7 Compelling Reasons to Vacation at Hacienda Pinilla

Our privileged Hacienda Pinilla real estate encompasses some of Guanacaste’s best, most spectacular landscapes and sought-after views

An 18-hole ocean-view golf course. Miles of horseback, hiking, and mountain-biking trails. Three spectacular beaches. An oceanfront infinity pool. Epic surfing waves. A luxury Beach Club.

There are many (so many!) reasons to stay at Hacienda Pinilla. And we love every one. From the sheer beauty of our landscapes and the lapping waves of the Pacific, to authentic cowboy culture and incredible dining, Hacienda Pinilla real estate opens over some of the country’s most spectacular sights, scenes, and settings.

Need a few more reasons to stay? Here are seven:

1. You Love the Beach

Hacienda Pinilla’s spectacular beaches include Langosta, Mansita, and Avellanas.

… And the beaches of Costa Rica don’t get much better than right here. As a guest here, you’ll have access to all of our­ Hacienda Pinilla real estate – not only to your private villa and the Beach Club (more on that, in a moment), but to three of Costa Rica’s most spectacular beaches.

Comprising some of the most exclusive and pristine sands in Guanacaste (Costa Rica’s northwestern province), Hacienda Pinilla’s shoreline sweeps over Playa Langosta, Playa Mansita, and Playa Avellanas:

• Playa Langosta: A peachy-hued stretch lined by native Guanacaste trees, Playa Langosta has been ranked one of the most beautiful beaches in Latin America – and one of its most unspoiled, as evidenced by our cherished ecological Blue Flag, which certifies Playa Langosta for superior water quality and environmental stability. And don’t even get us started on the sunsets…
• Playa Mansita: Home to soft sands and crystalline waters, Playa Mansita is a tranquil spot especially lovely at low tide, when the Pacific recedes to reveal a map of rocky outcroppings.
• Playa Avellanas: Sometimes called “Little Hawaii” and often ranked as one of the top-ten beaches in Central America, Playa Avellanas is a favorite among surfers (and surf-watchers), thanks to consistent north and south swells. Not one to tame the waves? Playa Avellanas is also home to soft sands, total tranquility, and exotic shells.

2. … But You Love Other Things, Too

Hacienda Pinilla: a paradise on the Gold Coast, surrounded by many of Costa Rica’s iconic and can’t-miss activities. Like epic surfing. There’s a reason it’s legendary!

You may spend 98% of your time here at the beach, but in your free time, you may be interested in exploring Hacienda Pinilla’s many other diversions.

• Horseback Riding: There are few things more exhilarating than exploring the Costa Rican savannah on horseback. Hacienda Piilla’s stables house horses suitable for any riding level – beginner through advanced – and the community’s 16 kilometers of trails wend through a variety of natural habitat, from cattle ranch and forest, to beaches and breezy hilltops.
• Mountain Biking: Hacienda Pinilla is spectacular for mountain biking, offering a web of scenic routes and rigorous biking trails that cater to every type of rider and experience level. In fact, we’ve dedicated a fair amount of Hacienda Pinilla real estate to the pursuit: 45 kilometers of trails that travel through resort, forest, cattle ranch, and coastline – through all the unique landscapes and experiences our community has to offer. (Several MTB competitions are even held here, throughout the year!)
• Surfing: Okay, okay – this has something to do with our beaches! But, Hacienda Pinilla’s surf is worth its very own bullet point, thanks to miles of waves and some serious swells. In fact, our surf caters to both beginners and advanced surfers alike, at the Langosta river mouth (right and left point break), Cape Town (right and left point break with hollow waves), Little Hawaii (right point break with a good size wave), Avellanas river mouth (right and left point break), and the Avellanas beach break (hollow rights and lefts).
• Tennis: Take to Hacienda Pinilla’s tennis courts and abandon yourself to the spirit of competition. We have two courts with top-quality surfaces, and our on-staff tennis pro, Halais Sylvain, offers private lessons, semi-private lessons, and group lessons; monthly doubles socials, kids after-school programs, kids camps, racquet rentals, and much more!

