Nosara last year saw the opening of the first luxury hotel in the area with Hotel Harmony. John Johnson and Susan Short the owners of the hotel met on Playa Guiones in 2001 and after exchanging wedding vows here they decided that it was only polite that they buy a hotel as symbol of there connection to Nosara. They spent 2004/2005 renovating the hotel up to a standard that is what you see today.

The drive from San Jose to the hotel took roughly about 4 hours and 30 minutes however normally it would take 5 hours but for some reason there was nobody on the roads. It was decided by the group that a drive was better than a flight as there were six of us. Once in Nosara you take the first left to Playa Guiones and the hotel is 200m down on the right hand side. We walked into the reception and were greeted by the gentlemen on reception who was young and ready to please, after checking in he took us to our rooms. We had 1 bedroom bungalows with fantastic sunken baths in the floor and terraces with balconies. This would be a great weekend as one could relax in the hammock and read a book. You could hear the ocean which was 100m away as the beach at Nosara is very wavy and great for surfing, some of the best in Costa Rica.

The food that evening was fantastic and very fresh, you could see that the hotel had taken a lot of care it is preparation and also its healthiness. The hotel itself prides itself in its name 'Harmony' as it lives in Harmony with its natural surroundings and also have a very eco-friendly policy. The hotel is very involved in the local community with projects such as helping the turtles in Ostional, rescuing howler monkeys from electricity lines and La Esperanza School. The hotel really believes in sustainable tourism and helping the local community and you can see this with all local staff.

The pool area is great for both adults and children and there were numerous families there when we were there, however the hotel really caters for adults. The pool has numerous deck chairs around it where you will be brought wonderful tropical cocktails while sitting by the pool and reading.

The wildlife in the area is very diverse from little parrots to iguanas and crabs. Everywhere you turn in Costa Rica you will see wildlife and this is why Costa Rica is such a great attraction.

The thing that we all agreed on was that the beds were the best beds in Costa Rica. Personally I had never slept so well and the king beds seemed like the twice the size as normal. I was personally very impressed with the cleanliness of the hotel and also the quality of the food and drinks, especially the Banana Bay cocktail!! The menu did get a bit repetitive after 2 nights however there are lots of local eating options so feel free to explore.

For people looking to do some surfing in a quiet environment or just looking to relax and enjoy some natural history then Nosara and Harmony Hotel are the place for you.