Arenas del Mar Beach and Nature Resort

Chips and Dips Recipes!

2012-02-17T09:50:00.000-08:00

Our guests often tell us how much they enjoy the freshly made chips and dips at Arenas del Mar. Here are a few recipes for you to try out for yourself. Be sure to share a photo of your creation on our Facebook page!!

Jalapeño and Cilantro Dip

250 g cream cheese
250 g sour cream
75 g jalapeño
10 g fresh cilantro

Finely chop the jalapeno with fresh cilantro, mix together the cream cheese and sour cream, salt, pepper to taste

Mushroom garlic Dip

250 g cream cheese
250 g sour cream
150 g mushroom
5 g garlic

Cook the mushroom and garlic, then chop finely, mix with the cream cheese and sour cream, salt, pepper to taste

Chips:

To make chips, yuca (cassava) tiquisqui (cocoyam) platano verde (green plantain) papa (potato):

Do the same procedure for all tubers:
Slicing very thin, then put in hot vegetable oil lowered one by one, leave it until crisp, salt to taste

Hammocks at Playitas

2012-02-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

There is a new Costa Rican attraction at Arenas del Mar...hammocks hanging from the trees on our famous Playitas beach. The hammocks are located in one of the most beautiful and secluded locations of our property. Now guests can enjoy a sangria, reading their favorite book or even just taking a siesta under the shade of the trees, listening to the sounds of the waves nearby.

Recent Guest's Adventures!

2012-02-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

A guest blog fom one of our recent guests! Read all about their experiences at Arenas del Mar! Thank you Lisa for sharing your stories and photos with us!

My husband and I are not the typical middle aged New York travelers. According to all of our family and friends we are 'crazy'. Our idea of a vacation is not sitting on a beach sipping pina coladas. We like to occupy every moment with an adventure - whether it's searching Florida lakes for alligators or lifting rocks in the Nevada desert looking for rattlesnakes - it's always an adventure. Someday maybe we'll have our own TV show - 'The misadventures of the middle aged travelers'.

Costa Rica is an adventure and Arenas Del Mar was our destination. I mean it doesn't have to be an adventure, you can keep yourself occupied just by sitting on the beach with an umbrella drink, watching the monkeys and listening to the ocean or you can do what we do - look for moments that you will remember for a lifetime. And we will remember every moment of this trip for a lifetime. We were there in late September 2011 - the 'green season' - meaning the 'rainy' season. It doesn't rain all day every day it usually only rains in the afternoon so take your tours as early as possible.

Upon arrival we were driven up to the reception area and were greeted with a cold refreshment and smiling faces. Then we were taken to our Ocean View PremiumSuite which was our own little paradise - if you can swing it - book it - you won't regret it - there's nothing like sitting on your deck in your private jacuzzi listening to the ocean waves. And the beds, you won't want to get out of them in the morning. They also give you a mini fridge which they stock daily with refreshments and 'tico' snacks - but don't forget to lock it up because the monkeys know how to open them.

We stayed at this resort for 4 nights - which was not long enough - we didn't want to leave. The staff was friendly, the food was delicious, the grounds are beaming with wildlife, the room spectacular. We felt like royalty.

Take advantage of every minute - Book a couples massage at the spa to relax you after a day of hiking - Go down to the beach in the afternoon to watch the monkeys - Ask the staff to show you the sloths that are out every morning - Get room service at least one night - Take the Manual Antonio National Park Tour - explore the landscaping - you will not regret staying here.

We rented an SUV which was a good choice - even though it was quite expensive - as it enabled us to explore the area. The ride from the airport is a little rough but it was worth it. Also - invest in a good camera for your trip - you will be glad you did and if you have a telescope bring it (although you will always find Ersel around the property with his telescope for your viewing pleasure).

Also - bring rain ponchos - and remember to bring them on your adventures - don't be like my husband and I who went on a rainforest adventure by ourselves without out them. We got caught in a wild thunderstorm 2 miles into our 4 mile walk - I mean where do you run for shelter in the middle of a rainforest during a thunderstorm? The answer is nowhere - you just run - hoping to come to the end of the trail. The paths became streams and the trees that surrounded us became lightning rods. I kept telling my husband that if we didn't survive this our friends and family would say 'Well, they die doing what they loved'. It wasn't so funny then but we can laugh about it now. When we finally got to the end of the trail we were a bit disappointed that there weren't people applauding us for surviving. Oh - and at that moment it stopped raining - of course. We were soaked to the bone - but we survived without being washed down the mountain or bitten by snakes. Would I do it again? Sure, I'll skip the lightning though.

We will remember every moment of this trip for a lifetime - so much so that we are coming back in September 2012 to 'finish' our trip - although I don't think this beautiful paradise could ever be finished. There are so many places to see - and so many places to re-visit. Arenas del Mar being one of them - I am so looking forward to our return.

-Lisa

Interested in being a guest blogger and sharing your experiences at Arenas del Mar with others? Email socialmarketing@cayugaonline.com for more information!

What do the Hotel Employees Eat?

