Costa Rica is a tropical haven where lush rainforests, towering volcanoes, and dual coastlines create a stunning natural backdrop. It’s a country known for its warm, welcoming people and Pura Vida. That literally means pure life, but it’s a way of life, a greeting, a farewell, a toast to simple living, much like “Aloha” in Hawaii. Costa Rica is filled with harmony, has no army, and a year-round temperate climate supports a bounty of fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood, promoting healthy living.
If you had to pick only one spot in Costa Rica for a quick trip or long vacation, Los Sueños Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort has it all. In the closest beach resort to the Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose, luxury rooms include hammocks to swing and relax in, overlooking the pool complex, ocean beach and marina. Six fabulous restaurants cater to every taste. Hacienda Kitchen sits poolside for Costa Rican flavors with an extensive breakfast buffet and dinner menu. Mahi mahi made the hit list for us.
Zoe is the beachside/poolside restaurant for lunch with a mediterranean flair. Try a refreshing sangria and watch the pair of scarlet macaws flirting in their nest before flashing through the sky like a winged kaleidoscope.
18 & Greene Steakhouse is keenly positioned over the 18th green of La Iguana Golf Course with gallery seating to watch golfers finish, a bar with sports screens and inside tables and booths for casual to elegant affairs. Order steaks, burgers, sea bass or call it a wrap with chicken or tuna.
Amenities
The Los Sueños resort fee covers extensive amenities – daily use of driving range with balls, stand up paddle boards, ocean kayaks, mountain bikes, Sibö fitness center, tennis courts and marshmallow roasting by the fire-pit. The Pura Vida Kids Club is fun for ages 4-12 from 10-5 daily. And the highlight – guided eco tours twice daily, circle the golf course to explore the rainforest’s flora and fauna. A guide searches for sloths, monkeys, and takes you inside the canopied forest on a short, cleared trail to the 300+ year old ceiba tree – phenomenal! 150 species of colorful birds along with the macaws call the jungle home and call to one another composing a symphony of nature.
Golf
Taking the eco tour also gives a preview of the course layout. At Los Sueños, La Iguana Course is crazy good fun. The 18-hole, par-72 course was designed by Ted Robinson in 2008 within the rainforest sanctuary, where hundreds of unique tree species are the stars. Five sloths (perezosas in Spanish, which translates to lazy ones) live in the trees, and one was even photographed by staff on the fifth fairway and called out for slow play. Monkeys play here too and the joke about a tree monkey tossing out an errant ball is a reality here. And as it is named, iguanas of all colors and sizes roam the course.
A Sloth on the course!
The front nine winds through the exotic jungle with a Tarzan vibe as tight fairways thread over creeks. The back nine stays in the jungle for a few more holes before giving way to the wide finishing fairways that cross the river and reveal panoramic views of the Pacific at Herradura (horseshoe) Bay.
Director of Golf, Jose Quesada, is a seven-time former Costa Rican long drive champion who offers guests both golf lessons and philosophical inspiration. One couple from LA was with us on the eco tour, bragging about his teaching skills. They came for a whole week of lessons with him. After playing nine holes with Jose, we asked if he saw anything we might tweak. He suggested more rotation for Alice in the back swing and said, “Coil and release. Let gravity do the work.” For everyone, he reminds that the club is a tool that should be gripped softly, not clenched and the club face is the most important thing, connecting to the ball. Since returning home, these comments have truly helped.
As a certified Class A Superintendent, Jose leads a dedicated team that keeps the course in tip top shape. And to keep himself in shape, he walks nine holes every morning at five o’clock with just one iron for all the shots and on each tee box has a workout ritual with pushups and sit downs. He shared precious moments with us, like standing on the green at dawn to hear the jungle’s awakening (or as he pronounces it “yoongle”) and plucking a fragrant ylang ylang flower used in perfumes like Chanel Chance. Golf is so unique here in a setting that is as close to the Garden of Eden as we’ve ever seen. It makes you want to play again and again.
The Marina
Private and chartered boats dock at the Marina, a short walk down the coast under a long, natural arched canopy. Year-round inshore and offshore fishing consistently yields a bounty, drawing “afishionados” from around the globe. Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown brings over 50 of the world’s toughest offshore billfishing competitors. Catch and release is the name of the game for the most part to keep the eco system balanced. Copies of fish caught are mounted for an artistic souvenir. Try your talent with rod and reel or take a relaxing sunset tour, visit secret beaches or simply enjoy the bay. Florencia, the general manager at Los Sueños enjoys safely swimming and stand-up paddle boarding in the warm Pacific.
The Farewell
It’s hard to leave Los Sueños when wonder meets you at every turn. Look at that tree…and that one. What a beautiful flower, what a gorgeous bird. What is that? It’s Pura Vida, a deep, healthy sense of peace. Los Sueños means dreams and we now dream of returning.
San Juan International Airport in San Jose has one of the smoothest customs experiences – no wait, no forms, no questions, just a passport stamp, a smile and “Pura Vida”. Find direct flights or connections on all the major airlines. Rent a car or have Marriott arrange transport to and from the most colorful airport, with murals and merchandise reflecting the nations’ spirit.
marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sjols-los-suenos-marriott-ocean-and-golf-resort
