Man, I wished to love this resort. I actually did.
But it seems I fell in love at first sight like a Tinder date gone flawed.
No exaggeration: Secrets Papagayo is one among my favourite resorts I’ve ever stayed at, and never for the apparent causes.
If we’re being sincere, many vacationers splurging on 5-star all-inclusives like Papagayo spend extra time nitpicking than truly savoring the second.
God forbid there’s a speck of mud within the nook of the room, ya know?
Even the bougiest, Botoxed, lip-injected Beverly Hills know-it-all could be compelled to confess this adults-only haven is about as flawless because it will get for a decades-old property that has remarkably stood the take a look at of time — and truly feels Costa Rican.
Some resorts barely mirror their vacation spot, as in the event that they’re merely extensions of America designed across the company who keep there.
Here, monkeys howl from the cover, iguanas are welcomed simply as warmly as individuals, and the ashy sands of the resort’s volcanic cove spill into the calm, clear waters of Culebra Bay.
It’s “Pique Season” At Secrets Papagayo
Maybe I’m loopy, however I’ve by no means understood how a calendar can decide your journey.
I’ve beloved Chicago in January simply as a lot as those that love going to Wrigley on a moist summer season day, and now I’ve fallen in love with this resort throughout Costa Rica’s shoulder season.
Weather might be temper right here, and never in the best way you assume. Oftentimes, it may fairly actually rain in your parade throughout your trip, however this area of Guanacaste appeared like they had been contacting indigenous tribes to correctly rain dance, as the same old dense inexperienced forestry was naked.
Don’t fear, although — it isn’t sufficient to be an eyesore to your pictures.
Peak season, when excellent climate and better costs are the norm, tends to run from December by way of April. I hit it good in May, switching into “pique” season, the place crowds have dispersed and you are able to do something that piques your curiosity with out preventing everybody else for a spot.
Want to go for a guided sundown hike?
Belen, a real rockstar on workers, main the cost for all the things from climbing excursions to karaoke and a presumably drunken model of “musical chairs”, snagged me a spot earlier than I may blink.
Kayaking to a secret seashore subsequent door?
No drawback reserving the identical day I discovered about it.
Last-minute therapeutic massage?
I used to be requested to strip down and go face down earlier than I may say “Secrets Papagayo” 3 instances quick.
It is kinda enjoyable to say, is not it?
Dinner reservations?
Don’t want ’em. Even the one on-site restaurant Himitsu requiring them (for Hibachi/Teppanyaki solely) was capable of hook me up half-hour beforehand, although it is attainable I merely lucked out…
It did not matter what I requested, I acquired speedy service and an all-but-guaranteed spot for no matter piqued my curiosity within the second, one thing I’d by no means skilled at different resorts.
Stay, Your Way
This is the half the place I may embed a Frank Sinatra music, however licensing that might in all probability value greater than I’m paid to write down this.
The level is, this was one of the best resort I’ve stayed at for really making your trip your personal, by yourself time — whether or not you’re an adrenaline junkie or somebody who needs to waste away on the swim-up bar ( Manatees).
So, naturally, I did each.
The excursions could not have been extra enjoyable, at the same time as somebody who traveled right here solo amidst a sea of {couples} celebrating all the things from new like to graduations.
On days I wished to recharge, that is once I requested a therapeutic massage and was booked very quickly, in addition to a fish spa service — you understand, like those you have in all probability seen in Asia.
The therapeutic massage was simply what the physician ordered, and the setting couldn’t have been extra serene: an outside thatched hut with waves crashing within the background after I’d already made use of the sauna and jacuzzi.
Any stresses Manatees’ spot-on caipirinhas did not remedy melted away immediately.
Beyond that, I beloved my spacious room, which appeared to have been transformed lately, together with the elevated bay views from the patio — and the occasional reptile pal stopping by.
Iguanas reside within the nooks and crannies of the property and are available out to tan and replenish on bugs from time to time, however even for the squeamish, it is extra of a unusual cameo than something that can gross you out.
Hey, you are in Costa Rica.
When I felt recharged and craved a change of surroundings, there have been loads of choices, together with guided journeys throughout the border to Nicaragua.
This was the one strike: the minimal group dimension is 8, and for those who fall quick, you’re caught paying a hefty four-figure payment to go personal.
No gracias. Maybe subsequent time.
Instead, I opted to go kayaking, one thing I have not achieved in years resulting from a foul again, however ya boy’s been understanding.
Many company do not realize there’s a secret seashore subsequent door, not reachable by strolling as a result of excessive tide.