2011-12-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

I started out in the hospitality industry at the very bottom, in a fast food franchise. I would leave every shift at Subway with a sandwich in hand. To this day, I have never eaten another Subway sandwich since I quit in junior year of high school. Not that I don’t like them, trust me, just like everyone else, I think the bread baking in the oven smell is amazing whenever I walk by a Subway. I don’t know, I just never really felt like I really wanted a Subway sandwich since then. Then I ended up working in a Japanese restaurant where family meal (the industry term for the meal eaten by employees at the end of the night with everybody) was so amazing and I gained 5 pounds working there. Eventually, I started working in hotels and this is where the variably employee dining became huge. I have worked in some hotels where the employee dining is pretty decent and if you make friends with the chefs, they’ll even make you personalized grilled cheeses and tuna melts when you’re craving one. I’ve also worked in other hotels where you’ll look at the mystery meat that’s probably been sitting there since the morning and you wonder if your starving stomach is worth trying whatever that thing is.

Although many people reading this may have found it interesting to see my week in the restaurants, many probably didn’t think about what I ate in employee dining after. So, I thought I’d give a glimpse into what is served at Petatillo, the employee dining “restaurant.” I was actually really excited and curious about eating here because as amazing as being able to eat in the restaurants at Arenas Del Mar for a week, I really wanted to try some real traditional Costa Rican food that local people would eat on a daily basis, so this definitely has given that opportunity to try that.

All of the food here is cooked by Carmen, who I have deemed my “fake mom” while I’m here. One constant at every meal is rice, beans, and iced tea or some kind of fruit juice. There is sometimes some salad as well. But the variety of the main part of the meal goes from fried fish, to soup, to some type of meat, to noodles. A lot of the meat is cooked in a curry-like sauce that is delicious or something in something similar to a mix between BBQ and teriyaki sauce. One of my favorites was the noodles, while the soup and fried fish were a bit more different. The one thing similar though is that they’re all very tasty. Although this is definitely not what I eat a home, it has that “home” taste simply because it’s home-cooked! But, I’ll just let the pictures do the talking!

Dinner Extras

2011-12-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

The last part from my little three-part bit about the chef’s compliments here at Arenas Del Mar. So for dinner, there is always two choices of bread: whole wheat and another option. It ranges from white bread, to sundried tomatoes, to olive bread, to spice bread, to capers bread, to some others I can’t even remember. But it’s always quite tasty and they always give you a pat of herbed butter to go along with it. Yum. I apologize for no pictures, but I always ate my bread too quickly and just always forgot to take a picture of it. But hey, it’s bread, everybody’s seen bread before.

Additionally, there is always a little amuse-bouche of sorts. Usually it is some sort of chip with a dip on top. For example, it could be a fried tortilla chip with some chutney on top, toasted chips with a scallion and chives dip, or baked chips with a watermelon and mango salsa, or a toasted plantain with black bean and fresh pico de gallo, and on the last night, it was even sushi rice topped with a bit of tuna, avocado, and sesame seeds. It was always a little treat to look forward to and perfectly triggers your stomach to start craving your dinner!

Lunch Extras at Playitas

2011-12-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

As a continuation from yesterday’s post, I am going to talk a bit about the chef’s compliments given at lunch every day in Playitas Restaurant at Arenas del Mar. This is definitely one of my favorite parts about lunch as well. After you order, the waiter will bring over the “chips of the day.” Sometimes it’s potato chips, yuca chips, or plantain chips. They’re always freshly fried as they’re still warm and still have just a bit of oil on them. These chips are always good plain, but they always have a house made dip as well. Sometimes it’s roasted red peppers, garlic, or mushroom. I can’t remember them all, but let me tell you, they were good. I always wanted to ask for more chips to finish the dip! It was always just enough to get me hungry and really look forward to my real lunch!

Breakfast Extras

2011-12-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

While I covered all the meals that I ate here at Arenas del Mar's two restaurants, I didn’t mention much about some of my favorite parts of the meal: the compliments of the chef. For breakfast, other than whatever you ordered, you would also receive fruit juice, coffee or tea, and a plate of fresh fruit consisting of a sample of star fruit, pineapple, papaya, watermelon, and some others. I love fruit so this was definitely always one of my favorites.

Another thing they also serve you at breakfast is an assorted baked goods and pastries platter consisting of three different things. Some of them would be sweet like banana bread, cinnamon sticks, mango strudel, marble bread, banana nut muffin, almond cookies, cinnamon buns, and caramel cake. The others would be savory like croissants, cheese breads, spice breads, and cheese sticks. Man, these were definitely one of my favorite parts of breakfast as I’d guess what they would bring me each morning before I had even gotten the main part of my meal. Quite a little treat each morning!

Ocean Breeze Rooms

2011-12-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

For the past week, I’ve been staying in a Ocean Breeze Superior Room in Building Two (there are seven buildings total.) For all of those people out there like me who like to check their email all the time, no worries because there is free wifi in all of the rooms. Another bonus for people whose cell phones don’t work down in Costa Rica is that there is free international calling as well!

