I booked my stay at Chimurri from October 5, 2011 to November 7, 2011 and from start to finish it was an absolutely amazing experience! The cottages are simple and clean and have an authentic rustic feel to them. The beautiful Playa Negra is only steps away from the cottage's front door. Kiana welcomed me with open arms and assisted me spiritually, daily with my retreat goals. If you are just interested in a quiet getaway and nothing spiritual, this is also the place for you! The town of Puerto Viejo is a quick taxi ride or 10 min bike ride away to buy groceries or eat out at one of the many restaurants the town has to offer. This retreat changed my life and renewed my energy and spirit and I would suggest anyone wanting a quiet place to reflect and enjoy nature to stay at Chimurri!

A quiet, simple life is what we were looking for and exactly what we found at Chimuri Beach Retreat! We stayed in a tiny, rustic cottage just steps away from the beach, surrounded by beautiful jungle, and the environment provided the energy we needed to recover from a far too hectic life. Our 3 weeks there were completely rejuvenating! Kiana, our hostess, is very warm and friendly and a wealth of information. Her partner, Mauricio, who has a beautifully gentle heart, offers very interesting guided walks through the jungle, and as an indigenous person, he offers a wonderful perspective that your average tour guide would not. If you're looking for someplace away from the 'tourist scene', choose Chimuri on Playa Negra. There is great dining and bike rentals at Banana Azul (a short walk down the dirt road) and the Saturday morning farmer's market in the village of Puerto Viejo is a nice bike ride away... great place to buy fresh produce for your meals!
Please note: the proximity to the jungle does mean you have to deal with bugs... you must be fastidiously clean in your cottage, or you'll have sugar ants joining you in minutes! There is a mosquito net over the bed, tho we did not encounter many mosquitoes at this time of year. There is a rooster on the property who will ensure you get an early start to your day! :)

We booked 3 weeks at Chimuri Beach Retreat because we wanted to get away from it all. No TV, no phones, no distraction. We wanted to live a very simple life and thats exactly what we got. If you are looking to live a simple and yet still very comfortably Chimuri Beach retreat maybe what you are looking for.

Chimuri has a great location right across from a beautiful, quiet beach but still close enough to the town to enjoy all its amenities if you desire.

With the new Gazebo it is ideal for those interested in yoga, healing, meditation, and creative arts...and it is a wonderfully affordable place to relax and enjoy an authentic Caribbean beach retreat.

Mauricio and Kiana are excellent hosts, providing us access to filtered water (so no lugging bottles from town or purchasing a bunch of plastic ones) and having a cleaning lady come every few days to keep the houses clean. With the full kitchen we were able to cook most of our meals ourselves. Don't miss the farmers market in Puerto Viejo on Saturday mornings. Or the resturaunt Bread and Chocolate ... hmmmm

A highlight for us was a guided tour with Mauricio, who is indigenous Bribri. He is very knowledgeable in the identification and uses of native jungle plants and animals.

You can easily rent bicycles either in town or up the road at Banana Azul and it makes getting to/fro Puerto Viejo very easy for shopping, restaurants, etc. But you're also very removed from the town, which I found quite lovely, and you're right in the midst of the jungle but by the sea. Taxi is only $4.00 USD if you don't want to walk or ride into town.


We really love it there and will definitely plan to go back again!

I stayed 3 weeks at Chimuri Beach retreat during the less crowded and drier fall season, and I was happy to find it was just like it was described and pictured on the website. I wanted a quiet beach retreat instead of a more typical vacation spot, and Chimuri is a great place to enjoy the beach and the peaceful garden setting at a low cost.
The Austrian born hostess, Kiana, has lived in the Puerto Viejo area for 30 years and was welcoming and gracious. She is well connected with the yoga and spiritual healing community, and her new gazebo and private room is a beautiful ocean view spot for yoga and massages at Chimuri Beach.
Kiana is also a practitioner of Johrei, a Japanese tradition of offering and receiving healing light and love. She generously offers Johrei to her community and guests, and all donations go to the international Johrei organization.
As an Arizona retreat owner (spiritfallsretreat.com), I appreciated the warm welcome and the private personal space that Chimuri Beach offers. It seems ideal for those interested in yoga, healing, meditation, and creative arts...and it is a wonderfully affordable place to relax and enjoy an authentic Caribbean beach retreat.