Traveling around the Costa Rica the term “Pura Vida” is thrown around with the frequency of a broken record but the discover of its meaning escalates with every minute. The moment I passed thru gates of the Palms Residence Club I knew I reached the pinnacle of Pura Vida. The Palms Residence Club, located in the Guanacaste region is one of those places you surrender your passport to the staff and hope they never tell you to leave.
The propietarios created a tropical and tranquil ambiance inside the compound and time begins to move a lot slower. After being greeted by the welcoming staff I was whisked away to my villa. The cherry wood round top front door unlocks your arrival into an immaculate oasis of well-appointed luxury. The villa felt like I arrived home upon entering the kitchen, lined with warm wood cabinets, marble floor and granite counter tops accompanied with Sub-Zero and Viking appliances.
The exploration continued discovering the one of the three full bathrooms, laundry area and mini bar tucked under the staircase. Turn 180 degrees and the dinning room invites you to pull out a wood woven chair and enjoy a decisions home cooked meal.
The living room is filled with comfy sofas and reading chair to enjoy the full catalogue of cable channels on the 60 inch flat screen TV. The floor to ceiling patio doors open to reveal a panoramic ocean view that is steps away if you choose to by pass the double lounger chairs.
The journey took me up the indigenous Costa Rican hardwood steps to check out the two bedrooms. The smaller bedroom is anchored with a queen size bed, a spare loft bed, full bathroom and 60-inch flat screen TV.
The icing on the cake is the enormous master bedroom and bathroom big enough to fit ten people comfortably. The walk in closet is housed inside the bathroom adjacent to the double vanity sinks, Jacuzzi tub and walk in shower covered in Brazilian marble. The bedroom is the crown jewel of the villa with its wood frame king size bed facing another flat screen TV. A mini bar equipped with a microwave combined with a refrigerator to grab a quick soda and snacks is perfect when the room captures your motivation to leave. The master bedroom’s floor to celling patio reveals an upper level balcony that makes the perfect location to watching the glowing orange sun sink into the Pacific Ocean.
I opt to enjoy the sunset outside on the lush ground relaxing at poolside at infinity pool sipping a cuba libre.
You might find it challenging to restrict yourself from strolling along the secluded Flamingo Beach. The massive beach is lined with mansions making this portion of Flamingo an exclusive area to stay.
All beaches in Costa Rica are public but a staying at the Palms keeps your steps away from the beach. The Palms provides paddleboards, kayaks, surfboards and other water sports for guests to enjoy. The Palms gives you every reason to never leave with their onsite gym, Wi-Fi, global Vonage phone service and they have a grocery delivery service.
During my stay I was fortune to enjoy a three-course dinner with the owners at the tiki hut style outdoor grill bar. The chief created a delicious shrimp cocktail, tuna steak with rice and vegetables, strawberry shortcake desert and an assortment of wines were pouring all night. The Palms managed to provide all the luxuries you would find in the States with the exotic opulence of Costa Rica and that is Pura Vida!
