When our driver pulled down a dirt road off of the main coastal highway, I was pretty sure he was lost. Nope--at the end of the path, sandwiched between two pastures and hugging a wide, sandy beach, was Alma.

The villas at Alma are well spaced out, and we checked into the most basic one, which was MASSIVE, before they upgraded us due to a broken A/C unit (we would have never noticed this little fact as we didn't even need the A/C...the villa was so open and airy that it felt perfect inside). The next level up, the Beachfront Prima Room, was just a bit bigger with an amazing sectional couch, perfect for sprawling out and reading a book. There were two really nice pools on the ground and a full-service spa, though truth be told, we spent all of our time on the beach: It was just so empty and relaxed that we couldn't resist. We actually didn't leave the property at all during our two-day stay--we just couldn't motivate ourselves to leave!

We ate three meals at the on-site restaurant, and the food was phenomenal--I was not expecting such gourmet fare in Central America. (Everywhere else I've been in the region--Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras--was lacking on the culinary end.) We had the most delightful server who spoke perfect English but communicated with me in Spanish (slow, patient, repeated things if I misunderstood the first time) even though I never told him I spoke the language...it was as if he had a sixth sense! I definitely recommend whatever the catch of the day is, as well as the plantains to start and the dulce de leche for dessert.

Things to know: You definitely need a car or a driver. There's nowhere to walk to nearby if you want to eat out, shop, etc. There are plenty of tours of the surrounding national parks and attractions, however, that will do hotel pick-ups, and instead of renting a car, we had this awesome driver who picked us up and dropped us back off who the hotel arranged for us. The resort is located about 45 minutes south of Carara National Park and about 45 minutes north of Manuel Antonio. When we were there (December 2011), they were just upgrading the WiFi. We stayed in two different villas, and in one the WiFi worked great, and in the other it didn't. We asked for a router, and they brought it to us and the Internet worked great then.

More pictures of our stay at the resort here: http://tinyurl.com/79f9228

More pictures of Playa Esterillos (the beach in front of Alma): http://tinyurl.com/7b45d4s

The area is quiet, wide expansive dark beaches and the most people we saw on the beach at any one time may have been 10 which was spread out over a half mile or so. we had the smaller ocean front room which gives you private access to the beach, private patio, all room have a private gate to their room and the beach was only about 25 yards away. After traveling from Arenal to Monteverde to here we were able to truly unwind from all the traveling. The dinners were excellent and the Parga Entero was the best I've had... and I've had some wonderful whole fish asian, mexican and latin style. My husband had the seared ahi and the lomitos gaucho steak which he thoroughly enjoyed. The staff is respectful, nice and fun ... as well as know how to keep their distance. The only thing negative I could say is the jacuzzi needs to be hot, they haven't figured that part out, or we couldn't figure out where to turn on the heat. Other than that the pools were sparkling, the grounds were immaculate, but not presumptuous. We could really unwind and relax. Loved the shower with the glass sliders that opened to a private garden ... wonderful!! It's really designed for privacy. We would return.

We didn't stay here, but we did eat breakfast there once and dinner on another occasion. The restaurant is great, with a wonderful view under a classy palapa. The decorations are exquisite for a beach-front location as non-commercial as Esterillos. The hotel was impeccibly clean, even the bathrooms, and it looks as if all rooms have an equal view of the ocean through large picture windows. Quite beautiful.

Our breakfast was delicious and relaxing, and the dinner was even better. If ur in or around Esterillos, its worth a stop for a candle-lit ocean view dinner. And a stay in this classy hotel would definitely not disappoint.

Bon Voyage!

My wife and I enjoyed this wonderful property over the Christmas and New Years holiday. With so many hotel/resort options in this outdoor activity-oriented country, this place is just right. While not light on the wallet or purse, Alma delivers the kind of experience you imagine of a tropical Pacific setting, done with a touch of elegance and intimacy. Formally Xandari, Rock Resorts took on the management role and it has re-branded "Alma Del Pacifico"-affiliated with the Del Pacifico properties just down the road. With their reputation, I would expect the standards to be pushed even higher.

All single level residences with the exception of a few, face the ocean with a generous lawn area in front of each leading to the palm tree lined black-sand beach. The two pools and spa form a zen garden-like central buffer between the inside units and the beachfront. Imagine a boutque-style Four Seasons approach, with local styling. Perect for couples or families/family gatherings with older (10 and up) children.

The only downside would be-from our perspective-the quality and diversity of dishes related to the output from the kitchen. The food was acceptable, and the service very polished. It's just that the expectations for a resort of this level are set higher than the results. Same goes for the wine list.

Every activity imaginable can be co-ordinated with the very professional staff-from surfing lessons on your beach, deep sea fishing for Marlin, to zip-lining through the tropical forest canopy-all at a moments notice.