Lapazul Boutique Hotel -- Dominical, Costa Rica

It has, naturally, be a long while since we've written on this travel blog.  There isn't much to a travel blog when the whole world is shut down and there is no travel.

It is, therefore, a real joy to return to these pages and also a real joy to be able to tell you about a wonderful place we visited this weekend -- the Lapazul Boutique Hotel (https://www.lapazul.com/) just outside of Dominical on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.  Beginning this month, the government here permitted some hotels to open up, mostly for internal tourism, at 50% capacity.  We took the opportunity to go to Lapazul, a retreat that was recommend by a friend of ours, George, who had gone in November when they opened (talk about bad timing for an opening).

First things first -- in this time of Covid-19, we felt safe. The hotel has only 10 rooms and only 3 were occupied.  Everything was deeply and frequently cleaned, the staff wore masks all the time, and the guests were all practicing social distancing.  Nothing is, of course, guaranteed -- but we felt as though we were safe and sound.

The venue itself is magnificent.    It sits in the hills about 500 meters up and about 2 kilometers from the coast.  To get there you have to climb a rough road, but the trip is worth it and the views are all stunning, as are the west facing sunsets.

The hotel itself is very modern in style with fine wood furnishings, an infinity pool and all of the amenities  you would expect -- lush beach towels, comfy lounges and "fancy" soaps.  

But what we liked best about the venue was that it was hidden away in the rain forest so we were close to nature. Birds galore (including toucans and eagles) as well as tree frogs serenading you into the evening.

The staff (and most notably the manager Esteban) were a joy to meet and talk to and tended to our every need.  Since our need was mostly to be left alone and sit and escape, they were happy to do that for us.

The visit came with breakfast and dinner included -- and the food was truly special.  Some of the best we've had in Costa Rica for sure.  We are told the chef used to work at a hotel in San Jose and it shows.  In particular, we would call out -- at breakfast, the home made granola and the gallo pinto; at dinner the ceviche appetizer and the medallion of beef which was probably the most tender we've ever had in Costa Rica.

We didn't explore the area that much, because we didn't want to, but the next time we'll head down to the beach in Dominical and watch the surfers for sure.  Or maybe plan a day hike.  This time around it was pure relaxation, and we got what we wanted.

The best way to put it is this -- we'll be going back.  Once the virus restrictions are finally removed, our hope would be to return with visiting friends to show them this special gem of a place.  5 stars for sure.