Pros

  • Huge residential-style villas, individually decorated and packed with amenities
  • A gorgeous beach club with a large pool, restaurant, bar, and children’s activities
  • Three different beach areas
  • Golf course with a signature hole that finishes on a green overlooking the ocean
  • Each cluster of villas has its own private pool
  • Some villas are walking distance to the JW Marriott, which has five restaurants and a spa
  • Medical clinic located within the development
  • A small market within the community lets guests stock up on supplies
  • On-site fitness center
  • Villas have washers and dryers
  • Free Wi-Fi in the individual residences
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Cons

  • The beaches are not always safe for swimming due to strong currents
  • Guests need a car to access facilities and to drive to town
  • The beach club and restaurant close at sunset (except on Fridays and Saturdays)
  • The villas are not located on the beach, although some have ocean views
  • Sidewalks are not lighted, making walking around after dark a challenge
  • It’s a 30-minute drive to the entertainment and restaurants of Tamarindo
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Bottom Line

Hacienda Pinilla is a sprawling, estate-like, gated community of private homes and villas. It is packed with features: Guests have access to a variety of country club style amenities, including tennis, golf, horseback riding, and a stylish beach club with a restaurant, pool, and small spa. The development's isolated location and natural landscape deliver a true hacienda ambience as well as the chance to see abundant wildlife, but guests need a car to reach the action in Tamarindo, a 30-minute drive away. For more food options immediately nearby, guests can head to the JW Marriott. 

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Oyster Hotel Review

Hacienda Pinilla

Scene

A huge estate-like property with large villas and country club amenities, ideal for families and groups of friends

The vast 4,500-acre property is a showcase for the topography of Costa Rica's Guanacaste region, one of the most diverse of the country's seven provinces, encompassing mountains, coastlines, lush jungles, volcanoes, and arid farmland. Guests at Hacienda Pinilla enter through a main gate and follow a long loop of paved road around the property, passing stretches of yellow fields with herds of grazing Brahma cows, sprawling Guanacaste trees (the national tree of Costa Rica), idyllic stretches of sugary sand beaches, and shoreline vistas with rocky outcroppings. 

The residential development is a collection of private homes and villas, clustered in several neighborhoods, offering views of the golf course, ocean, and the forests. The large Two- to Four-Bedroom Villas are especially attractive to families and groups traveling together. Guests can lounge on the expansive terraces of the villas, walk to the private pools within each villa community, or drive or call for a free shuttle ride to the community's other amenities such as the beach club, a busy social spot with a huge infinity-edge pool, a surfing beach, restaurant, a pool bar, and a small spa. Guests can stock the refrigerators at their villas for cooking in, head to the JW Marriott (which offers five restaurants), or travel into Tamarindo for a variety of restaurants and nightlife.

See More Scene

Location

In an isolated farm-like area within a 4,500-acre gated community, a 30-minute drive from Tamarindo

The property is located in a 4,500-acre gated community, a 30-minute drive from Tamarindo and a 70-minute drive from Liberia Airport.

  • 30-minute drive to Tamarindo
  • 30-minute drive to Playa Grande
  • 70-minute drive to Liberia's Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport
  • Two-hour drive to Palo Verde National Park
  • Two-hour drive to Ricon de la Vieja National Park
  • Three-hour, 30-minute drive to Arenal Volcano National Park
  • Four-hour drive to San Jose's Juan Santamaria International Airport
See More Location

Rooms

A collection of luxurious multi-bedroom villas located in community clusters with private pools, some with ocean and golf-course views

The Two-, Three-, and Four-Bedroom Villas feature one- or two-level floor plans and a distinctive Spanish Colonial architectural style. Expect richly colored wood doors and exposed ceiling beams, wrought-iron railings, and red terra-cotta tile roofs. Set in clusters of private, gated communities with tree names (Palma de Real and Malinches), the individually owned villas are decorated to reflect the tastes of their owners. Styles vary widely, ranging from nautical themed villas heavy in navy blue and sailboat art to starkly neutral-toned designs with contemporary flair to colorful Costa Rican style featuring vibrant wall canvases and bright striped bedding.

Spacious and luxurious, the villas deliver a top-notch residential feel that can't be found at hotels and resorts in and around Tamarindo. Kitchens are equipped with top-of-the-line appliances and enough glassware and flatware to throw a serious dinner party. Most of the bedrooms have their own private baths outfitted with plush towels and toiletries. Large covered terraces off the living spaces and master bedrooms are outfitted with lounge chairs, dining tables, and daybeds -- ideal places to sip morning coffee and watch the trees come to life with birds or to view the smoldering sunsets. 

Most of the villas are designed for entertaining with open living, dining, and kitchen areas. Two-story villas feature a family room on the second level. Other amenities include laundry rooms, ample parking, and community pools. Some of the villas are within walking distance to the JW Marriott Resort and some of the communities have fitness centers and barbecue areas in addition to the shared pools.

See More Rooms

Features

Three beach areas, a luxurious beach club, tennis, golf, and trails for hiking and horseback riding

Three miles of shoreline within the community encompass three distinct beach areas. Playa Avellanas, located in front of the beach club, is known for its tranquil sandy beach and constant surf break with large waves that can reach up to 18 feet during certain seasons. Playa Mansita is a picturesque stretch of shoreline in front of the JW Marriott with a roped off area for swimming. Playa Bonita is rugged, rocky, and not suitable for swimming, but ideal for picnicking and watching the waves crash.