Hacienda Pinilla’s onsite amenities also include a state-of-the-art fitness center, adventure equipment rental, and surf supplies. If you’d like more information on surf lessons or tennis lessons, or on mountain bike rentals, surfboard rentals, or other plans, please get in touch.

3. You Enjoy Excellent Food

Casual and fine dining unite at Hacienda Pinilla’s onsite restaurants

Tamarindo is known for its excellent restaurant scene, and Hacienda Pinilla offers some of the region’s best restaurants.

• Hacienda Pinilla Beach Club: When you’re in the mood for casual dining and ocean views, the Beach Club serves paninis, fries, and other comfort fare to your seat poolside.
• Avellanas Restaurant: Also located at the Hacienda Pinilla Beach Club, Avellanas promises a more sophisticated setting: open-air seating and a diverse selection of Latin fusion and Costa Rican-inspired cuisine. Fine dining on Friday and Saturday evenings.
• Hoyo 19 Bar and Grill: Take it casual at this golf greens-view restaurant, the perfect spot for a snack, light meal, or cocktails, especially before or after a round of golf or tennis match.

Additional dining options are available at the JW Marriott, including Azul Grill (fresh seafood and panoramic Pacific views), Mansita Restaurant (à la carte global cuisine), Sabanero Steak House (a refined steakhouse with hacienda-style décor), Tamarine (Costa Rican-Asian fusion fare), among others.

4. Hacienda Pinilla Real Estate is Authentic Costa Rica

Experience Guanacaste as people have for centuries

Surrounded by 4,500 acres of rare tropical dry forest and sun-drenched ranchland, Hacienda Pinilla real estate unrolls over some of Costa Rica’s most traditional landscapes.

If you’re the type of traveler who seeks local culture and authentic experiences, Hacienda Pinilla offers both in spades. Experience life on the Costa Rican savannah, where cowboys once (and still do roam). Dine on classic Guanacastecan fare. And let the sounds of the surf lull you into the Costa Rican state of mind.

5. You’re an Active Traveler

Fancy a challenge? Scenic exercise? You can have it all, on an ocean kayaking tour to Captain Island, just offshore (about a 40-minute paddle) from Hacienda Pinilla.

We are firm believers in enjoying vacation, however you like it. If that means that you spend your time by a private pool, catching up on your to-be-read list or basking in the warm Costa Rican sun, then we fully support your plans. And Hacienda Pinilla will suit you perfectly.

But, if you’re a more active type of traveler – if you like to zipline and hike, snorkel and swim beneath waterfalls – then Hacienda Pinilla is also for you. In addition to the active pursuits of our vast community – golfing and tennis, surfing and horseback riding, swimming and mountain biking – our immediate surrounds are pretty special, too:

