Drake Bay Getaway Hotel — Hotel in Bahía Drake

Spectacular. Inspiring. Our family had a wonderful visit to Drake Bay Getaway, one that not only immersed us in our natural environment (waking up to toucans! And Scarlet Macaws! And parrots!)!) while there, but a trip that has sat with us since we have arrived home, inspiring us to do more to live sustainably in our local environment in New England. The view from our cabin was truly amazing. My 11-year old daughter spent so much time in the hammocks while I became a bird watcher! The food, as other reviews will tell you, is fresh, creative, and divine. The "bomb" smoothie is a must drink on a hot day. I had been nervous about my daughter -and food - but with one thing on the menu, she ate things that she never would have thought to order..and she loved it. Yellowfin tuna (rare for me, not for my husband or daughter!), (baked) yucca chips, mahi-mahi, passionfruit chicken, shrimp. And the lava cake. Yum. She's still talking about it.||We were a little nervous about sleeping without ac given how hot and humid it was during the day, but we truly did need a blanket in the middle of the night! I got cold under the fan! And there is something to just giving in and letting your sleep cycle match the sun cycle - we got up early with the sunrise and went to bed not too much later after dinner when the sun went down. We were well-rested. And in the mornings, we did amazing excursions - to Corcovado, to Cano Island (highly recommend the snorkeling! And Jairo, our guide for both, was wonderful! We saw coral reef sharks, tortoises, dolphins and fake orca whales!) We also did the organic farming tour. Tony was a wonderful guide - and the swim under the waterfall was amazing. His family is so sweet and offered us up some wonderful cake and coffee after our hike. ||But truly, what makes Drake Bay Getaway "next-level" = Yens and Patrick. It is really hard to understate the level of passion, attention, and wisdom the two of them have for their guests, their eco-resort, and their community. They are truly Jacks-of-All-Trades. Coffee makers (the cappuccino was amazing), servers, tour-arrangers, "uber" drivers, innovators, venture capitalists, community organizers, and knowledge-providers of all things Osa Peninsula and Drake Bay. We had the good fortune for the last few days of our trip to have the place to ourselves (we were there at the beginning of the rainy season, when it is less crowded). During meal time, my daughter would show off her magic tricks for them (and Yens taught her an amazing card one:) ) and during these times, Yens and Patrick shared so much with us about their decision to move to Costa Rica from Seattle, and the thought process behind all their decisions building the resort sustainably. Every last detail has been considered (the passive cooling, the teak wood they used in construction, their ability to not cut down one tree during construction). But we also learned so much about the history of Osa (and Cano Island!) from Yens whose family is from the area - and about some of the issues local people continue to face today. Yens and Patrick do so much in the community (ask them about it!), and have ideas for the future. ||Their commitment to people (their guests and their local community) and the planet has stayed with us - even back here. We need more Patrick and Yens's in the world. And Drake Bay Getaway, if you let it, truly allows you to connect with the local environment, and to see how the "circle of life" works for all living things...