At the Beach Club at Hacienda Pinilla guests can secure a spot around the infinity-edge pool, dine poolside on light snacks, or sit down for a proper meal at the more sophisticated open-air restaurant, Avellanas, a stunning space with chairs outfitted in vibrant blue fabric, contrasting dark wood floors, and exposed ceiling beams. The nearby JW Marriott has more restaurant options as well. 

Golfers can reserve tee times at the Audubon-certified 18-hole course designed by Mike Young. Holes play through the rustic country setting with two holes finishing close to the ocean. Two tennis courts are lighted and stable is home to dozens of horses that can be reserved for beach rides or trail rides throughout the property.

See More Features

Things You Should Know About Hacienda Pinilla

Also Known As

  • La Posada at Hacienda Pinilla

Address

6 miles from Playa Tamarindo, Playa Avellanas, Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Website

Oyster Hotel Review

Hacienda Pinilla

Scene

A huge estate-like property with large villas and country club amenities, ideal for families and groups of friends

The vast 4,500-acre property is a showcase for the topography of Costa Rica's Guanacaste region, one of the most diverse of the country's seven provinces, encompassing mountains, coastlines, lush jungles, volcanoes, and arid farmland. Guests at Hacienda Pinilla enter through a main gate and follow a long loop of paved road around the property, passing stretches of yellow fields with herds of grazing Brahma cows, sprawling Guanacaste trees (the national tree of Costa Rica), idyllic stretches of sugary sand beaches, and shoreline vistas with rocky outcroppings. 

The residential development is a collection of private homes and villas, clustered in several neighborhoods, offering views of the golf course, ocean, and the forests. The large Two- to Four-Bedroom Villas are especially attractive to families and groups traveling together. Guests can lounge on the expansive terraces of the villas, walk to the private pools within each villa community, or drive or call for a free shuttle ride to the community's other amenities such as the beach club, a busy social spot with a huge infinity-edge pool, a surfing beach, restaurant, a pool bar, and a small spa. Guests can stock the refrigerators at their villas for cooking in, head to the JW Marriott (which offers five restaurants), or travel into Tamarindo for a variety of restaurants and nightlife.

See More Scene

Location

In an isolated farm-like area within a 4,500-acre gated community, a 30-minute drive from Tamarindo

The property is located in a 4,500-acre gated community, a 30-minute drive from Tamarindo and a 70-minute drive from Liberia Airport.

  • 30-minute drive to Tamarindo
  • 30-minute drive to Playa Grande
  • 70-minute drive to Liberia's Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport
  • Two-hour drive to Palo Verde National Park
  • Two-hour drive to Ricon de la Vieja National Park
  • Three-hour, 30-minute drive to Arenal Volcano National Park
  • Four-hour drive to San Jose's Juan Santamaria International Airport
See More Location

Rooms

A collection of luxurious multi-bedroom villas located in community clusters with private pools, some with ocean and golf-course views

The Two-, Three-, and Four-Bedroom Villas feature one- or two-level floor plans and a distinctive Spanish Colonial architectural style. Expect richly colored wood doors and exposed ceiling beams, wrought-iron railings, and red terra-cotta tile roofs. Set in clusters of private, gated communities with tree names (Palma de Real and Malinches), the individually owned villas are decorated to reflect the tastes of their owners. Styles vary widely, ranging from nautical themed villas heavy in navy blue and sailboat art to starkly neutral-toned designs with contemporary flair to colorful Costa Rican style featuring vibrant wall canvases and bright striped bedding.

Spacious and luxurious, the villas deliver a top-notch residential feel that can't be found at hotels and resorts in and around Tamarindo. Kitchens are equipped with top-of-the-line appliances and enough glassware and flatware to throw a serious dinner party. Most of the bedrooms have their own private baths outfitted with plush towels and toiletries. Large covered terraces off the living spaces and master bedrooms are outfitted with lounge chairs, dining tables, and daybeds -- ideal places to sip morning coffee and watch the trees come to life with birds or to view the smoldering sunsets. 

Most of the villas are designed for entertaining with open living, dining, and kitchen areas. Two-story villas feature a family room on the second level. Other amenities include laundry rooms, ample parking, and community pools. Some of the villas are within walking distance to the JW Marriott Resort and some of the communities have fitness centers and barbecue areas in addition to the shared pools.

See More Rooms

Features

Three beach areas, a luxurious beach club, tennis, golf, and trails for hiking and horseback riding

Three miles of shoreline within the community encompass three distinct beach areas. Playa Avellanas, located in front of the beach club, is known for its tranquil sandy beach and constant surf break with large waves that can reach up to 18 feet during certain seasons. Playa Mansita is a picturesque stretch of shoreline in front of the JW Marriott with a roped off area for swimming. Playa Bonita is rugged, rocky, and not suitable for swimming, but ideal for picnicking and watching the waves crash.

At the Beach Club at Hacienda Pinilla guests can secure a spot around the infinity-edge pool, dine poolside on light snacks, or sit down for a proper meal at the more sophisticated open-air restaurant, Avellanas, a stunning space with chairs outfitted in vibrant blue fabric, contrasting dark wood floors, and exposed ceiling beams. The nearby JW Marriott has more restaurant options as well. 

Golfers can reserve tee times at the Audubon-certified 18-hole course designed by Mike Young. Holes play through the rustic country setting with two holes finishing close to the ocean. Two tennis courts are lighted and stable is home to dozens of horses that can be reserved for beach rides or trail rides throughout the property.

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Airport Transportation

  • Beach

  • Cable

  • Cribs

  • Fitness Center

  • Full Kitchen

  • Internet

  • Kids Allowed

  • Pool

  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.