Kurà

Style

Minimalist jungle bungalows

Setting

Perched above the Pacific

Kurà hotel in Uvita has the perfect hotel pedigree: a husband-and-wife architect and biologist decided to open their idea of a perfect, sustainable, stylish getaway. The resulting six suites are the stuff of sleek design mags: contemporary, open-plan villas with floating beds, exposed showers and a balcony that leaves little between you and sweeping views over the jungle to the Pacific Ocean.

Facilities

Rooms

Eight suites.

Checkout

11am, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.

More Details

Rates include à la carte breakfast (including lavish fruit plates, fresh juice, coffee and tea), free daily shuttles to various nearby beaches and a free guided meditation session.

Also

Yoga classes can be arranged at a studio downtown, just ask the team at reception to arrange them.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

On-Site Restaurant

At the Hotel

Spa; gardens; free WiFi throughout. In rooms: balcony with hammock, minibar, coffeemaker.

Our Favourite Rooms

Each villa is contemporary and open-plan, with teakwood panels, bamboo ceilings, giant floating beds and wide balconies that hold a hammock built for two. Of them, the top-floor Suite Villas are the brightest, with the most dramatic rainforest views.

Poolside

The pool is one of a kind: a sharply rectangular saltwater infinity pool lined with dark-green Balinese tiles. It offers bird’s-eye ocean views, a trio of semi-submerged sunloungers and calming under-water music. The lounge beside it is an ideal spot for afternoon reading and cocktails.

Spa

The open-air spa pavilion has jaw-dropping ocean views, which you can admire from the relaxation lounge. The menu has a relaxing role call of facials, massages, wraps and scrubs using local products; there's a special treatment room for couples' massages and a shower and bath tub for soaking and scrubbing in post-treatment.

Packing Tips

Bring a swimsuit for the hydrotherapy tub at the spa, and surfing gear for tackling the perfect curls nearby. No need to bring binoculars for glimpsing passing toucans and monkeys: every room has a pair at the ready.

Also

Each room is equipped with an iPad that is fully loaded with spa options, the day’s menus and information about the property, not to mention music and books for enjoying by the pool.

Children

Leave them at home: Kurà's over-18s only.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Take a table by the pool for the most panoramic views.

Dress Code

Surfer-chic: you’ll want to wear closed-toed shoes wandering the hills at night, but the restaurant is otherwise casual.

Hotel Restaurant

The open-plan Sky Lounge has 360-degree views of Costa Rican jungle and ocean, and is the best place to spot passing humpback whales. The tropical-local menu is packed with with fish, including a daily carpaccio marinated in lemongrass, basil and lime. The tuna tiradito has Japanese influences in the spicy ponzu sauce. Breakfast is the most traditional, and typically includes plantains, eggs, tortillas and local cheese.

Hotel Bar

Diablitos in the Sky Lounge plays salsa, reggae and other Latin music. The bar specialises in tamarind margaritas, fruit coladas and various flavoured mojitos.

Last Orders

Breakfast is served from 7am until 10am, lunch from noon until 2.30pm, and dinner from 6pm until 9pm; the bar is open from noon until 10pm.

Room Service

Room service is available while the restaurants are open.

Planes

Quepos, a 50-minute drive away, offers the most flights – you’ll most likely be catching a connection from San José. Sansa (www.flysansa.com) operates a flight from San José International. Nature Air (www.natureair.com) flies from San José Municipal. Palmar Sur airport, a 40-minute drive away, is closer than Quepos, but is only open seasonally, and offers fewer flights.

Automobiles

Confident drivers can navigate the roads, though a 4x4 is mandatory – the ride to the hotel can be tricky. The scenic drive from San José takes about four hours. Quepos and Palmar Sur airports have rental cars available, and the hotel has secure parking in the village of Utiva, 15 minutes away (there’s a shuttle service to the hotel).

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Certified divers should head straight for Isla del Cano, an hour from shore, which is one of the world’s best spots for swimming with manta rays, as well as turtles, dolphins and a rainbow of tropical fish. The hotel can arrange a day trip.

On land, rappel down the nearby waterfall, accessible by horse or 4x4. The hotel can also arrange surf lessons, white-water rafting and a boat trip through the Sierpe River’s mangroves.

Ballena Marine National Park, a 25-minute drive down from the hotel, is a sandy, seemingly ideal beach that is excellent for paddle boarding or a swim.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .