Nautilus Boutique Hotel

Vanessa was awesome and full of helpful information. She helped us plan the trip and choose activities. Nautilus is the more intimate of the two locations, while believe feels more social, and you can do yoga at either one. The grounds are lush and peaceful, the pool is always empty, and breakfast is the bomb. It’s a great setup for switching off or working as a digital nomad, just a block from beach access.

The breakfast was amazing, the staff were friendly and helpful, and the central location was great. The rooms are large and well equipped, but ants were all over ours. I know we’re in the jungle, but this felt excessive. We also had some frustrating service issues. At the desk they tried to charge us for our second night until we showed the receipt proving we’d paid before arrival through Airbnb. We put out the sign asking for clean towels and room cleaning, but nobody came, so after our beach day we used the pool towels to shower. That also left us without coffee the next morning. Only soft-top boards are available to rent. We went to a yoga class, then were told five minutes after it was supposed to start that the teacher had canceled. And if you’re expecting a quiet yoga deck with a view, this isn’t that. A few changes could make this place great, but we really wanted to love it and couldn’t.

The villas are huge, with big balconies, and the surf instructors they work with were probably the best I’ve ever learned from: professional and really friendly. When you check in, they add you to a WhatsApp group for updates on things happening at the hostel and nearby, like pizza nights, surf lessons, and the yoga schedule. They also run 8-10 yoga classes through the day with Believe Surf & Yoga Lodge, which has the same lovely staff and is about a 10-minute walk away. Amazing hotel, highly recommend it!

It’s in a really quiet spot right in the centre of Santa Teresa, and I loved the pool area. The place itself is beautiful and we had a very nice stay. The villa kitchen wasn’t as well equipped as kitchens I’ve had in cheaper places, though, and parts of the villa and its surroundings seemed to need maintenance.