La Tica y la Gata — Hotel in Cahuita

La Tica y La Gata is a privately owned tourist hotel in the town of Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, approximately 1 mile from Playa Negra. Puerto Viejo itself is approximately 5 hours by road from the capital, San Jose, although travel times will vary due to a major road upgrade project. Parking is adequate for the size of the hotel. The hotel offers first rate connectivity with the Internet which means that one can transact business, confirm flights and make further travel arrangements with ease. The hotel staff are happy to assist in connecting with the Internet.

A total of ten air-conditioned guest rooms and suites are available at the hotel, each offering a three piece bathroom including modern shower facilities. Rooms are cleaned daily by an efficient and friendly staff. Each room contains basic self-catering facilities, which means that it is not necessary to eat every meal at a restaurant. Beds are queen-sized and comfortable. Air conditioning is reliable and quickly gets the temperature to a livable level. The staff also provide basic laundry service.

The owner lives on-site and is very friendly and helpful in arranging days out to the numerous local attractions. All of the staff are helpful and friendly. The owner is a native English speaker, who also speaks Greek and Spanish. The staff are predominantly Spanish speaking but have varying degrees of facility in English up to and including proficient.

The local climate is equatorial: very hot days even during the nominal “winter,” but cooler and very pleasant evenings. Summers are hot and humid. In contrast, to much of the Caribbean, hurricanes are uncommon in Costa Rica, as only eighteen have been recorded in history.

Puerto Viejo offers a good range of activities to keep one entertained. There are a number of nearby beaches, one of which is suitable for surfing, the rest for swimming. There is little supervision at beaches so kids will need to be watched. There are a number of opportunities to connect with the local native culture, and to explore the rich wildlife resources in the immediate vicinity. Hotel rooms are not equipped with televisions or radios, but the reliable Web connectivity means that it is possible to stay in touch.

The hotel is located on a side road which connects with the main highway in this area. By reason of being on a side road, the hotel is remarkably quiet, given the bustling nature of the town. However, elderly and handicapped guests might find the layout and location something of a challenge.

Although there is no on-site restaurant, there are several excellent restaurants within easy walking distance, and many more within a short drive. All serve locally sourced foods. I have not been able to find as many restaurants of this caliber in downtown Toronto.

Two caveats: bring plenty of mosquito repelant...

We booked through Airbnb and the room was advertised as a fully equipped apartment with 2 beds (and pictured). We are a family of 3 traveling with our toddler daughter. I booked this place because of the extra bed as advertised but arrived to a single double bed room. The host offered to accommodate us with a rollaway which was nice of them but then the owner complained about it afterwards.

The space it self was a hotel room. Not an apartment. It does have a kitchenette area but does not accommodate cooking a full proper meal. Single induction cooktop, a blender and coffee maker are your tools. There is also no comfortable lounge space to relax. Outside of the room is a cement bench with a thin vinyl cushion and small coffee table (1 chair).

The hotel space is minimal and not intended for long stays. Also be aware that there are cats throughout the proper that is also not advertised as property animals. There were several days/nights where we founds cats on our terrace furniture. I’m allergic to cats and it cause many flare-ups for me.

On our last day visiting, we did have a puppy follow us home from town and we quickly removed him from the property when the staff alerted us he was on our terrace. We were unaware of this and took immediate action. We apologized to the staff and alerted them that the puppy was not ours. This caused backlash from the host. It’s unfortunate because PV is a small Caribbean town with stray animals everywhere and you would think the host would be more aware of this, especially since they allow cats to roam their property freely and lounge on their guests terraces.

Rent at...

I really enjoyed my stay at La Tica Y La Gata! The hotel staff were so lovely, and so was the owner. The room was big, private and had the comfiest bed. I loved relaxing by the pool and watching the birds and the butterflies flutter around above.

I gave this a 4 star for a few reasons though, and I hope the hotel takes this feedback as constructive because I did really enjoy my stay!

Location - it’s about a 15 min walk down a pretty creepy dirt road to get to town. As a solo female traveller I felt a bit uncomfortable taking this road especially after dark (which is like 5pm!) so I spent more on taxis then I would have liked There is nowhere close by to get food, you have to go to town if you want even a cup of coffee My room was home to a pretty large number of ants. I don’t mind a few bugs and know it kind of comes with the territory when traveling in the jungle, but you do have to be pretty careful to always close the door behind you and be ok with some pesky house guests

Overall, I’d say, the place was great. Though I think if I come back I’ll opt to stay somewhere a little closer to town, unless I have a car or am not traveling solo. I’d suggest to the hotel that a few small amenities could go a long way! Say having a little coffee and condiments available in the room and maybe some oil to cook with - or even look at partnering with a local restaurant to have a delivery option available to guests!

Thanks for having me at La...