One of the best things about the room is the shower. I was a bit confused at first when I walked into the bathroom and didn’t see a shower door or curtain. But I understood after I took my first shower. The shower is SOOOO big that there is no way water will splash outside! I’m 5’5” and I even laid down in it to test how big it is. (I still had a couple of extra inches with my feet against one side!) I also liked using the eco-friendly shampoo, conditioner, and body wash provided in the various dispensers. No need to worry about wasting the last little bit in those disposable little bottles.

Another great thing about the room is the patio/deck area. This area is outfitted with cushioned chairs that are great for curling up with a book or just sitting out there and thinking or enjoying a drink. Especially since the weather is not too hot or cold in Costa Rica right now, it is very nice to just sit outside.

The best part about the room though is simply the location of Arenas Del Mar. You know those things that people buy that imitates the sound of rain or ocean/waves to help them sleep? Yeah, it’s like that, except it’s actually the Pacific Ocean! I can literally hear the ocean from my room!

Animal Encounters and the Tico Bar

2011-12-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

Teresa's experiences with animals and the minibar...

Encounters with nature here are pretty common. There are the bugs flying around, the mini Godzilla-like reptiles crawling on the ground, and obviously monkeys and sloths flying in the trees. I hear the monkeys in the trees and saw them from afar, but I never thought I would get really close to them.

I had gone to bed really early last night (early for me is before 1 am, really early is before midnight. What can I say, college habits. Also, I’m still young enough to function on less than 8 hours of sleep and then recover by sleeping in on the weekends.) but heard what I thought were the guests next door coming back in. I get it, this is a vacation spot and a lot of people honeymoon here. Maybe they had a little too much to drink at the bar tonight. But a minute later, they were still really loudly talking by my door. I had no idea what they were saying though since it was really muffled and I was already asleep and was only half conscious. Another minute later, they only seemed to get louder and I was becoming pretty awake at this point from the noise. Trust me, it’s not that easy to wake me up. And in my half-awake, half-asleep state, I realize that it’s too loud to be from the next room. So, I suddenly jump up because I’m freaked out someone’s in my room. I suddenly see some movement through the glass sliding door to the patio/deck area and I realize, “Holy crap. There are monkeys raiding my mini fridge!” (At least I assume it’s monkeys; I didn’t get a good look at them since it was dark!)

This brings me to one of my favorite amenities: the Tico Bar, a complimentary “mini bar.” It’s not a true mini bar per se as it doesn’t have alcohol, but Arenas Del Mar provides a variety of Costa Rican snacks for you to taste. One of my favorite things to do when I go travel is just to stop at a convenience store and look at the different types of chocolate bars, potato chips, and sodas they have, so I really appreciate this. But back to the story, I had forgotten to lock the cabinet holding the fridge and the monkeys were so smart and knew where the mini fridge was that they had opened the fridge and making a bunch of noise screaming at each other! Oh god. Thank goodness I didn’t have anything in the fridge other than a couple of tea packet, which they tore open and threw all over the patio/deck area. But for a good two minutes, I sat upright in my bed, scared to move because in my bewildered “just woken up” state, I couldn’t remember if I had locked the glass door or not and was afraid the monkeys wouldn’t be placated by my empty fridge and would try to come inside the room. I never would have considered monkeys animals I’m afraid of, but I sure do now! Thankfully, they got bored with my empty fridge pretty fast and left, but boy, let’s just say it wasn’t easy to fall back asleep after that little incident!

Catamaran Tour

2011-12-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, I didn’t know what a catamaran was until I signed up for this tour. Yacht, cruise, and sailboat just about covered my knowledge of all things boating. So with my newfound knowledge, I was excited to go on this tour!

We left Arenas del Mar in the mid-afternoon and went to the marina in Quepos with the hopes that if the weather was good, we would be able to see the sunset. I honestly wasn’t quite sure what the tour was about. Was it just to go on a boat ride (which was perfectly fine with me!) or was it to go see some animals (which was also great with me!) With some beverages and fresh fruit prepared on board, we were off. We rode off for a while and the breeze and the ocean air was perfect to relax and just stare out onto the horizon. It was absolutely gorgeous and so very calming. There were a lot of birds flying really, really close to the boat. Honestly, I felt like if I stuck out my hand, I could have touched them!

Then after a while, I heard one of the crew members start shouting, there were dolphins! At first they were a bit off in the distance and you could only see them rising together with their fin popping out, but the captain of the boat went off in their direction and then they were right below the catamaran! It was amazing, but they disappeared after a while.

After another refreshment of some cookies and crackers, we had our next exciting sighting, humpback whales. It was just like in the movies where the whale jumps out and splashes back down, except there were two whales! I’m assuming a mama whale and a baby whale since one was much bigger. It was amazing. The captain just kept following them for a long while and it was honestly unreal seeing a huge humpback whale jump out or see it spray through its breathing hole or just to see a bit of its huge back pop up. Originally, the tour included snorkeling, but the captain decided to follow the whales for a while and skip out on snorkeling since we wouldn’t be able to see much since it was dark and it’s not every day that a whale sighting happens!