Check in with the actions desk close to the pool and reserve your spot by merely offering your room quantity and signing a waiver.
It was superior — simply 4 of us paddling by way of paradise to ashy black-sand shores we had all to ourselves.
Well, nearly all to ourselves, for those who rely the legend of a crocodile lurking within the small lagoon, who fortunately determined to take a seat this one out…
We picked and ate recent tamarindo, realized the historical past of the seashore, and a few very worthwhile pointers for kayaking extra safely and successfully.
Keep in thoughts, there are some pesky distributors exterior the property line who supply jet-ski leases.
All of Costa Rica’s pristine shoreline is public, so you may keep on this explicit seashore longer for those who decide to lease a jet ski for a triple-digit sum by yourself time.
Secrets Papagayo Has 3 Black Sand Coves
Besides the aforementioned secret seashore with nearly no footprints in sight, there are 2 separate black-sand coves truly on Papagayo property — one simply steps from the primary pool, and the opposite behind the spa.
While this Hyatt does supply its signature Preferred Club facilities, there isn’t any personal seashore entry or unique pool right here — only a posh lounge with bangin’ cocktails.
I completely beloved each seashores as a result of that is what made it really feel such as you’re truly in Costa Rica.
Off within the distance, the Gulf of Papagayo fades into hazy headlands, with even glimpses towards Nicaragua on a transparent day, whereas the water stays calm sufficient for snorkeling or just wading in with a drink in hand.
It was by no means too chilly to enter; all the time inviting through the few instances the swim-up bar ran out of barstools or when my time was up from my poolside cabana rental.
The Service Set This Resort Apart
I’ve stayed at my justifiable share of resorts throughout Mexico and the Caribbean, so I understand how straightforward it’s for service to really feel rehearsed.
That’s what really set Secrets Papagayo aside: the whole workers. Not as soon as did I really feel like simply one other face attempting to chase the Pura Vida postcard.
From bartenders to tour guides to the candy girls making omelets every morning, everybody made you are feeling such as you had a brand new pal — the sort who would truly bear in mind you for those who got here again sometime.
I can’t consider one other resort that was so persistently well timed, both, whether or not it was late-night no-contact room service slicing the 45-minute estimate in half, or the shuttle pickups carrying you to different corners of the resort — a should since there are such a lot of hills throughout the previous Hilton property.
All you do is name out of your room or press the shuttle button in any of the primary buildings.
Food was surprisingly sensational too.
With all-inclusives having a critical second proper now, Secrets Papagayo proved why the pattern is smart when it’s achieved proper.
Sure, loads of resorts can maintain plates full and drinks flowing, taking a top quality over amount method, few make the meals price speaking about after checkout.
Not the case right here…
Between the recent fish and a juicy ribeye from Seaside Grill that ranks among the many finest resort meals I’ve had in current reminiscence, this wasn’t filler meals — it was a spotlight.
Why I Always Fly Copa Airlines To Central America
I absolutely notice not everybody studying this lives in Southern California, however Copa’s ribbon-cutting final yr was a real game-changer for San Diego vacationers.
If you’re unaware, San Diegans usually fly out of Tijuana for journeys to Mexico, Costa Rica, and El Salvador through Volaris, however who needs to be crammed in like a carry-on for hours on finish?
Copa Airlines can take you to 80-plus locations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, doubtless connecting by way of Panama City, the place the favored service’s Stopover Program now permits stays of as much as 15 days at no further value.
That means you may flip one trip into two, tacking on Panama’s Dubai-esque skyline, well-known canal, seashores, rainforests, or islands with out treating it like a throwaway layover.
Let me let you know: it’s unattainable to have a foul time in Panama. I visited final yr and have been singing its praises nearly day by day ever since, particularly they stunned me with free Dreams cabin upgrades each instances, so that you by no means know when it is your fortunate day.
Since Copa’s Guanacaste route wasn’t an choice for my journey, I flew into San Jose as an alternative, Costa Rica’s a lot bigger airport, and booked a private shuttle to the resort.
Just know this isn’t some fast seashore switch. The drive to Secrets Papagayo is a cross-country haul, and freeway site visitors can flip these optimistic drive estimates into pure fiction.
Any approach you divvy it up, vacationers really feel secure throughout Panama and Costa Rica, every scoring 85/100 on our Safety index:
**Travel Off Path was a visitor of Secrets Papagayo, who helped with the creation of this itinerary by internet hosting a few of our lodging and points of interest. Our opinions, suggestions, and ideas stay our personal.**
