The Harmony Hotel

Rooms

The clean, modern bedrooms have been built with the environment in mind; clearly much thought was put into their materials and the imprint they would leave. Aptly, their modern take on 70s surf-style décor and furnishings are simple and unfussy so as not to distract from the real purpose of your stay - getting outside.

Facing the pool, Cocos rooms lie along the 2 open-air corridors of the horseshoe-shaped main building. Smallest and cheapest in price, they have an enclosed wood-decked patio with a heated shower and hammocks.

The Bungalows, set in the tropical garden, are bigger and more private (though still close enough to each other that we could hear our neighbours’ children in the morning - ask for a bungalow on the outskirts of the gardens). Each has a seating area inside with jaunty striped sofas and bamboo armchairs for lounging, and a lovely raised deck outside with rocking chairs, hammocks and plenty of room for surfboards and bicycles. For families or groups there’s also a 2-bedroom Suite (with 1 large bathroom) hidden in the garden.

Fittings are simple - white sheets on enormous kingsize beds, high beamed ceilings, tin roofs, hessian lamps, rocking chairs on wooden decks, a minibar stuffed with post-surfing health bars, and much-needed air con and ceiling fans.

The functional but spacious tiled bathrooms have delicious shampoos and body washes by Red Flower, a US range of organic, 100% biodegradable and biocompatible beauty products. When you shower, the water is then reused to water the hotel’s banana trees, ginger plants and heliotropes.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Minibar/fridge
• WiFi

Eating

Meals are generally taken in the open-sided restaurant at wicker tables and chairs. Food is local and organic, with vegetables provided by the hotel’s patch.

Breakfasts, particularly, are very good. Guests return from surfing to tuck into smoothies blended with protein powder (surprisingly delicious), homemade granola, fruit, and the Breakfast Burrito (food of champions: a tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, cheese and avocado and served with fries).

Lunch can be taken in the restaurant, by the pool or at The Juice Bar, an attractive rancho-style, open-sided bar with a thatched roof. This serves more health-restoring fare: fresh juices, salads, tuna burgers and the like. There are plenty of variations on the Tico staples of black beans and rice.

The dinner menu has a global feel with ceviche, satay and coconut curry (and lots of vegetarian options). I’d say, for the most, stick to the Costa Rican dishes, which are cooked with confidence. When we were there, some US guests complained about the prices, but the exchange rate for Europeans is kinder and, in volume and quality, our meals were good value. Cocktails are delicious and the bar is an appealing place to hang out.

Alternatively, you can walk to the local restaurants at night: there are fireflies to light your way, but the hotel provides a torch, too. In the village, ensure you drop in to Robin’s to try the owner's superlative peanut butter ice cream (such is their colossal calorific content, she’ll only allow you 2 scoops a day!). For a romantic experience go for a candlelit meal at La Luna, a restaurant overlooking Playa Pelada, with outdoor tables lit by candles and moonlight. Lastly, don’t leave Costa Rica without eating some extraordinarily good Italian food, served in the strangest location (a tree house), at La Dolce Vita, just outside Nosara. Let the charming Italian owner pick your meal, knowing you’re in safe hands. If you fancy a drink Kaya Sol is a lively bar in town.

Features include:

• Children's meals
• Minibar/fridge
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• Learn to surf. If you ever planned to give it a try, this is the place to do it - the hotel can arrange lessons. Catch a sunset wave and you'll suddenly understand why you never see a stressed-out surfer. NB Stingrays in the water mean you have to shuffle into the surf
  
  
• Shell hunt along the white-sand beach, which is fringed with mangroves and littered with appealingly crooked driftwood. Climb up the headland to the strange, twisted temple-like edifice (described by one as a ‘Salvador Dali rendition of a Frank Lloyd Wright’) that overlooks deserted Playa Pelada
  
  
• After a full moon, see Olive Ridley sea turtles lay eggs at Playa Ostional, part of a protected wildlife reserve. The hotel organises night-time tours
  
  
• Kayak along the Nosara river estuary, or take a boat trip to see the crocodiles, parrots, pizotes, monkeys and snakes that inhabit the Rio Nosara Biological Reserve
  
  
• Go on a high wire adventure over deep canyons and rainforest on a canopy tour; the hotel can make arrangements on your behalf
  
  
• Rent a 4x4 and drive to San Juanillo beach for snorkelling, or go deep sea fishing for ahi tuna, dorado (mahi mahi) and snapper then have one of the local restaurants cook your catch
  
  
• Swim in the kidney bean-shaped pool, have a massage in the Healing Centre or opt for a bizarre ear-candle treatment for ‘surfer’s ear’, to dislodge all the salt water!
  
  
• Try the free meditation or daily yoga classes in the spa’s pretty pavilion
  
  
• Go horse-riding, borrow a mountain bike and cycle along the beach, or hire a guide and go hiking in one of the many surrounding national parks
  
  
• Play table tennis at El Ranchito, next door to the Juice Bar
  
  
• Harmony is into sustainable tourism: plant a tree on the hotel’s eco-tour, make a donation to the howler monkey rescue project, visit a local coffee plantation or take a tour of a ceramic workshop or nearby school, both of which Harmony sponsors

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Horse riding
• Kayaking
• Nightlife
• Snorkelling
• Surfing
• Wildlife
• Yoga

Kids

There’s plenty to do, including playing on the long, sandy beach, boogie boarding, wildlife spotting, having ice cream at Robin’s, and splashing in the swimming pool.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

The Suites have 2 bedrooms (but only 1 bathroom), a wooden deck and hammocks; and all rooms have space for 1 extra bed or baby cot.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available, Family Rooms

Distances:

• Airport: 15 minutes
• Hospital: 50 minutes
• Doctor: can be called to the hotel

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

The Harmony Hotel is in the small town of Nosara, which lies on the Nicoya Peninsular in the north west of Costa Rica.

By Air:
Nosara Airstrip (6km) is served by domestic flights from San José. If you're arriving from abroad, you'll fly into San José Juan Santamaria International (250km), then will need to take a connecting flight, or Liberia (115km). Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving these airports.

From the Airport
A minivan picks up guests from the Nosara airstrip; Harmony can also arrange transfers from either San José or Liberia. See Rates for details.

By Car:
It is possible to drive from San José (6+ hours), Liberia (2-3 hours), Arenal (4-5 hours) and Tamarindo (2-3 hours) but a 4-wheel drive is recommended, particularly in the 'green' season as the rain makes some jungle tracks impassable. If you plan to drive, please see our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Costa Rica and getting around