After that, the crew docked the catamaran for a dinner of tuna pasta salad, a make-your-own-sandwich line, salad, fresh fruit, and some cookies. Although it was a bit cloudy so there wasn’t a real “sunset” per say, there were streaks of bright pink and orange peeking out from behind the dark clouds. Then an unexpected surprise was when one of the crew members who was Jamaican came out dressed as Bob Marley and started playing a banjo. We were all given some instruments such as a tambourine and played along as he sang. A perfect way to end the evening!

White Water Rafting – Savegre River

2011-12-10T15:20:00.000-08:00

White water rafting on the Savegre River was just what I needed to shake things up! I got up early and they drove us to their office first to have some breakfast of rice & beans, scrambled eggs, and some fresh fruit. Also delicious! We picked up some people there and then got started on our journey to the Savegre River which was about 45 minutes away from Arenas Del Mar. The road there passes amazing scenery such as plantations, waterfalls, and small villages.

We finally arrived at the river and got outfitted in life jackets, helmets, and paddles and were off. There is one guide who goes ahead in a kayak to photograph the best moments when you get splashed. On this day, there were three boats total with the majority of them being a bachelor party from San Diego. What a great idea visiting Costa Rica with some buddies to celebrate a boys-only week! If I don’t say so myself, our boat was definitely the best. The bachelor boys seemed to have some trouble with synchronizing. Some of them fell out of their boats (maybe on purpose at some points!) and one accidentally got hit in the face with a paddle. Don’t worry, it is perfectly safe and the guides go over safety precautions and procedures, you know, boys will be boys! Our boat had no issues whatsoever and the only time I went over is at a relaxed spot in the river where the guide said we could jump in if we wanted. There were a lot of great rapids where we got completely soaked. The guides would tell us their funny names such as “The Widower” or “Bienvenidos!” The Savegre River is level II-III rafting, so it was the perfect amount of excitement. Also, one advantage of going during the green season is that with the large amount of rain in the previous weeks, the river was at a perfect level right now! We stopped at a waterfall to swim around for a bit and then eat lunch. Lunch was a delicious spread of tuna pasta, rice and beans, vegetables, and fresh pico de gallo. Yum! Afterwards, there were a couple more rapids and then back to the van to dry off!

Overall, white water rafting is definitely a tour you can’t miss! No matter if you’re looking for some family fun or to spice things up during a romantic getaway, white water rafting will do the trick!

The Canopy Tour!

2011-12-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

Our intern, Teresa's, next tour was the Canopy Zip-line Tour with Canopy Safari... I had heard Costa Rica is famous for these zip-line tours so I was pretty excited! Words honestly can’t describe how incredible this tour was, but I’ll try. The tour company picked us up and made a couple of other stops at some hotels and we were off! We arrived and were greeted with some fresh fruit and coffee. Perfect because I only woke up with just enough time to brush my teeth. Before we started on the main activities, our guide took us around their butterfly farm and also showed us some snakes!

Then we got outfitted in our harnesses, helmets, and other gear and were off. They gave us all the safety information we needed to know, but honestly, with all the harnesses and safety measures, I wasn’t scared at all. All I have to say is I’m definitely zip-lining sometime again. It was so amazingly fun! Our guides showed us how we could go across: holding onto the strap with our hands, hands free, or even upside down! I definitely had some fun there and zipped around upside down like Spiderman! But not only did the tour have 10 zip-lines, it also had 2 rappels down, 1 “Tarzan Swing,” and 1 suspension bridge. There was definitely a trust factor in that tiny piece of metal connecting you to the rope, especially during the rappel down, but overall, it was very exciting and entertaining, even for people with a fear of heights (me!) The guides would goof around with you and pretend they didn’t know you were coming down the zip-line and “forget” to catch you until the last minute or there would be guides on either side of the “Tarzan Swing” pushing you back and forth! The only thing I seemed to miss out on was the memo to bring an extra change of clothing. It was raining the whole time we were there, but that just added another layer of excitement to the whole trip. I didn’t even mind I was getting completely soaked, but the warm lunch of arroz con pollo (rice with chicken), beans, and fried plantains was exactly what my body was craving after all of that fun. Like I said before, you honestly can’t describe this tour to somebody in words, you just have to trust me when I say this is definitely something you cannot miss while at Arenas Del Mar!

Our Interns Experience at Manuel Antonio Park

2011-12-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

I went on the Manuel Antonio National Park Tour and honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. There’s free access to part of Espadilla Beach, which is within walking distance from the hotel, but then part of the beach is in the National Park, which requires a ticket to get in. A small part of me was definitely questioning how good the tour would be since I thought maybe you could see everything inside the national park outside for free.

