JW Marriott Guanacaste in Costa Rica

Looking for a fun Costa Rican adventure? Check out JW Marriott Guanacaste in Costa Rica for beaches, national parks, and surfing. Even better if you’re already sitting on a bunch of Marriott points!

This JW Marriott resort is a fantastic, hacienda-style resort that’s situated right on the beach at Playa Mansita. This resort has great pools, nice rooms, five restaurants, a large on-site sundries shop, and a pristine beach that isn’t crowded.

Calling all Explorers contributor Valerie Parker, her husband, and two teens visited in early January. The consensus? It’s the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure framed by gorgeous scenery everywhere you look.

Logistics:

Fly into the Liberia airport. American Airlines has direct flights from Austin! 

The JW Marriott Guanacaste concierge can assist with a car rental. Valerie used Alamo (a locally-owned franchise with a great selection, including the Landcruiser Prado!). It’s a 1.5-hour drive to the resort in Hacienda Pinilla. A hotel shuttle is available, but not having a vehicle limits your ability to take spontaneous day trips around the area.

Lodging Specifics:

The JW Marriott has five different restaurants in addition to a coffee and ice cream shop. Parking is free. Valerie arrived January 2nd just after high season. Advance reservations for restaurants and activities did not need to be made in advance, but that might be different during the peak holiday season.

Activities:

While JW Marriott Guanacaste offers hiking, biking, and kayaking opportunities, consider exploring off-property. Some of these options include surfing, ziplining, river boat tours, scuba diving, fishing charters, and waterfall hikes. Most of these will be at least $80 per person and take at least three hours. The fishing charter will be at an additional cost. I recommend doing one or more activities outside the resort during your visit to get a better taste of what Costa Rica has to offer.

Black Stallion Eco Park:

Visit this Costa Rican park for a private zipline and BBQ lunch.  It’s great for teens and less than 20 minutes from the resort.

Rincon de la Vieja Volcano National Park:

The Parkers spent an entire day with their guide Henry Gomez visiting Rincon de la Vieja Volcano National Park and La Leona Waterfall. The volcano was active so they couldn’t hike to it, but they had a great time walking the park and enjoyed lots of wildlife, cool trees, hot springs, and bubbling mud pots. La Leona Waterfall is amazing. The minerals in the river make it bright blue, and to get to the waterfall you hike, climb, and swim. The icing on the cake is the scenic trek along the way to the waterfall with wildlife varying from howler monkeys to bats.

Avellanas Surf School:

Do not miss a chance to check out Avellanas Surf School at Playa Avellanas! Playa Avellanas is one of the best beaches in Costa Rica. Enjoy lunch at Lola’s on the beach pre or post surf.

Be Salty Adventures:

Be Salty Adventures is fantastic for ocean experiences. Their guide, Ugo, took them out on a small boat out in the Golfo de Papagayo, about 1.5 hours from the resort. You can tour around the gulf, spend some time on a secluded beach, enjoy an amazing picnic lunch and snorkel in the clear water. Ugo’s wife leads the scuba diving trips for Be Salty Adventures. Jointly, they also provide fishing charters out of the Golfo de Papagayo. 

Fishing Charter:

The JW Marriott Guanacaste hotel is only minutes away from the fashionable town of Tamarindo. Your concierge can arrange a fishing charter here for interested parties. For those not interested in fishing, it’s still worth a trip to Tamarindo to grab souvenirs, purchase anything you forgot, or enjoy a nice meal outside the resort.