We stayed at Florblanca Reserva for 3 nights of our honeymoon. $650/night is a hefty sum but we figured we'd splurge for our honeymoon.

However, we could have spent that money better elsewhere.

The Reserva which advertises itself as eco-friendly and sustainable is extremely rustic. We had stray cats, giant wasps, lizards, big red crabs, spiders, bats, you name it in our bedroom. I barely slept for the 3 nights we were there! The mosquito net helped, but not enough at $650 per night! One night, I didn't brush my teeth because there were simply too many insects and other animals in our outdoor bathroom and I wasn't willing to brave it.

Service was friendly and well-meaning, but ultimately we were frustrated that the restaurant/bar closed at 9pm, that our cabana wasn't very clean, that nobody answered the phone or returned our many calls and e-mail when we tried to arrange transportation to the resort from the nearby ferry upon arrival, etc.

There were no shuttle services in to town, so if you aren't driving your own car, you will have to walk the 3km (or bike). The food was excellent at Florblanca Reserva (and Florblanca) if pricey - no meals are included so for 2 people, you'll add about $25 to your total bill each day at breakfast, another $70 - $100 at dinner, etc.).

I believe that for $200 per night, our experience at FlorBlanca would have been rustic yet acceptable and adventuresome...but at luxury rates, it was a frustrating experience.
I understand the non-Reserva part of Florblanca is less rustic, but still has many similar issues regarding animals and such as we learned from other guests.

As a comment on MalPais, if you are not into surfing, this place is probably not for you. There are no cute restaurants/beachfront bars to speak of in the "town" and the beach has more debris along it than I've ever seen anywhere!
If you are going to go to Mal Pais, maybe stay at Milarepa which seemed reasonable when we walked by...

Florblanca is beautiful and very secluded - great spot for a couples trip or honeymoon. It is very pricey in comparison to other hotels in the area. During our honeymoon in April, the resort was undergoing major construction and renovation which was extremely disruptive to the quiet and relaxing trip that we were looking for. The staff were friendly but not overly helpful - after being there for 6 days, they still had to ask us which room we were staying in (there were only 4 villas occupied during our stay!). Poolside service was non-existent however dining at Nectar, their restaraunt was usually very enjoyable. People who choose to stay here really need to be okay with wildlife - we had everything from bats, to ants to lizards and anteaters inside of our villa. It is also important to note the terrible plumbing system in this part of Costa Rica. Even at Florblanca, you are not allowed to flush even toilet paper down the toilet - they provide a small garbage can that they promise to empty twice a day but only empty once. Overall, it is a beautiful place but we felt our $600/night would have been better spent somewhere else.

Florblanca resort is the only place you need to go in Costa Rica!

My boyfriend and I spent several days at Flor Blanca and we were extremely impressed with all aspects of our stay. We arrived late in the afternoon on a Friday and despite the fact that the horseback riding guide was supposed to be off on Saturday, the concierge made special arrangements so we would not miss this special experience…and special it was. We rode back on the beach as the sun was setting. It was the highlight of our entire 11 day trip!

In addition to going above and beyond to make the horseback riding arrangements for us, the staff went out of their way to make us feel special. We were even offered a room with a different view the second night we were there because another villa had opened up. The villas were unbelievable with amazing attention to detail and luxury. (You’ve not lived until you’ve taken a rainfall shower in your private outdoor bathroom!)

We also took a private surfing lesson which was fantastic. With waves to suit all levels of ability, Santa Theresa (within walking distance) has some of the best surfing in Costa Rica. All sorts of other outings such a canopy tour, waterfall tour, and monkey sightings are available as well. Florblanca offers the ultimate in adventure vacation experiences in the lap of peaceful luxury.

The food at Flor Blanca was by far the best we ate during our trip. It was extremely well thought out and they had dishes to suit a variety of pallets. The Chef even took the time to come out and personally introduce himself to us.