Thank goodness we had our very knowledgeable guide, Ersel. The main thing about guides is that they seem to have a special radar for the animals that I would have never spotted if it weren’t for them. Also, he had an awesome binocular/telescope that was able to zoom in super clearly on animals that were high up in trees. Half the time I would see the animal through the lens, then I wouldn’t be able to find it afterwards with my naked eyes. (Hm, maybe he was just showing us photographs!) Not only that, but the guide showed us how to put our camera up to his lens so we could take a picture through the binocular/telescope! I never knew you could do that. Pretty cool!

Honestly, Ersel would suddenly stop in the middle of the trail and set up the lens and suddenly we were staring up at a sloth or an iguana or some special bird! Not only did the guide pick out big animals from far away, but he was also able to spot some tiny ones that I would have just stepped on. At one point, he picked up a millipede and taught us the difference between them and centipedes (millipedes have four legs per section of their body while centipedes only have two.) Additionally, he pointed out a termite nest to us and taught us that if we were ever lost in a rain forest, termites were edible and healthy since its 80% protein. Then he asked if wanted to taste one. I was a bit apprehensive, but I said yes. Not the best tasting thing ever, obviously, but it had a bit of a minty taste. It wasn’t so much that it tasted bad, but the thought that I had a termite in me made me feel a bit itchy all over! Another highlight was when he showed us a lizard and then let it bite him on the ear. The lizard hung onto to his earlobe so it looked like an earring. Quite funny!

We got a 30 minute break at Espadilla Beach where we all went in for a quick swim in the Pacific Ocean. I usually don’t like swimming in the ocean because I hate that sticky feeling from salty water after you get out, but it looked so inviting I had to run in. It was a lot of fun after walking around for over an hour or so.

At the exit, we all stopped for a refreshing coconut. Considering how expensive coconut water is in back home (oh celebrity detox diets…), it was fun to get a fresh one and have the guy use a machete to chop it open right in front of you and all for just $2! We finished the tour with the cutest site of a momma sloth with its baby just outside of the hotel entrance. Then back at the hotel, we rested and cooled off with some fresh fruit juice, fruit slices, and the best chips and salsa ever!

Tortilla Making Activity!

2011-11-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

The next few posts will be from our intern who took part in many of the activities and tours available through the Resort. Here is her first one on tortilla making!

A great thing Arenas Del Mar provides for its guests is some activities during the day. I decided to partake in their “Make Your Own Tortilla” afternoon! We arrived and Carmen had already prepared everything and had one tortilla cooking!

Carmen proceeded to show us how to make a tortilla by flattening it gently with the palm of our hand while turning it with our other hand. Trust me, it’s harder than it looks! Carmen also showed us how to make coffee using a traditional Costa Rican filter method.

Finally, we each got to make our own tortilla. Mine definitely was not as round as Carmen’s! And our final product was complimented with some cheese and sour cream. Although the coffee wasn’t my first choice of drink to pair with my tortilla, it was just the jolt I needed in the afternoon!

View a previously posted video on the tortilla making activity on our Facebook page!

Celebrating Our 4th Anniversary!!

2011-11-11T13:31:00.000-08:00

On November 11, 2007, Arenas del Mar opened its doors!! Since then, we've had the privilege to serve over 31,000 guests and have given over 18,000 tours! We've also earned numerous awards and recognitions: 5 stars, 5 leaves, Frommers Choice, Conde Nast 130 Hot New Hotels, Forbes Traveler 50 best new hotels of the world, Andrew Harper...just to name a few! We are so proud of our team and their ongoing commitment to make Arenas del Mar the best hotel in Manuel Antonio!

More culinary delights!

2011-11-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

The last few days of our intern's culinary experience at Arenas Del Mar!

Second to last day of this eating plan and in a way, I’m glad it’s ending soon because I’m positive I’ve put on weight eating this much! Thank goodness I’m getting some exercise by walking up to El Mirador Restaurant every other meal. Don’t worry, there is lodging right next to it or golf carts for transportation if you don’t want an uphill walk!

I started the morning with a breakfast burrito. While tortillas here are usually small hand-made corn tortillas, the one for the breakfast burritos was one of the large flour ones that I prefer. It was filled with scrambled egg, avocado, and topped with cheese. Yummy! Although a bit messy to eat, totally worth it!

I was pretty hungry at lunch, so I started off with a watermelon smoothie, then a chicken salad and ceviche. The chicken salad had juicy chicken pieces and thick slices of avocado on top. I love avocado and loved how generous they were with their avocado portions compared to back home where it seems like you only get two slices even though you pay extra for it! But not here, it comes with it topped on the salad. The sweet teriyaki and mango dressing was delicious and fruity as well. Another thing I love is ceviche. The tangy, sour taste of fresh lime juice with tomatoes, cilantro and fish is perfect to me. But after all that food, I was stuffed and skipped out on dessert.

