This review is posted by a savvy and frequent international traveller. My recent trip to Costa Rica (CR) marks my 110th international trip. Our stay at Pranamar was the most beautiful and relaxing vacation ever! If I had to describe our stay in one word, that word would be ‘perfect’. Where do I begin? [note to self - open thesauraus here; I’m going to need it]

I found out about Pranamar via an online article about yoga retreats in CR; when I checked out the hotel’s web site, I was mesmerized. Rarely does a hotel surpass the hype on their web site – Pranamar breaks this rule; it is truly stunning!!

My contact began with a phone call to Larissa (handles reservations); friendly & knowledgeable. After that, our communications where via e-mail (I’m the pesky type that asks lots of questions). With a tight connection in San Jose, we weren’t sure if we would make our flight to Tambor (airport closest to hotel), but Larissa took care of everything. She had a driver, Alex, waiting for us in San Jose to transfer us to the smaller airport (for Nature Air flight); if we missed our flight (which we did not), the driver was prepared to drive us 1.5 hours to the ferry. Alex took us to Nature Air’s terminal (about 20 min drive), walked us to the Nature Air counter, and did not leave us until he had confirmed all was OK with our flight to Tambor; now THAT'S service! Upon our arrival in Tambor, another driver, Jose, gave us a friendly welcome and whisked us to Pranamar (50 min drive).

We stayed in one of the two oceanfront villas (#2); it was spectacular. Two floors: living room, full kitchen, bathroom (with the most a-MAZ-ing walk-in shower) and deck on the first floor; bedroom with 2 twin beds, bedroom with king bed, bathroom, and deck (with hammock – favorite spot for the week) on the second floor. Less than 100 yards from the ocean. A/C is provide in the bedrooms, but we chose not to use it the 7 days we were at Pranamar; wanted to (1) ‘go native’ and (2) enjoy the comforting sounds of nature (ocean surf, frogs, birds, etc). There are also 3 bungalows (2 garden, 1 oceanfront; all one floor) and 4 poolside villas, each with a living room, 2 bedrooms and 2 decks (note: Villa #3 is poolside, but also has a view of the ocean). We love that Pranamar is small; not some huge, impersonal resort.

I’ve been a devoted yoga student for the last 10 years, and a yoga teacher for the last 1.5 years, so yoga was one of the reasons I chose Pranamar. Nancy, their resident yoga teacher is one of the best I have ever experienced! Blending philosophy, chanting and asana, along with the ocean view from the open yoga shala, her classes were challenging for the body and nourishing for the soul. When she brought her harmonium to class on the second day, I knew she was something special:) Namaste, Nancy!!

You can be as active as you want, or just unplug and unwind. We did a little of both. When we weren’t relaxing in the hammock, or walking the beach (practically deserted in August), we rented an ATV for half-a-day and explored the surrounding area, went on a zip-line tour (brothers-in-law, Carlos and Selmen made this experience so much fun), took a surfing lesson (instructor Ismael rocks!) and walked from one end of Santa Teresa to the other (just a tiny surfing village). Our favorite evening activity was sitting on the beach and watching the sunset.

The hotel’s restaurant, Buddha Eyes, was an epicurean find. Fresh ingredients, delicious food, hearty portions and friendly service are a powerful combination. Breakfast is included with the room rate (plenty of variety); we worked our way through the smoothie menu in the afternoons, and dinner each night offered 3-4 appetizers, 4-6 entrees, and 2-4 dessserts. We only had lunch one day (we were always full from breakfast), and it was equally delicious.

The service from the staff was flawless. Everyone greets you by name every time they see you; all questions were answered quickly; any wish was their command. Even small ‘issues’ were resolved quickly (need a hair dyer? delivered in 5 min. microwave broken? replaced in 2 hours).

We booked massages on our last day. Sebastian is THE BOMB!! His massage style is deep (at my request), slow and methodical. Staff will set up the massage wherever you want (on the deck of your villa, inside the villa, etc), but opt to have your massage in the little massage shack at the entrance to the beach area. Between Sebastian’s style and the sound of the ocean surf, I actually forgot where I was; each time Sebastian would move to another part of my body, it would bring me back to reality, and I would think “Oh, I’m still on the massage table??” Afterwards, my husband commented that we should have booked massages for the first day, because it would have helped us to get into the relaxed/chill mode much quicker; note to self - remember this tip for our next visit.

There are no TVs at Pranamar, which we surprisingly liked. There is free wi-fi in the restaurant area, so we were able to keep up with daily news and those occasional pesky e-mails. For entertainment, we watched movies on our iPads. How am I going to re-create the sound of the ocean surf and the gentle blowing breeze the next time I use my iPad during a layover at whatever airport?

For anyone headed to Pranamar, I do have one recommendation. Due to the fact the hotel is a one-hour (hot) walk from town, consider renting a 4 Wheel Drive vehicle, an ATV (can rent them from the hotel or in Santa Teresa) or a bike (in Santa Teresa), so you’ll have transportation if you want to explore. While the hotel does offer transportation, it gets expensive if you want to use it daily.

In all my travels, I have only cried once when I had to leave a place that touched my soul; and that place was Rome (Italy). The day we left Pranamar, I stood on the upper deck of our villa and cried for the second time. We are already planning to return in 2013 …

Thank you to the owners and staff of Pranamar Villas; you made us feel like members of a very special family. Pura Vida!

The staff, accomodations, food, yoga, surf instruction were all top notch. The intimacy of a smaller resort made for a truly special experience. I am a studio owner in southern california and I am so impressed that I will host a retreat at this spectacular resort next year.

Best hotel during our costa rica trip.
The bungalows were amazing. Right by the beach, spacious, comfortable and well decorated. The details made you feel like everything about it was thought over.
The restaurant was spectacular - priced reasonably and delicious.
The yoga pavilion was really pretty. The spaces between the villas and bungalows had a million different flowers.
You can grab a surf board and walk out the back gate to the beach, awesome location.
If you go to Santa Teresa you should definitely stay there. (see price tip below).

I stayed at Pranamar Villas via the Vajra Sol Yoga Retreat, and felt the Villas deserved their own review. To keep it short:

Location: As close as possible to the beach, walking distance from surfing, tide pools, and monkeys. Some of the best sunsets you can see. Not exactly the easiest place to get to, however it is worth it once you are there.

Amenities: yes. Just kidding. They have everything a hotel normally has as far as I know. PLUS they have surf boards for rent, a yoga studio, and the people at the front desk are all really great at organizing whatever it is you want to do (surf lesson, stand up paddle lesson, ATV, hiking, zip lining, etc).

Restaurant: The food is fantastic, but let's talk about the smoothies! If you go, definitely drink lots of smoothies because they are perfect. After a week, I know at least half of the restaurant staff by name and visa versa. There were a lot of extreme food restrictions amongst our group and it only took a day or two before they would automatically make sure we were all getting what we needed (vegan gluten free soy allergy? no problem). Normally I am not much of a barfly, but I actually spent a lot of time hanging out at the bar chatting with whomever was around. Every single person was warm and friendly.

Random Extra Awesome Thing: I did not need to carry cash or an ID with me all week. They remained in the safe (yes, safety deposit box provided) unless I left the Villas. Everything gets charged to your room including taxis and you get an itemized bill at the end of the week. This was pretty awesome.

Final Comment: I arrived on a solo vacation, and left with a lot of friends. Not only those who were part of the Vajra Sol retreat, but the hotel staff, surf instructors, honeymooners, etc. that I met along the way. I really think that the type of person who finds a surf/yoga vacation appealing will find themselves surrounded by like minded people.