If you’ve been seeing my Costa Rica trip and wondering where we stayed, what the area was like, and if it’s actually doable with kids…it absolutely is, and here's everything you need to know.
We flew into Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (Liberia), which is the main airport for this part of Costa Rica. They have direct flights from most major cities, it was around 5 hours direct from LA. From the airport, it’s about a 1 to 1.5 hour drive depending on traffic and exactly where you’re staying.
We ended up in a gated community called Hacienda Pinilla, which is just outside of Tamarindo in the Guanacaste region.
Let me tell you Hacienda Pinilla is more than just a neighborhood...
Hacienda Pinilla is basically a 4,500 gated resort-style community with multiple beaches, a golf course, restaurants, trails, and even a beach club. It felt like staying in a private resort but we had our own home and a backyard with a pool for the boys to run wild and free. (There is also a JW Marriott located inside the community but we did not have a chance to check it out)
Our specific house wasn’t a rental, but there are a ton of homes inside this community that are available to book, from smaller family houses to full on villas with private pools, multiple bedrooms, and concierge options. If you’re traveling with kids or even another family, this setup is kind of ideal. There are private chefs, babysitters, and more...
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I pulled all the VRBO listings in the area we stayed for you! There are tons of houses you can rent. Make sure your search query is for Hacienda Pinilla, Gauntacaste, Costa Rica
VRBO Listings
Here’s a few of my favorite listings in the same neighborhood
https://vrbo.onelink.me/ItNz/100ws4ml
A view of our backyard that backed up to the golf course
Things To Do Inside The Hacienda Pinilla Community...
What I loved most about this community is you don't really have to leave, especially with kids. We got to see so many monkeys hanging from the trees too.
Inside Hacienda Pinilla, there’s a beach club that we ended up going to almost every day, and honestly, it became our default plan.
The beach club sits right on the ocean near Playa Avellanas, and it’s set up in a way that just makes the whole day easy. There’s a full infinity-style pool overlooking the beach, lounge chairs, and poolside service so you don’t have to move once you’re settled (which, with kids, is kind of everything).
We would load up, hop in our golf cart, and be there in about 7 minutes. That alone made it feel fun for the kids (besides the arguments about whose driving the gold cart) it’s not just “getting to the beach,” it’s the whole experience of getting there.
There is a small daily fee (around $5 per person when we were there), and it was 100% worth it for how much we used it.
We ended up eating most of our lunches there because it was just easy. They have a full restaurant and bar, so you can go from pool to food to beach without overthinking anything. It’s one of those places where you plan to stay an hour and suddenly it’s been half the day.
Our kids all surf so the beach club was great for easy access to the ocean. The waves in this area (Playa Avellanas) are great for beginners but still fun enough for older kids and adults too, so it worked for everyone.
The Beach Club also offer things like massages and spa services, which felt very “vacation mode” if you wanted to lean into that. They even have a playground too!
Beyond the beach club, the community itself has:
- miles of mountain biking and walking trails
- a golf course
- horseback riding
- access to multiple beaches
But for us, the beach club alone was enough to make it feel like we had a plan every day without actually planning anything.
Let's be real sometimes the beach and pool isn't always enough so I did have a few things I brought along to keep them entertained. I broke it all down in this post, How I kept my four boys busy in Costa Rica
Things to Do Just Outside Hacienda Pinilla...
Even though we spent a lot of time inside the community, there are a few spots right outside the gates that are absolutely worth knowing about.
There’s a small area built up for people staying in Hacienda Pinilla that has restaurants, a market, and a few shops. It’s not a full town, but it’s perfect when you don’t want to drive all the way into Tamarindo.
Il Rustico
This was one of our favorite dinners of the trip.
It’s an Italian restaurant tucked into that little area near Pinilla, and it was shockingly good. Like, the kind of place you don’t expect to find and then end up talking about after the trip. May have been the best Italian food I've had in years.
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Highly recommend the Luigi Mushroom Pasta and this cocktail the Chili Passion Margarita is a MUST!
Lola’s
This restaurant is the one you go to for the full Costa Rica moment and the sunset photos.
Right on the beach at Playa Avellanas, super laid-back, and perfect for sunset. Kids can run around in the sand while you sit and actually enjoy your meal.
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La Esquina de Avellanas
Right near the restaurants above there’s also a small market area with food trucks, casual restaurants and small shops. Think open air casual dining.
Every Friday the community gets together for the Night Markets. Where there's live music and dancing under the stars along with local artisans set up selling their crafts.
Excursions We Took...
Going into Tamarindo (the closest town)
When you want more action, Tamarindo is about 15–20 minutes away. We had rental cars with our home so we drove ourselves.
This is where you go for:
- more restaurant options
- surf lessons
- shops
- a little more energy
It’s definitely more crowded and touristy, but in a good way when you’re just popping in for a few hours or dinner. I took the two older boys for just a few hours, we grabbed some souvenirs and had ice cream. Definitely worth going to check out.
Catamaran + Snorkeling
One of few excursions was a half day trip with Panache Sailing.
It was definitely one of our favorite experiences.
The tour leaves from the Tamarindo area and includes:
- snorkeling stops
- time to swim and jump off the boat
- food + drinks onboard
- a few hours out on the water where everything is taken care of...they had paddle boards, kayaks, and all the snorkel equipment.
We loved that it didn’t feel rushed, and the whole thing was really easy to do. The drive to the dock was roughly 30 minutes, the sailing company picked us up from our home and brought us back. Highly recommend! We did the half day tour in the morning which is great before it gets super hot.
Final Thoughts...
Costa Rica has been one of my favorite vacations with kids to date. It's a perfect paradise for families with boys. Endless activities that burn boy energy.
We didn't get a chance to zip line but there were so many places close to where we were. Still waiting for the two youngest to be old enough.
Between staying in Hacienda Pinilla, having access to the beach club, and being close to Tamarindo when we wanted more to do, it was the kind of setup that worked for everyone.
Would I go back again? ABSOLUTELY!
Pura Vida!
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