For dinner, I started with a strawberry smoothie (I’m in love with these smoothies now that I’ve started drinking them!) For my entrée, I ordered the Bacon Wrapped Chicken Medallion. It was juicy chicken with crispy bacon and a sweet, tangy smoked mango sauce that was very similar to a barbeque sauce. It was exactly what I wanted considering I love barbeque from ribs to McNuggets with BBQ sauce or barbeque pulled pork. In fact, I was just craving barbeque sauce the other day and thinking it would be a while until I would get to eat some. I finished it all off with a Bailey’s Cheesecake. This might sound crazy to some people, but I believe there is such a thing as a perfect crust to cheesecake ratio and most places have too much “cheesecake.” The Bailey’s Cheesecake came with a Oreo-cookie crust and a thinner layer of cheesecake that was the perfect ratio. Yummy! This was definitely one of my favorite meals so far!

Day 7...

My last day of eating in the restaurants here at Arenas Del Mar. It’s been a lot of fun, but I’m glad I can go back to my (maybe a bit unhealthy) habit of skipping breakfast now!

I started off my last morning with the traditional Costa Rican breakfast, gallo pinto. It is rice& beans served with scrambled eggs, cheese, a tortilla, and fried plantains. One of my favorite parts was the cheese. Although it’s the same local cheese that has been served through the week, they cut it into thick slices and“fried” it so it tasted almost like grilled halloumi cheese, which I love!

Then for lunch, I started with a pineapple smoothie. It came in a huge “goblet!” Yummy! I ordered the beef chalupas since I’ve never had chalupas before! It came in a large, crispy flour tortilla (yum, you know how I feel about corn vs. flour tortillas!) Inside of that were strips of beef, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, and some fresh pico de gallo. Delicious. The crunchy tortilla really gave it some extra oomph with the crispy texture. I decided to finish it all off with a key lime pie. Yummy! It was a really refreshing dessert compared to all of the chocolate I’ve had in the previous days!

For dinner, I started off with a watermelon smoothie again since I liked it so much the last time I ordered it. Then a mother who was at the Arenas Del Mar with her two daughters saw me eating alone and invited me to join them! How nice of them! So, I went over to their table and enjoyed the rest of my meal with them and learned a little about them and why they’re here (To relax and have a girls only trip. A very good reason indeed!). I started off with the soup I ordered the first night, Squash and Tomato Cream Soup. I loved it the first night and I still do! Then I tried the Tamarind Glazed Half Chicken. It was a HUGE piece of chicken that had a sweet honey-tasting glaze that was really delicious. I couldn’t finish all of the rice that came with it though since I wanted to save some room for dessert. I ordered the brownies again for dessert since they were so good the last time and well, you know my love for chocolate.

So, that’s it with me covering the restaurants here at Arenas Del Mar. I will be blogging more about other things going on here and maybe some behind-the-scenes action, so stay tuned!

Culinary Experience at Arenas del Mar - Part 2!

2011-10-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

Here's another three days of Teresa's food diaries from her meals at Playitas and El Mirador! Enjoy!

Day 2...

I woke up to pouring rain this morning. I’m usually just a coffee in the morning type of girl anyways, so one look out my window and decided that some eggs really just weren’t worth it! Boy did I regret it after another hour.

I headed to Playitas Restaurant starving for some food! So, I decided to start with the Pacific Tuna Salad. When the menu said sesame dressing, I didn’t expect it to be cream based, but was pleasantly surprised! I also raised my eyebrows a bit when it said there were potatoes in the salad, but it turned out to complement it very well. Considering I only like olives on my pizzas (yes, not even in martinis!), I probably should have ordered the salad without them, but that’s just a personal choice!

Next, I ordered the Caprese Sandwich. I love, love, LOVE mozzarella cheese, so I was a bit disappointed when it arrived and it wasn’t. But the sandwich was still delicious with such soft bread and a basil spread almost to the point of pesto. It also came with delicious chips that were served with a sweet tomato sauce that were perfect. I’m usually not a fan of sweet sauces, but this one hit the spot! After so much food for lunch, I simply could not eat dinner today! Lesson learned. L Won’t make this mistake tomorrow!

Day 3...

It was raining again when I woke up this morning, but after becoming ravenous after skipping breakfast, I got myself up to El Mirador Restaurant. Before you even receive what you ordered for breakfast, the wait staff brings you a plate of fresh fruit and assorted pastries. Nothing like some health fresh fruit to start the day! The assorted pastries were a mini croissant (so cute!), cinnamon sticks, and banana bread. I definitely was not able to finish all of that!

I ordered banana pancakes that came with mango, blackberry, and coconut syrup. I tried a little bit of each, but personally, I thought eating it with just the plain syrup and fruit it came with was perfect.

For lunch, I went to Playitas and ordered the Ocean Pizza. It was a delicious flatbread pizza topped with calamari, shrimp, and scallops with pesto sauce. Yummy! It was the perfect amount of food. After yesterday’s huge lunch, I learned my lesson so I wouldn’t be too full to eat dinner!

I went back to El Mirador for dinner and ordered the Traditional Arroz con Pollo aka Rice with Chicken. It came with a tortilla and fresh pico de gallo. To me, it was a Latin American version of fried rice! Very yummy. I saved space for dessert today and ordered the Chocolate Truffle Torte with Vanilla Ice Cream. It came warm and flaky and was just what I was looking for. Perfect way to end the meal!

Day 4...

