We were looking for a relaxing spot with superb food, comfortable rooms and a beautiful beach: we definitely got all that and more. The staff was so friendly and so down to earth. The food was delicious and had a creative flare. And the resort was beautiful and exotic. Florblanca went out of their way to make sure we had the best girls getaway vacation. Everything from the special dinner on the beach to the organizing of the excursions was perfect. The Surf House is a great place for a bunch of girls who want their own space and who want to make a little noise :). We would definitely go back. A big thank you to Florblanca from the 'young' girls from Canada!

I visited this resort with a small group of friends. This was the first time in Costa Rica for all of us and we were looking for quiet getaway + a little adventure. It was just what we were looking for. We all had a fabulous trip. We were prepared for the 'extra mile' you have to go to get there - a flight into Tambor and then an hour drive to the resort but did enjoy the fact that we were removed from the mainstream. The transfers between San Jose airport to charter flight to car were arranged with help from Patricia at Florblanca and were organized perfectly.

We had an absolutely fabulous time. With the help of the concierge we all had (our first) surf lessons, we went horse back riding and took ATVs (very dusty!!) to zip-lining and a fabulous lunch in Montezuma (sp?). The guides we had for all outings were fabulous. Outside of our outings we were perfectly happy to spend time at the resort, hanging by the pool and swimming a few minutes up the beach were the surf was fabulous and not as rocky as the portion in front of the resort. I loved that the perfect swim beach was a couple minutes removed - it kept the beach in front of the resort quiet and you could have the unbelievable sunset all to yourself.

There were many highlights for us:
- The staff was fabulous. So sincerely friendly and helpful that I really looked forward to seeing them each day. Everything we requested was met with a 'no problem' and even setting up a special dinner on the sand out of the way for us with a special menu one of our nights was easily accommodated.
- The food. Our group is quite particular when it comes to food and without a doubt, the food even surpassed our expectations. Fresh, inventive, healthy, tasty...I never thought I could eat at the same restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner and not get terribly bored with the choice. The menu changed every day and we looked forward to every meal. The fish, the salads, the sushi, even the veggies on the side were fabulous.
- The cocktails! These are not your syrupy sweet resort cocktails. They are made with fresh mint, lemongrass, real lemons, real limes. They are inventive and yummy!!

Thanks to all at Florblanca who made the trip a great one for us. We all hope to return again.

My husband and I stayed at Florblanca Jan. 14-20, 2012, to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary. Overall it was a very nice experience but there are some things I'd like to point out about the property and the area that I don't feel are adequately reflected in previous reviews.

1. The hotel is located at the edge of a town called Santa Teresa, which is a town that is world-renowned for its surfing. Nothing against surfers and not to over-generalize, but with that comes run-down hostels, rowdiness and a general unfriendliness toward non-surfer tourists. A very mild example: I'm 30 and I felt old.

It just feels strange that Florblanca is an ocean-front property and is charging $500 a night when no one else in town is paying that much to look at the same view. Not that Florblanca shouldn't be charging that much (the rooms and the grounds are nice for all the same reasons every other reviewer mentions) but it just feels very out of place. Be warned: If you decide not to go into town, you're going to get bored fast, because there's just not much at the hotel beyond the pool and the restaurant/bar.

2. Because Santa Teresa is so well known for its surfing, it seems that the local culture definitely gets pushed aside. Other than a few sodas (restaurants serving typical Costa Rican food), the grocery stores and the staff of the hotel, you don't encounter that many Ticos (Costa Rican people). So if you're looking for the warmth of the Costa Rican people, you'll have to look hard in Santa Teresa.

3. Getting to Florblanca or anywhere in that area of the Nicoyan Peninsula is not easy. You fly into Tambor and take a taxi to the hotel. It's maybe 15 miles away, but it takes about an hour. The roads go from paved to barely paved to gravel to dirt. There aren't many taxis and it seems that lots of people in the area travel by ATV (which you would rent, I guess). The hotel has bikes for taking into town. The first day I was terrified of this mode of transportation, but by the end of my stay I had gotten good at it. But that reminds me of my next point...

4. It's very dusty there. It may be because it's not the rainy season, but everything is covered in dust along the gravel and dirt roads. And unless you're in a car, you will get filthy when you're out and about. Sunglasses are a must, but goggles would probably be better if you're on a bike or ATV. And many people wore masks to keep the dust from getting in their mouth and nose, even just while walking. We didn't have masks (or didn't fashion them out of our shirts) and were fine, but there were times when I wish I had one.

5. The beaches near the hotel are not for swimming. The beach in front of the hotel is beautiful but it's very, very rocky (ouch!) and the waves are intense (ouch!). The concierge told us it was fine to swim in the beaches to the left (Playa Santa Teresa) and to the right of the hotel (Playa Hermosa) but we found these to be way too rough, as well. Some tide pools form directly in front of the hotel for a few hours each day, but those are pretty shallow and not very exciting. We took an excursion to Cabo Blanco National Park and hiked down to Playa Cabo Blanco, which was beautiful and a great place to get in the water, but the hour and a half hike back to the trail head prevented us from having too much fun.

6. For a 5-star hotel, the staff wasn't all that helpful. They were friendly and answered our questions and we got a fruit bowl and free half bottle of wine on the first night, but they didn't go above and beyond in any other way...for us, at least. We spent a lot of time by the pool (because of issue 5 - no beaches) and we weren't asked if we wanted something to drink until the third day. The restaurant is a short walk away so I could have gone to the bar, but I shouldn't have to. Further, while nice, the concierge staff didn't seem all that tuned into what we wanted or needed out of excursions, restaurants, etc. For example, the concierge booked us a reservation at Al Chile Viola and told us it was easy to walk to. In hindsight, he should have called us a taxi or at least offered us a flashlight. I thought I was going to die walking back to the hotel...either as a victim of a mugging or a car hitting me because they couldn't see me on the pitch black road. So please don't walk to Al Chile Viola...the restaurant is good, though!

7. Along the same line as the previous point, the restaurant staff seemed particularly inattentive. Food came out at normal speed but then we would sit and sit and sit waiting for the bill. Toward the end of our visit, we just got bolder and went back to our room or pool without closing out. They'll find you eventually.

I hope you find this review helpful. Overall, it was a great trip, but I wish I had been better prepared for the experience at Florblanca. I've been to Costa Rica before and I will go again, but I do not feel compelled to return to this hotel.

We've stayed at the Florblanca several times over the past few years and have never been disappointed. The location is perfect: right on the beach, at the quieter end of Santa Teresa. There's nothing like watching the sunset from your own room. To a person, the staff is extremely well trained and very pleasant. They obviously like what they do. And we found no reason to go anywhere else for food, as the restaurant has an excellent menu and serves delicious food. The rooms dot the lush grounds and you don't really notice any neighbors. This time we stayed in the Florblanca Surf House, which is on the beach next door to the hotel itself and is a very sweet spot for 2 couples or a couple with kids. On-site yoga classes are great, and the 2-level pool fits perfectly into the tropical beach setting. This hotel is truly a fantastic get-away spot.