Encanta la Vida

For my daughter's golden birthday, she wanted to learn to surf. After asking a friend, we decided Costa Rica was the place to learn and along the way selected Encanta La Vida as our base. It was perfect. The place itself is a beautiful setting and with fresh and delicious food included, it made our journey easy. She surfed every day (at the nearby Pan Dulce beach), we did yoga twice a day (provided at Encanta), and then we read, relaxed, walked, and enjoyed the wildlife. We also each had a massage at their spa and it was incredible. Marcella is amazing. It was a delightful mother-daughter trip and we'll definitely be back. A huge thank you to the Encanta La Vida team, including Fabio, Celia, Marlin, Roberto and more.

Well managed rain forest resort. Very much in the jungle, but also enough amenities to make it comfortable. Well prepared and well presented meals, delicious and ample amounts. Short walks to three beaches, and on a road that goes to the point at the tip of the Osa Peninsula. Monkeys everywhere!

We stayed 2 nights. Service is nice but could be better. When we arrived there was construction in progress and we were not informed in advance. Construction lasts the whole day from 7.30 to 5.30. Also, no internet in the room (only in the lobby). Food was good, as well as tours organized by the hotel Overall average experience due to construction and noise related

Our family of 3 spent a glorious week in the middle of June at ELV. After a glorious flight and a bumpy car ride, We were warmly welcomed by smiling faces and a tray of ginger lemonades and the care and attention continued on from there. Melanie & Fernanda were so helpful leading up to the trip answering a bajillion questions on many emails. My husband & I stayed here when we were dating 18 years prior and we were excited to bring our teenage daughter to share the magic & wonder of this gorgeous location. We stayed in the honeymoon cabina- same as last time and it was lovely. It’s not as tucked away as I remember but it’s the only single unit cabina. The rest are multilevel and used by different guests. It has a Queen bed and a single bed which was just cozy enough for us. The front has a covered area with an outdoor sink and bar and a hammock. There’s 2 decks- a front deck with two chaise lounges and back deck that is concrete with a built in bench surrounded by rock formations and thick jungle. The path was well lit but we also used our headlamps after dark. We saw many many animals from our private deck- all 4 monkeys, coatis, agouti, macaws flying high, iguana, many lizards, birds, bats. I saw a medium sized boa constrictor climbing the tree outside the shower! And I saw a Tyra- relative to a mongoose! You can just sit on the deck and wait for the wildlife to come to you! The staff is amazing- so kind and patient with our attempts at their language. We got to know them and felt so grateful to be in their care. The food was delicious and fresh and plentiful. For the inclusive menu, each night there were new choices of dishes with shrimp, chicken and fish plus an appetizer and dessert. There was also a bar menu and our daughter ordered a burger once and it was amazing! The bar also offers cocktails and smoothies. Everything was delicious and plated beautifully. We did a fishing excursion and brought back a gorgeous snapper and the chef prepared it expertly- a bright gorgeous ceviche appetizer with these incredible plantain crisps followed by a golden brown filet with a delicious caper sauce served over roasted vegetables. The coffee was ready early in the morning but was less than amazing. You had to pump it out of these portable dispensers and the creamer options were shelf stable plant based milks and 2% cows milk also shelf stable. For a country known for its coffee, this was not what we had hoped. But ELV is solar powered and 45 minutes from town so I’m sure it’s hard to keep cream on hand due to limited cooling capacities. This is one area that could be improved but we were happy to have coffee and to drink it in this absolutely magical setting. The pool was refreshing and wonderful. It was quiet in the early parts of the day but got busy when the surfers and other visitors came in. Some evenings the dining area was filled with outside guests but a table was always ready for us even when the place seemed full. The grounds a

We loved everything about our experience at Encanta La Vida, every staff member was incredibly attentive and friendly and the meals were amazing! Every request was happily met without hesitation, Fernanda and Melanie made everything super easy for us. Lorenzo made sure we made it to all our outings with time to spare and we enjoyed Johanna, Roberto and Marlon and really appreciate the staff behind the scenes for making our trip so comfortable and memorable. The yoga teacher, Maria was a special gift, her classes were perfectly tailored to the students who were present each day, her classes moved at just the right pace for the warm environment and offered a deeply restorative feeling while also provided movement and flow to energize your day. The Yoga Shala has such a relaxing energy and such an amazing view it was hard to close your eyes. The monkeys put on a great show every day all around us and the grounds are beautifully maintained. There is a very social atomsphere at the Monkey Bar and the pool was very refreshing, we enjoyed meeting interesting guests from all over the world who shared great tips on the local highlights. We were also inspired by how well Encanta was able to offer so much comfort while maintaining their commitment to conservation of the natural beauty and resources all around them. Definitely looking forward to returning to this slice slice of heaven soon, Rebecca and Jim C, Maine

I stayed at a place close by and had a massage with Maria from Encanta La Vida and she is amazing! Very thorough and kind. She asked at the beginning about what needed more work and focused nicely on those. Loved her!

Is absolutely the BEST!!! Highly recommend her. As well as a brilliant yoga teacher. She is so intuitive and kind and really transforms how you feel about yourself. It lasts for days. The Yoga Shala is also divine. Truly a fabulous place to get away. The bartender Josie is also a dream!!

The good: great food, friendly staff and everything you need to enjoy the area and nearby beaches. Cool jungle hikes, wildlife and waterfalls nearby to get away from the daily crowd that shows up. The not so good: each day we’ve had to leave and find some peace off-site due to visitors they allow in each day to use the pool and bar. It can feel a little like “spring break” each afternoon at the pool. At one point there were nearly 40 people packed in the very small pool area and none of them were guests (they even ran out of drink supplies and the staff was overwhelmed). It feels a little as if they cater more to outside visitors rather than their own guests during the day.