Another winning day where I made it to all three meals. Success! Trust me, in my normal life, I definitely should eat healthier (and proper meals), but that is neither here nor there.

I started the morning off right with an omelet filled with mushrooms, cheese, and bell peppers. I also tried the two different sauces they have on the table every morning: Lizano Salsa and Banquete Chilero Salsa Picante. I don’t know if it was just me, but the Lizano Salso almost had a bit of curry taste to it with a little bit of spicy. Banquete Chilero is more of the classic hot sauce you would expect. Although I did like both of them, I thought my omelet tasted best with both sauces mixed together. The omelet also came with some potatoes. Yum, yum, yum!

I was feeling something greasy at lunch time so I ordered the fried calamari that came with a spicy chipotle aioli, chips, and a salad. I asked for some lemon as well because that’s my favorite over calamari. The chipotle aioli was definitely spicy with just a little bit of tang. There was a sweet dressing that I couldn’t quite figure out on the salad that complemented it perfectly. I still felt like I had a bit of room afterwards, so I ordered the cheesecake for dessert. Classic NY cheesecake with strawberries on top. Clearly, I was the epitome of health at lunch today.

After my huge lunch, I thought I should go with something a bit healthier at dinner. I started with the Sopa Negra (Grandmother’s Soup.) It’s a traditional black bean soup served with tortilla chips. I won’t lie; I was a bit apprehensive about this soup considering I hate beans. Yes, I HATE beans. I don’t order them in my burritos, I don’t eat them refried, I don’t eat them ever. So, why did I order this soup then? Well, the menu said it was one of Costa Rica’s most traditional soups and they got a recipe from one of the staff’s grandma, so I had to try it! Turns out, it was delicious. Although it is pitch black, it was tasty and didn’t have any of the usual “bean”-y texture that I dislike. The soup is a bit thick since it tastes like they pureed the beans, but is rich and full of flavor. The tortilla chips were perfect to give it a bit more crunch. Then I had the Chef’s Sea Bass that came served on top of yucca. It was delicious with the fresh tomatoes and onion served on top of it. After a filling day, I had to say no to dessert.

Do you have a favorite meal from your stay with us at Arenas del Mar?

Culinary Experience at Arenas del Mar

2011-10-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

We are currently hosting a Cornell graduate, Teresa, who will be interning with us for the next few months. She'll be writing about activities and events around the hotel. Her first one below is all about the mouthwatering food you'll experience during your stay with us!

Starting from today, I will be on a mission for one week to try the various culinary delights provided by the chefs at Arenas Del Mar! Doesn’t sound like work to me!

I started off with lunch at Playitas Restaurant and Bar with the Playitas Poki, a mix of rice with tuna and avocado served with their house Asian sauce. As a sushi-lover, I had to order this! I loved the richness the avocado added to the dish. Delicious!

Then dinner was at El Mirador Restaurant right off the lobby area. I loved the dim lighting and color scheme of the restaurant. Too bad I was there alone! Oh well, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. I started off with the Squash and Tomato Cream Soup. It was served in a ying and yang design with the squash soup on one side and the tomato on the other. The lovely contrasting green and red color made it look so festive and reminded me of Christmas! And it was just as delicious. I love soup and after walking to the restaurant in thundering rain, it was just what I needed to warm up!

Next came the Caribbean Style Red Snapper. Although this dish is usually found on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, it was delicious on this side as well! The spicy potatoes that came along with the fish were perfect. I’m usually not a huge broccoli fan, but my mom will be proud to know I finished them all!

I was stuffed by the end, so no dessert tonight! Off to bed after a long day!

Ziplining Adventures in the Rainforest!

2011-09-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

One of our guests favorite activities is the Canopy Tour!! About 4 1/2 hours in length, you will experience a fun adventure while spending time in nature! The canopy tour is a great way to see the rich forests of Costa Rica. While on the canopy tour, you are taken to incredible heights while experiencing a flying sensation, glding across each zipline.

The commute is about 40 minutes through Costa Rica’s country side and palm tree plantations. You will pass many small farm houses and see some very exotic plants along the way. You will arrive at a nice small restaurant where a breakfast buffet will be waiting. Choices generally include fresh fruit, toast, eggs, coffee, water, and juices.

After eating and getting to know some of the other guests, the guides will give safety instructions, demonstrations, all the while making jokes. Everybody will then line up to get their gear fitted and to split up into tour groups. Each group normally has about ten people and one tour guide. One recent guest remarked that the tour remained continuously exciting and interesting the whole time.

You will begin with one very short beginner’s zip-line, to ease everyone into the process. After which you will hike for about fifteen minutes with one water break midway. During the hike, the guide will stop to point out interesting flora and fauna or picturesque focal points.

The zip-lines, from start to finish, lasted a little over an hour. There were ten lines, two repelling lines, and one tarzan swing. The guides are there for you, every step of the way and will aid you in leaping off the platform and there’s always another guide to make sure you arrive safely and gently to the next. There are many safety precautions and secondary hooks, that once started, you will feel completely safe.