With a spa, and yoga studio (and fabulous workout facilities being constructed) this small and intimate resort has all the amenities of the larger resorts without the annoying children or hokey, touristy touches.

We plan to come back to Costa Rica, but Florblanca will probably be the only place we stay. My recommendation would be to call them and they will arrange for a charter (very cost-effective in Costa Rica) flight to the local airport and transportation to the resort. You don’t have to worry about anything but showing up in San Jose!

If you are considering a trip to Costa Rica, this review is a must read. If you are taking kids, you may want to read a different review. This review is geared toward couples like us (20's-30's, active, kidless, seeking fun times, beautiful views, relaxation, and the occasional active excursion). I read thru all of the reviews and listened to the people at Costa Rican Expeditions and finally made a "best guess" as to what our 12 day vacation to CR would include. We started by staying a night in San Jose and made an early morning rafting trip to the Pacquare River. We did the connoisseur trip (which I would recommend) so it was just one raft with my girlfriend, myself and 2 others. It was nice, not spectacular. We went from the Pacquare to Hotel Arenal at the Arenal Volcano. We were told the volcano was active and you could see the flow of lava in the evenings. What we weren't told is that the volcano is covered by clouds 99% of the time (never did see lava). We did the hanging bridge tour, which was ok...
saw some monkeys and a sloth...nice scenery often interrupted by screaming kids running back and forth on the bridges. We made a trek into la Fortuna, a tourist trap complete with a Burger King, Churchs Chicken and Las Vegas style hot springs resorts with flashing neon signs a bus loads of tourists streaming in to "soak" in the hot springs that flow from the ground (not my idea of fun). We were scheduled to stay at Hotel Arenal for 4 nights but cut it short...not at all what we had envisioned. We flew from la Fortuna to Punta Islita, a 5 star rated resort that sounded like paradise. Punta Islita was nice, but certainly not a 5 star resort. The food is 2 star food at 5 star prices (since the resort is very remote, there isn't any other place to eat/drink/hang out other than the resort). The bar is only open until 10pm. The rooms are utilitarian. There isn't much to do. The canopy tour was fair. 15 people waiting their turn to spend 20 seconds hanging from a harness...don't expect to see any wildlife or beautiful scenery...there is none. We also paid for "river kayaking", that turned out to be "pond canoeing". The river is nothing more than brackish backwater that rises and falls with the tides...so you get to paddle upstream both ways as the tide goes in and out. The beach area at Punta Islita is nice...the surfing sucks but the lounging area is pretty nice (unfortunately its a 10 minute walk each day to the beach). We got massages on the beach which were excellent. Not much to do here, bring a book. Again we encoutered lots of kids. Punta Islita is at best a 3 star resort.

From Punta Islita we traveled by land to Florblanca...a 3 hour trip that was very entertaining and gave you a chance to see the "real" Costa Rica. Nice. Florblanca is simply breathtaking. The pool area made the pool at Punta Islita look like a dump...it was simply incredible. The grounds are beautiful. Wildlife is everywhere. Situated right on the beach, the place is very intimate (just 8 cabins) and truly caters to the needs of it's patrons. The rooms....
wow. The attention to detail, the intimacy, the beds....again, wow. We were fortunate that we did not begin our trip at Florblanca because it would have made the remainder of the trip VERY disappointing. No kids. No crowds. We went on excursions by ourselves with our personal guide. Surfing, horseback riding....all first class. Riding horses thru a 6000 acre ranch, monkeys, the ocean, heading back at sunset on a horse on the beach....incredible. The food was priced the same as Punta Islita...but NO comparison in quality. This is 5 star food, from a 5 star chef. The facilites were fantastic....a small massage compound right on the beach with a complete spa menu, free internet access (Punta Islita charged for EVERYTHING), a short walk to a small surfing town (Santa Theresa). My only regret was that we didn't get to spend more time there. When we go back to Costa Rica we will spend all of our time at Florblanca. There is no need to go anywhere else.