Escape to Hotel Three Sixty in Costa Rica for an unparalleled luxury getaway and Immerse yourself in stunning rainforest vistas and ocean views.
At any moment I thought James Bond was going to emerge from the infinity pool and saunter over to the Three Sixty bar and order his signature cocktail, “Dry martini, shaken, not stirred.”
Where was I? The Hotel Three Sixty (C. Perezoso, Ojochal, Puntarenas, Costa Rica tel. 1- 800-417-6712 hotelthreesixty.com). With 360 degree views of the top of the rain forest canopy and the stunning vistas of the Pacific Ocean, this adult-only luxury retreat with 12 villas would actually be an amazing location for many types of films.
If you plan to drive yourself up to the resort, make sure it’s a 4×4. I actually don’t think you’d make it all the way without one, especially in rainy season. Speaking of which, that season is basically from May through December, but even during that time, I think I would love it.
In the lobby of the Hotel Three Sixty is this stunning rock sculpture in the center with an open roof above. Large linked chains hang down and when it rains, the sound on the roof coupled with the draining down the links and spilling onto the natural local stones is hypnotically calming. And there’s an aroma that is almost indescribable: fresh, clean, and floral come to mind.
Capuchin Monkeys
Each of the twelve villas have “wow” inducing views, and all of the villas face out to mountains, the ocean, or both. You can choose if you want sunrise or sunset views. From my terrace I was mesmerized watching toucans, monkeys, and sloths! Each villa has its own private balcony and is equipped with black out curtains. I kept mine open, choosing to wake up every day, the natural way, and boy, did I see some amazing sunrises.
I loved that my villa had an in-room espresso machine and a fully stocked refrigerator. Each night I slept so deeply on their king-size organic, handmade Simmons Beauty rest recharge mattress, and being right smack in the middle of a rain forest it made sense that I had an over-sized rain shower in the bath. Along with organic soaps and shampoos, which were invigorating, they also provided a great smelling bug repellent lotion. I found this to be a great relief, for I, like many others, am a mosquito magnet. To my surprise and delight, up at the hotel there was always a breeze and not once did I see a mosquito during my entire stay.
I could have relaxed by the pool all day, every day, waiting for Bond to emerge, but there were exciting excursions to experience, and the hotel was fantastic about setting these side trips up. If I had had more time I would have included their whale and dolphin watching tour, the chocolate tour, and I think maybe the Nauyaca Waterfalls. I chose the coffee plantation and the mangrove
tour.
Sloth With Baby
The next morning, I drove from Hotel Three Sixty to the Cafe Don Emilio Coffee Tour (instagram.com/cafedonemilio_8) with Wagner Aguila who is a super knowledgeable and friendly local guide. The steep and winding drive up the mountain to San Luis was an adventure in itself, but he handled it like a pro. Once we arrived at this family owned farm, we were warmly greeted by Deiner, who is the son of Don Emilio, the owner of the plantation. The view that high up and facing out to the Pacific Ocean is mind-bogglingly beautiful. With the added rooster crowing and exotic birds chirping in the trees, the experience was magnificent.
We learned all the ins and outs of farming a coffee plantation. The planting, the harvesting, the picking, and the filtering out of bad berries, removing the coffee berries’ husks, all done naturally and by hand. Then there’s the roasting and ultimately tasting the coffee. And I am not just saying this, I mean it, this was the best cup of coffee I’ve ever enjoyed. Drinking it black, it had an amazing sweet aftertaste. It was so wonderful to see Deiner’s entire family working together to help make their endeavor a success. And what a success it is!
The other excursion was a mangrove tour. The official definition is: “Mangroves are tropical plants that are adapted to loose, wet soils, salt water and being periodically submerged by tides.” I had done one mangrove tour before in Florida and it was peaceful and lovely, but the captain of the ship knew very little and really didn’t explain much of what we were seeing. Not so with Sierpe Mangrove Tours (sierpemangrovetour.com).
At high tide, we glided out into the river in a flat bottom boat and right away Moises pointed out to me a small boa constrictor followed by what looked like a black ladder climbing up the trunk of a coconut tree. The ladder were little bats and even some babies. In the past I had only seen them hanging from perches, not clinging to trunks of trees. No matter how you feel about bats, you would have to love these bats as they can eat up to 1,200 mosquitos an hour!
Beef Soup at Kua Kua
Suddenly we heard rustling in the trees above us. They were tiny light brown squirrel monkeys. There was even a mom with a baby clinging to her back hopping from branch to branch. We also saw white faced capuchin monkeys, black face monkeys, and white and blue herons. Then we found the elusive and famously slow-moving sloths. There’s something so magical, meditative, and exciting about floating through the mangroves.
Back at Hotel Three Sixty we headed for the amazing restaurant Kua Kua, which translates to butterfly. My favorite dish of all was their Olla de Carne (beef soup). As they describe it, it’s a classic Costa Rican beef broth soup, with mini carrots, corn tortillas, baby corn, potatoes, flank and Coulotte steak served with sweet plantain. You pour your own broth over the ingredients and wow! Flavor bombs! I’ve always thought chicken soup was the cure all for everything? Now, it’s Olla de Carne. I could eat this soup every day, it felt so restorative and delicious.
Kua Kua Restaurant (Photo by Hotel Three Sixty)
My fave breakfast was their Chia Pudding in coconut milk, with red berry jam, granola and fresh seasonal fruit. The fruit in Ojochal is superior.
The entire complex encompasses fifty-eight acres of pristine rain forest, is Plant Protection Certified, which means no trees were cut down when the hotel was constructed in 2018. Plus, they are a partner of One Tree Planted; for every night that a guest stays, they plant one tree in Costa Rica. The hotel has a fantastic spa, a yoga sanctuary, and their own tropical rain forest trail that loops around the property where you’ll see plenty of flora and fauna. I spotted numerous capuchin monkeys and toucans.
Most importantly, the Hotel Three Sixty welcomes guests from all walks of life. While I was there, there were two solo women visiting, as well as several straight couples and a gay couple.
As beautiful and exotic as the hotel is, it’s the people I met who work there and their genuine kindness and enthusiasm that I found most endearing.
