Samara Chillout Lodge

Set inside a tropical garden on the edge of Sámara, this small lodge keeps a low footprint by design: one standard room and four superior rooms, nothing more. The garden does the work of a lobby, shading a pool that the breakfast room looks over, and staying there after dark under lounge music with a drink from the honesty bar has become part of the routine. Rooms mix modern building work with rustic furniture and handmade pieces, an approach that avoids the glass-and-steel look common along this coast. Each has air conditioning, a ceiling fan, mosquito screens, a smart TV and free Wi-Fi; superior rooms add a private balcony or terrace. It is a compact stay. The beach, Playa Sámara, is ten minutes on foot, and the town supplies supermarkets, banks and a good run of restaurants within easy walking range. Surfing, yoga, horseback riding and seasonal whale and dolphin trips can all be arranged locally, along with day tours further into Guanacaste. Liberia airport is roughly a two-hour drive; San José's Juan Santamaría airport closer to four.