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Travel Report
Adult-Only Costa Rican Escape Pura Vida Lives at Secrets Papagayo ©Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica
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Aerial view of Secrets Papagayo.
ura Vida (‘pure life’) is what Costa Ricans say to describe a myriad of wonderful pleasures; it’s a concept more than a phrase, and they say when you feel it, you will know it. And we certainly felt it big time at Secrets Papagayo in Costa Rica. Getting to Liberia was a breeze with WestJet, but we were slightly surprised to discover that the Guanacaste region was not really the rainforest jungle you typically imagine when you picture Costa Rica. It’s more farmland and forests. But once we came upon the gorgeous resort cascading down forested hills toward the deep blue sea, we were very excited to experience it. The complex is massive, a combination of bungalow cottages dotted all over the hills and a few blocks of ocean front rooms. We were situated in a lovely spa-side bungalow in the woods, mere steps away from the spa pool and healthy eating eatery and its own picturesque beach, which was always gloriously un-crowded. The beaches are tan/black volcanic sands, and the water is warm with gentle surf. Beach service is also included. You can walk to the main
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beach from there where all the watersports are, snorkeling, paddle boarding, sea kayaking, but getting from point A to B resort wide is best done by complimentary shuttles as everything is spread out and the hills can be quite steep. Unlimited Luxury® is the Secrets trademark offering – high-end spirits, fine dining and snacks, and 24/7 room service all included. Though we hardly had enough time to enjoy all the dining options, we really loved the Asian and the Italian spots. Staff was great all round, but the pool bar bartender Blas was unreal. He puts on such an entertaining show! Off-property, we took a fabulous adventure day with Amstar tours high into the mountains with zip-lining, volcanic hot springs, mud baths, horseback riding and a water slide down through the forest. I highly recommend it for an awesome nature experience. Howler monkeys included! As always, Secrets delivered an exceptional adult-only all-inclusive escape, and this one was ‘pura vida’ incarnate. Visit: www.secretsresorts. com/papagayo and www.amstardmc.com/ countries/costa-rica.html SUSAN CAMPBELL @suectravel