AZURA BEACH RESORT

My wife & I spent two weeks here for our honeymoon in December 2022, and it was genuinely a life-changing experience. Azura is an incredibly beautiful and well-kept resort, on an amazing beachfront that is a ~45 min walk to the bustling small town of Samara.

The staff are kind, hardworking, and attentive. Don't expect the immediacy of service that one might get in... downtown Toronto, for example. Things are a little slower and more relaxed here -- just take a deep breath of the refreshing sea air while you wait for your lunch to be made. The mixed drinks (e.g. Pina Coladas) also are incredible; lots of amazing fresh fruit and pineapple unlike anything you can get in North America. Craft Beer lovers won't find much at the resort, but there are places in Samara for that--more on that in a bit. The food at the resort is also first rate. In case you are feeling curious about the buffet on the other side of the resort with the cottages & kids pool, don't be. The 4 restaurants in Azura hotel are a step above, and there's plenty of variety.

Town of Samara: a 45-minute walk along the beachfront from Azura. I highly recommend checking out the town if you feel so inclined, but it requires some navigation: You can book a taxi from the front desk of the hotel, though we always walked. It is a beautiful walk, with only a few other beachgoers and vacation homes along the way. It is HOT during the day however--I recommend bringing a backpack with bottled water, parasols for the journey, and sunscreen to apply every hour or two. The sun here is unlike ANYTHING we ever get in Canada, ANY time of year. Another hurdle not often mentioned is the small creek to cross along the way (about 1/3 of the way from Azura, 2/3rds remaining to Samara) -- depending on the tide (high or low) this can be 1-2 inches of running water, to about 4-5 feet deep at high tide. You can safely wade through at high tide, but you will get wet. It's best to wear a sturdy pair of sandals (that you don't mind getting wet) for the journey into town.

The town of Samara is very charming, and has plenty of shops, cafes, and beachfront (it is much more busy than the other end of the beach near Azura). We felt very safe in the town at all times--there were no hecklers or pan-handlers trying to sell you stuff. There are a number of street vendors with some nice handmade jewelery, etc., but they are relaxed and will wait for you to approach them. Other things in town are the 2 Gringos pub--this is a great place to go to for some local craft beer. Some surprisingly strong options, so plan to get some food (also excellent--recommend the black & blue tacos if you like blue cheese) and drink water before you head back. It is a very long walk back if you've had a lot to drink.

Also in town is where you'll find the stand for Book With Maria tours, at the top of the main street. Maria is super lovely and I highly recommend booking excursions with her, but note that her stand is not always open all hours of the day. If not open when you get there--head to a cafe or the pub for an hour or two, and she may be open if you check back later. Through Maria, we also met Luis of Tico Experience. Luis does the snorkeling tour of the reef out by Choras Island in the bay, and also some fantastic tours of coffee making and local food & culture. A seriously incredible tour guide.

Expect to see some wildlife, even in the resort & in town. Mostly birds and iguanas--sometimes birds will attempt to steal your breakfast so don't leave your plate unattended. Haha. But the animals are harmless, and often quite entertaining. (Do not feed them, or encourage them to take food though, of course.) Staff from the resort will shoo away any critters that get too close to the guest area.

All in all, this was my first time south of... ~Ohio, and an incredible and life-changing experience. I miss the resort, the staff, the beach, and the town almost every day since visiting, and I long for the opportunity to visit again in future years.

Lejos de Nicoya, la playa bien, instalaciones bonitas , es más como para parejas, las comidas no estaban mal, el mejor era el japonés, me prepararon rollos especiales sin arroz muy ricos, los otros dos eran muy básicos para el precio que se paga a la carta ( comida rápida ??? Para cenar ?? Nada que ver), room service estaba bueno, el desayuno era a la carta y lo hicieron bufette( baja calidad), el chef Andrés muy bueno si se preocupó por mi alergia a gluten y dieta Keto , sin embargo muy pocas opciones que le limitaban realizarme comidas, todo era frito, para ser un resort de esta gama ya que casi todo fuera comida rápida me pareció de muy mal gusto. No volvería a ir. Pocas opciones GF. La cafetera de mi habitación sucia con insectos y habían cucarachas en la habitación, por el refri pero lo limpiaron enseguida, mucho polvo en las decoraciones.

Buen servicio del personal. Comidas estaban bien aunque no excepcionales. Ubicación un tanto alejado pero es para ir a descansar en el resort

Exelente en todos los aspectos la atención se pasa de la excelencia totalmente recomendable

About 2 hours from Liberia airport, this beautiful resort is right on the beach. Open and airy, with plenty of options for food. We stayed in a partial ocean view suite that had the best soaking tub on the balcony and privacy. The swim up bar had amazing service, the two female bartenders were very attentive, and could order snacks to the pool or if you sat by the beach.
We were going to switch to the swim up rooms but we loved having the privacy of being on the second floor and balcony. All of the staff was amazingly friendly and helpful. Upon check in we were given cold towels to cool down and glasses of champagne. The chef brought up a plate of desserts to our room after check in. The Italian restaurant was the only food we wouldn’t rate 10/10, the Chill and Grill and Tao Japanese had a wide variety of fresh options.
Everything closes down at 10pm, but you’re so exhausted from the day it’s a non issue, and town is fairly close.