The Guanacaste Peninsula shows Costa Rica from its quieter, hotter side in the northwest: rural, dry, with kilometers of sandy beaches and little towns with names as charming as Brasilito.
And then, off the coast of the Guanacaste Peninsula, there’s the Papagayo Peninsula: Here you’ll find just two hotels, a handful of villas, and yachts.
And a golf course that’s absolutely spectacular!
Papagayo Peninsula — Rest, Golf, and Luxury Without End
Compared to Costa Rica’s typically thick rainforest, the Papagayo Peninsula feels more manicured, drier, more serene. The roads are better, the distances shorter.
And the clientele changes too: here you’ll find two of the country’s most exclusive resorts — the Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo and the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort.
If you’re looking for adventure, this isn’t your place. You come here to arrive. Nestled between hills, bays, and the sea.
And the howler monkeys.
Arriving and Breathing
After adventures deep in Costa Rica’s interior, the luxurious Papagayo Peninsula feels like the complete opposite.
The bays are secluded and largely undeveloped. The beaches are pristine and you won’t see a soul for miles.
In the evening, you enjoy fine dishes from various regions on one of the Andaz Resort’s many restaurant terraces — and relish the spectacle of the howler monkeys!
The animals put on an acrobatic show in the evenings: they leap fearlessly — or recklessly, depending on age and practice — from tree to tree.
The thin branches barely support them, but they grip with their hands, feet, and long tail, hanging on somehow.
And at night they stomp across the hotel roof like a herd of wild water buffalo run amok.
And if you’re a deep sleeper, the howler monkeys will wake you no later than the crack of dawn.
If you’ve never heard their call before: it sounds less like a monkey and more like a jet engine starting up!
Here’s a recording of just one howler monkey right outside our balcony door, not the whole troop…
My goodness!
Hotel Tip: Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort
Perched directly on the ocean, nestled into the hills of the Papagayo Peninsula, sits the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort.
The Andaz is a classic resort with several pools and restaurants, plenty of space, plenty of quiet. No place for hustle and bustle.
You move between your room, the beach, the water, and the restaurant.
If you walk along the ocean, you can reach all the way to the cocktail at the café by the marina. Not bad at all.
In the evenings, you choose between different restaurants: Do you fancy tapas, Asian-influenced Costa Rican cuisine, or classic fish and seafood?
Either way: The food is exquisite everywhere and the atmosphere relaxed, stylish, and always a little bit special.
And the prices are correspondingly special, too. But once in a lifetime you should splurge on something like this ;-)
Four Seasons Golf Course with a View
If you’re going to play golf in Costa Rica, it’s here!
The Four Seasons Golf Club Costa Rica sits spectacularly above the Pacific and is considered one of the top courses.
Fifteen of the 18 holes on Arnold Palmer’s signature course seduce you with exquisite ocean views.
The championship layout is generously spacious: wide fairways, flowing contours, large greens.
Sounds relaxing. It’s not: I lose 4 balls on the first two holes alone.
After this terrible start, I finally get a grip on my rental clubs and swing like there’s no tomorrow!
Trying to catch up to Katja after this epic blunder doesn’t quite work. She’s playing like a woman possessed. Even with rental clubs.
My moment of glory comes a couple days later on Reserva Conchal: my driver’s absolutely on fire, and I score a birdie on the 180-meter par 3 (holed it in just 2 shots)!
Conclusion to the Papagayo Peninsula
Zip lines abound in Costa Rica, but not here. The Papagayo Peninsula is not a place for adventure.
It’s the moment after.
A place where you slow down, breathe, look back, and just let your soul wander.
With a view of the sea. And the sound of howler monkeys in the background.
