Hotel Los Higuerones

The grounds, pool, and restaurant are the highlights at Los Higuerones. It’s clean, the building has character, and the restaurant is easily the nicest place to eat in Paso Canoas, with some of the best food in town. But the rooms are basic and dated, and the air conditioning only partly works. There are no fans, so the rooms feel stuffy. Some bathrooms have been renovated, but apparently not all, so ask for one that’s new. I paid about USD 110 a night, which felt like a rip-off for what you get, though the lack of local alternatives in this category partly explains it. Rates vary a lot by season and even by day of the week. I saw prices around USD 66 from March onward, which would be a pretty good deal. Check the rate before booking and consider other options if you’re quoted what I paid.

We arrived in the rain, and the staff were super sweet about giving us towels to dry off. This colonial-style hotel in Paso Canoas has clean, simple, renovated rooms and beautiful, well-kept grounds. There’s a pool and a great restaurant on site. We tried burgers, pasta, and filet, and every dish was fantastic.

We didn’t stay overnight, but really enjoyed the restaurant. The grounds were immaculate and made for a lovely setting, especially considering it’s neither by the ocean nor on a mountain. We’ll definitely come back.

If you’re coming for a border run or a shopping run, this is the place to stay. It costs a bit more, but the restaurant is beautiful, the rooms are immaculate, and the grounds are spectacular. You’d never guess you were in one of Costa Rica’s busiest, dirtiest, noisiest cities.