Hotels in Malpais and Santa Teresa

Don’t let the steep narrow driveway scare you off. Once you make it to the top, you’ll find a collection of refined bungalows at this couples-only retreat from this growing brand with chic hotels popping up around the country. Every bungalow is different, but all feature airy…

You’ll need a four-wheel-drive vehicle to reach this isolated hilltop hotel and its four individual cabins. They are simple, almost to the point of austere, but all offer 180-degree views over a patch of flat farmland and out to the sea. At the beach, Playa San Miguel is a virtually…

This is the premier boutique luxury beach resort in this area in a region full of boutique luxury beach resorts. Florblanca consists of a collection of massive, elegant private villas spread around exuberant gardens. The foliage is so thick and abundant that you may get lost on the…

Spread over a steep mountainside toward the northern end of Malpaís, just a little inland from the beach, the Hotel Moana has an African theme, which makes for a fun change. Many of the rooms are decorated with tribal masks, shields, spears, and even a zebra skin hung on the walls.…

Submerged in 2.3 hectares of lush, beachfront jungle, Nantipa is a small, intimate resort at the southern end of Santa Teresa near Playa Carmen. Guests choose between cushy bungalows and ultra-luxurious 3-bedroom villas, some equipped with private plunge pools on their oversized…

This multifaceted, budget-conscious resort offers a wide range of rooms and prices. You can opt for everything from bunk-bed rooms with shared bathrooms to private poolside villas. You can even pitch a tent here. Budget-conscious surfers tend to fill the garden ranchos, which have…

Scandinavian minimalism meets the tropics at this adults-only hotel designed by Costa Rican architects Studio Saxe. The four stylish rooms—each with polished concrete floors, floor-to- ceiling glass doors that open on to a patio, and a private roof terrace—look out over the Pacific…

Right on the beach in the heart of Santa Teresa’s main drag, this stylish pink structure is something of a cross between a hostel and a boutique hotel. There’s a collection of 4- to 12-bed dorm rooms and a shared kitchen, not to mention a crowd of backpackers that make use of them,…

Just up the street from their restaurant and surf shop The Somos Café, and a 2-minute walk to the beach, this eclectic surf hotel offers accommodations for a range of travelers, from backpackers to those who want the privacy of their own digs. The rooms are defined by lots of…

This small beachfront resort is set on a large, mostly forested piece of land fronting a prime patch of sand in the center of Santa Teresa. You can opt for the older, spacious, and economical garden units, or splurge for a newer beachfront room or bungalows. These latter bungalows…