• Sport Fishing: The Hacienda Pinilla / Tamarindo area is world-renowned as one of the best sport fishing locations on Earth. We could stop there, but we’ll throw in a few more temptations: black, striped and blue marlin, yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi, snapper, grouper, roosterfish, jacks, wahoo, sailfish, and other prized catches.
• Ocean & Mangrove Kayaking: For the salty side of Tamarindo adrenaline, look no further than an ocean kayaking tour, which bumps the adventure quotient from tame to challenging on a kayaking trip to Capitan Island. Prefer your activity a little more tranquil? Swap the Pacific for mangrove kayaking, which takes you paddling into the thick of the Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge.
• Stand-Up Paddle-Boarding: A test of balance, strength, and skill, stand-up paddle-boarding (aka, SUP) blends surf with kayaking in a two-hour tour to some of our favorite area beaches and waters. As you hone your skill, we promise you won’t even mind if you fall in. Go ahead, make it on purpose.
• Hiking: There are dozens of hikes available in and around Tamarindo. We’ll start right here, where we’ve dedicated kilometers of Hacienda Pinilla real estate to trails best explored on foot. Want to adventure further afield? Check out the many hikes in and around Tamarindo – into tropical dry forest, onto hilltop bluffs, to secret beaches, and more.
• Waterfall Swimming: Often combined with our favorite hikes, treks to Tamarindo’s best waterfalls come with the promise of taking the day slowly, packing your own picnic, and swimming in a natural waterfall pool. Think of it as a freshwater, natural swimming pool in the jungle!
• Dolphin & Whale-Watching: Not strictly active – most tours involve relaxing aboard a boat or catamaran – area dolphin and whale-watching tour squeeze onto our list for sheer adrenaline: Spotting humpback whales, several dolphin species, and the occasional sea turtle is exhilarating!
• Zip-Lining: If you’ve ever wondered what it would feel like to fly, then you owe yourself a zipline canopy tour, the closest we humans can get to flying through the treetops. You’ll be happy to know that there are two varieties of flight in our area: kid-friendlyand high adventure.
• ATV Tours: Tack the terrain around Hacienda Pinilla on an ATV – an all-terrain vehicle, specially equipped to conquer the rugged road beneath your tires. It’s the perfect combination of Tamarindo thrills and Pacific sightseeing.
• Scuba & Snuba: Experienced divers will delight in the promises of the Catalina Islands, a smattering of rocky out-islands known for their populations of giant manta rays, some of whose wingspan reach 20 feet. Or, treat the kids (or beginners) to the joys of snuba, an underwater experience that feel like diving but breathes like snorkeling.
• Snorkeling: If you’ve never snorkeled a secluded cove or sought underwater treasures (of the octopus and fishy variety) – and especially if you have! – then you’ll love spending the day aboard a catamaran, sailing the seas and stopping in at Tamarindo’s best snorkeling spots.

… And that’s just the tip of the sand dune!

6. You (or Someone) Enjoys Golf

The par-72, 7,200-yard Hacienda Pinilla Golf Course was designed by renowned architect Mike Young.

The emerald jewel of Hacienda Pinilla real estate, our oceanside golf course is a spectacular addition to our luxury community. Designed by acclaimed architect Mike Young, the Hacienda Pinilla golf course offers 18 holes over 7,200 yards – par 72 play, par excellence.

Created to complement and even enhance our natural landscapes, the golf course delivers immaculate conditions and incredible views – an unforgettable experience, for the golfers in your group. What’s more, the Golf Course at Hacienda Pinilla has been designated as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, to certify its environmental preservation, ecological balance, and green course design. Here, you may glimpse exotic wildlife and crashing waves, every time you swing your club.

7. You’ll Have Access to the Hacienda Beach Club

The Hacienda Pinilla Beach Club is one of our most popular wedding venues.

When you stay at Hacienda Pinilla, you’ll have full access to the Beach Club and all its myriad perks and diversions.

Located oceanfront on Playa Avellanas, the Beach Club sits on some of the most privileged Hacienda Pinilla real estate – home to superior sunbathing, surfing, snorkeling, and beach-strolling. But, the main amenities lie not without, but within: a spa, restaurant, fitness center, and an ocean-view, infinity-edge pool.

Schedule some time to stroll the white sands of Playa Avellanas. Wax your board and head out into our world-class surf breaks. Or, if surfing isn’t your cuppa saltwater, grab a boogie board and head out to surf the smaller waves, or take a dip in the ocean-view infinity pool.

Once you’ve worked up an appetite, visit the Tiki Bar, open-air casual restaurant, or elevated Avellanas restaurant for a memorable meal. Be sure to stick around for sunset, when Playa Avellanas glows red, orange, pink and purple.  It’s an iconic Hacienda Pinilla sight, and one that should not be missed!

Concierge Services at Hacienda Pinilla

When you reserve your Hacienda Pinilla vacation home with us, you gain access to our full concierge services.

When you book, we’ll get in touch to help you plan all the details of your stay. Our job is to get to know you, so we can help you plan the trip of your dreams. Whether you just need help arranging transportation or would like a full itinerary – everything from your airport shuttle to a full trip’s worth of activities, private chef services, and golf cart rental – we’re happy to help.

Even better, our concierge services are always free. So, why wait? Get in touch and let’s get started!