You will likely experience a great time during the tour and with the guides, their humor and enthusiasm ensures that everybody has a great time and laughs along the way. After all ten lines, you will arrive back at the restaurant. After the tour, there are t-shirts for sale, and you can buy the professional photos that are taken of your group during the tour. There is also a butterfly garden to take a tour of before departing again.

If you’re going to bring a camera, we suggest making sure that your camera has a wrist-strap attached to it. This way, you can make sure that your camera is securely around your wrist or attached to your equipment.

On the way back, you can stop at a small store to purchase snacks, refreshments, or beers. Once back to Quepos, the guides provide transportation for everyone back to Arenas del Mar.

What is Needed:

Comfortable clothing
Shoes that fit securely to your feet (sneakers are probably best for the hike)
Camera

Included:

Breakfast
Safety gear
Bilingual guide
Garden tour

Sharing with Students about Sustainability

2011-09-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

Recently, we had a nice activity with the students at the school in Manuel Antonio. The students of this school have a great education in preserving the forest and maintaining green practices for the school and town. The staff of Arenas Del Mar participated in one of their lessons, offering presentations about the sustainability practices of the different departments at the hotel: Heiner Ramirez (garden department) explained why and how Arenas Del Mar is #1 in Costa Rica as a green hotel that has the CST (Certification of Sustainable Tourism) and also gave good advice about recycling, cleaning the beach, making compost and others methods of sustainability.

Also, Ersel, one of the tour guides at Arenas Del Mar, gave a very nice presentation about the sloth, an important animal of the forest. He talked about the slow life this animal has.

It was a very educational activity for the kids where they learned a lot about how important it is to preserve the town, by keeping it clean, recycling, saving natural resources and also about wildlife.

If you are interested in participating in our Giving Back program and visiting one of the local schools on your next visit, please let us know! We'd be happy to arrange a visit.

The Beautiful Blue Morpho

2011-09-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

Learn all about the beautiful blue morpho butterfly in this video that one of Arenas Del Mar's tour guides, Ersel, created!

Our town...Manuel Antonio

2011-08-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

While Arenas del Mar does offer its guests exceptional dining services, unique beach access, a private reserve and our wonderful gift shop, we also hope our guests will take some time to visit our local town.

During your stay with us, check out Manuel Antonio for good food, souvenir shopping, cultural experiences or just taking a walk on our beautiful beach. Enjoy a fresh coconut from a local vendor, hike through Manuel Antonio National Park, visit a local book store or check out one of the many sportfishing tours.

Our concierges would be more than happy to arrange tours for you, suggest dining recommendations in Manuel Antonio or Quepos or help you find a local pharmacy or grocery store. We can also arrange taxi service for you. Just let us know how we can help you experience and connect more with our beautiful town!

Manuel Antonio National Park

2011-08-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

A must-do activity during your stay with us at Arenas del Mar is the tour to Manuel Antonio National Park, one of Costa Rica's most loved National Parks.

Manuel Antonio contains a fascinating combination of rain forest, beaches and coral reefs. It hosts a combination of some of the most beautiful beaches, surrounded by little islands, lined with lush forest, and excellent snorkeling. The forest is home to sloth, iguanas, the rare and adorable squirrel monkey, millions of little hermit crabs, brilliant birds and colorful frogs. The trail that winds around Punta Catedral offers spectacular, unforgettable views.

Arenas Del Mar is actually part of the “contention areas” that surround the Manuel Antonio National Park. Including the protected coastline, the reserve of the hotel is part of the biological corridors of the region and is also an area where the animals may roam free without being threatened by people. Respect and compromise to the conservation of the local wildlife are part of the philosophy of Arenas Del Mar. At our hotel one can experience the wildlife confidently and comfortably while traveling through our gardens, trails and forests.

Experience Manuel Antonio National Park at its best by walking through its incredible beauty with one of our experienced resident guides whose trained eye and vast knowledge will make your visit to one of Costa Rica’s most precious locations a unique and unforgettable one.

Wildlife Finding His Breakfast With Us!!

2011-08-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, one nice morning this week, there was an interesting visitor who joined us in the morning to get breakfast with the rest of the guests. In one corner of the roof of the restaurant a Boa constrictor (snake) was waiting, searching for his breakfast. Suddenly the boa saw his moment to hunt a jesus christ lizard (Basilisco).

It happened in front of everybody in the hotel and was a spectacular show. This all took place right next to our restaurant ¨El Mirador¨. It attracted the attention of guests who enjoyed the experience and who watched the process of how the snake could enjoy his breakfast too!

Breakfast in the Wild

2011-08-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

This is a real “Animal Planet” moment! This week in Manuel Antonio National Park, we found a green vine snake eating a lizard (slender anole). The snake was moving slowly and thanks to its great camouflage color, a distracted lizard resting on a little branch nearby didn't notice its approach. Suddenly, the snake moved so fast and with one strong bite caught the lizard! In an instant, the poor lizard became breakfast for the green vine snake!!! It was so wild…

Watch the video of the event here!