We had the absolute pleasure of staying at Alma de Hatillo for 2 nights while on our honeymoon in Costa Rica. The property is lush with vegetation and teaming with so many types of birds we lost count. We miss our afternoon swims in the pool and the open air restaurant was the perfect setting for homemade organic meals.

The real treasure was our host Sabina! She was only too happy to get up early both mornings to prepare breakfast before our days activities. She is a wonderful lady who delights in creating homemade organic jams, jellies, and our favourite - the delicious chocolate spread! Enjoy a few cups of Costa Rican coffee and have a great chat with Sabina ~ She will make your stay truly memorable!

We were concerned that it may be too hot at night as there is no air conditioning, but the screened in windows and ceiling fan proved to keep our room cool all night.

If you are looking for a quiet, safe place to stay with the sounds of the jungle outside your window, this is a great place for you.

We had only been in Costa Rica a few days when Sabina, who owns and manages Albergue Alma de Hatillo met us at the front gate and "swept us off our feet." We were welcomed into her warm and loving world - the beautiful, lush gardens, the clean cabinas, the delicious breakfast jams and spreads and the tremendously refreshing salt-water swimming pool - the perfect dip after a long bus ride.

Delicious, home-cooked dinners are prepared by Sabina and her crew. Pre-dinner, we enjoyed bird watching from the open-air dining area (Cherrie's (aka Rufous Rumped) Tanagers, Hummingbirds and Yellow Warblers were common - Trogons were sighted as well). As the sun set, the accented lighting under the dining area roof and around parts of the garden set the perfect mood. At times, the crashing surf can be heard in the distance.

Hacienda Baru, a wonderful stretch of beach, mangroves for kayaking and the scruffy-but-fun "surf" town of Dominical are all close by, and Quepos and Manuel Antonio NP with in commuting distance.

We enjoyed being with Sabina and staying at her Albergue so much retuned for a second stay after visiting the Osa Peninsula.

The Dominical area is argueably the best part of Costa Rica. It has easy acces to nearly everything you could want to do and see while in Costa Rica- beach, mountains, waterfalls, mangroves, jungle, etc. And by far the best place to stay in the area is Alma de Hatillo. Staying here takes you off the beaten path a little so you can escape the otherwise tourist-populated town. Although it is not on the beach, the beach is an easy walk or drive away, and the property offers a beautiful garden in its place. And the ocean can be seen from certain parts of the property (beautiful sunsets).
But what really sets Alma de Hatillo apart from the rest is the owner, Sabina. She treats every guest as if they were family and no request goes ignored. She is extremely talkative and even comes across as a little tightly wound, but more than that she is helpful and clearly takes her job very seriously.
My boyfriend and I only planned on staying for a few days, but we ended up staying the whole week. because there was so much to do in the area, and we really enjoyed the feeling of home we got here. The included breakfast is yummy, with homemade jams and spreads. We had dinner there a few nights; the food was good, but it was also nice to be able to go into town for dinner and a change in ambiance.
Overall, this place is great! It is a great place for families (great salt water pool for kids to enjoy), couples, groups, anyone. It's a perfect home base from which to explore Costa Rica. We would love to come back to Costa Rica and would certainly look this place up again.

We were here for 3 days in January and could not have been happier. Our room was clean and spacious with a fridge if we needed it and the grounds and pool were wonderful. The weather was great and we fell asleep to the sounds of the jungle including the roosters which after all are birds!
We only ate dinner once there but it was one of the best dinners we had in Cost Rica and at a very reasonable price. We thought Sabina was a wonderful hostess and we would go back again.