HEAVY ON THE “ECO,” LIGHT ON THE LUXURY We arrived at Drake Bay Getaway expecting a romantic, luxury experience; unfortunately, that was not the case. The owners are a lovely couple who are helpful and well-intentioned, but clearly their idea of what constitutes a boutique hotel/luxury resort is very different from ours. While the airy rooms have stunning views, they lack privacy (neighbors could see right into our room, and we could hear them talking, coughing in the middle of the night, and more) and basic amenities. “Passive air conditioning” in the casitas is nothing more than a fan and open windows, most of which are unscreened, resulting in stifling conditions, miserable night’s sleep, and an insect-filled room if one dared to turn on the lights after dark. As a result, we found ourselves going back to a hot, unlit room after dinner, showering in the dark to cool off, and reading by flashlight until 2 am or later when there was finally adequate cool breeze to make the room comfortable enough for sleeping. We welcomed the sounds of howler monkeys and birds, but the town’s barking dogs and crowing roosters at all hours contributed to a lack of sleep. While the rooms are attractive, they contain no closet, dresser or armoire to store one’s belongings, with the exception of open shelving, resulting in a room that looked a mess during the entire visit, as one lived out of one’s suitcases. Towels and the bed linens, on an overly hard mattress with no box spring, were poor quality and scratchy to the touch, and the only seating in the room was uncomfortable Adirondack-style chairs. There was no way to enjoy a glass of wine or a cold beverage in the privacy of one’s room, as the only “refrigerator” was a funky, plastic cooling box that held nothing but two re-usable water bottles, and ice was not available. We are active, fit people, but getting from the dining facility to our casita required a hot, steep 7-8 minute march (up the equivalent of 34 flights of stairs, according to our fitness trackers) on an unlit sand and rock path, which was treacherous by flashlight, and precludes guests from readily going to/from the casitas. Meals at Drake Bay are served in close quarters in a brightly lit, open-air restaurant, so guests should not expect intimate meals. Lunches and dinners were delicious and beautifully presented; however, there is no menu, so guests are at the mercy of the kitchen, and the wine choices are extremely limited. While attempts are made to accommodate dining preferences, we witnessed one guest, who expressed a strong aversion to fish, being essentially brow-beaten into agreeing to at least eat tuna, which she was served three times in five days, including once in sushi form. In addition, every meal included a rather silly and tiresome guessing-game about what was being served. We also found breakfasts to be overly fussy and inadequate for a busy morning of activities such as diving, hiking and swimming. We have had wonderful stays at high-end and luxury hotels, resorts, villas and homes throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and The Caribbean, including in Costa Rica, but regrettably, Drake Bay Getaway is not among them. Rather than feeling refreshed and rejuvenated at the end of our trip, we left exhausted and irritable. It felt like camping, but with...

Yens and Patrick have built something very special in Drake Bay. There are multiple facets to the resort that makes for an introspective adventure deep in the Costa Rican jungle! The property has been developed with sustainability practices in mind like local materials, rain water harvesting, passive cooling etc. I also appreciated that Yens, (who grew up in Drake Bay!) trains and employs locals (and a large percentage of women!) as part of the resort and tour operations.

Let's start with the location. The Osa peninsula is one of the most remote areas in Costa Rica. And that's saying something for a country that is very focussed on the preservation of it's natural resources! You are IN the jungle and that means you will become a part of it, even if just for a while. The ecosystems are still balanced for such a bio diverse area (read: the birds help keep the bug population low!) During my week long stay, I had the windows and doors open most of the time (except when the lights were on as that attracts bugs!) and it was just fine!

Now onto the people- Yens and Patrick are among the warmest and most easy going people I've met! My time with them has felt like being with family (the kind who you get along with and takes care of you!) Given the small scale of the resort, you also get to know the other guests and our group of 6 were just fantastic- we went on hikes together and exchanged travel stories during meal times (I got the best recommendations for a trip to Japan!)

Moving to the food. When I first read the reviews and saw the pictures, I knew I was going to be well fed. It's Costa Rica after all. The quality of the produce is AMAZING and being vegetarian, I'm used to limited choices in off the beaten track areas of a country. What I didn't expect at the resort, is the VARIETY of the food preparations (Costa Rican cuisine is very 'simple' and rather lacking in creativity, in my opinion). Patrick is a self proclaimed 'food engineer' and has worked with the chefs to create what I would call, 'Nouveau Costa Rican cuisine'.  (Patrick is actually an engineer and that shows in the many creative designs around the property!)  The meals were tasty, fresh and VERY visually appealing. Not a small feat for a little kitchen in the middle of a jungle! The smoothies and espresso drinks felt like a luxury; best coffee in Costa Rica! I didn't have to be browbeaten to have multiple of each every day!

Finally, the accommodations. Whether it was reading a book, laying in bed watching a storm come in, taking a shower or just dancing to the tune of the (many!) bird calls echoing through the jungle, the view from the cabin was surreal. The asthetic is 'eco minimalist' (think Japanese and functional low profile furniture) and allowed me to focus on being one with the jungle. The cabins are spaced so that everyone has a great view, an easy 5 minute walk to the cafe/beach down a stepped trail (wear shoes and not flip flops!) while maintaining a sense of privacy and community at the same time!

It was...