. They are stunning! To see wild macaws that close was incredible!  They offer tours of their facilities and several couples we spoke with said the tour was very informative and the staff was lovely.

From July to November there is also a nearby beach where sea turtles lay eggs.  We just missed it on our trip but I would love to go back to see baby turtles! The hotel offers special tours and uses techniques to keep the guest impact to a minimum.

Hotel Punta Islita infinity pool over looking the Pacific Ocean

Hotel Punta Islita was the most relaxing resort I’ve ever stayed. Where is your favorite place to rest and recharge?

For more on about our visit to Costa Rica visit out Costa Rica Page.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

We Think You Might Like....

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Home
  • DIY
  • Van Life
  • Sailing
  • Travel
  • About
  • Shop
Copyright © 2025 · Abroad Reach Travel
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
%d