The Gilded Iguana in Nosara with Kids: Our Luxury Stopover in Costa Rica

Two nights, one dream – that's probably the best way to sum up our stay at The Gilded Iguana in Nosara. After a rather disappointing start in Tamarindo (more on that in our big Costa Rica travel report), we spontaneously decided to move on to Nosara two nights early and treated ourselves to an upgrade at the Gilded Iguana. Looking back, it was one of the best spontaneous decisions of our entire trip.

At a glance

• Location: Nosara, Nicoya Peninsula, Guanacaste Province, Pacific coast of Costa Rica
• Property: upscale boutique hotel with several pools, including a separate kids' pool
• Rooms: modern, high-quality double rooms, calm colours, natural materials
• Facilities: in-house restaurant with kids' menu, toys at the pool and in the restaurant, no classic kids' club
• Highlight: excellent breakfast and restaurant – some of the best food of our entire Costa Rica trip
• Distances: approx. 100–200 m or a 5-minute walk to the surf beach Playa Guiones (building directly on the seafront isn't allowed because of the nature reserve)

Family-friendliness: no kids' club, but still well thought out

There's no classic kids' club programme at the Gilded Iguana – if that's what you're looking for, you won't find it here. But the hotel has been designed with kids in mind on every level, without losing the character of a boutique hotel. There's a separate kids' pool apart from the main pool, toys are ready and waiting both at the pool and in the restaurant, and the menu includes a dedicated kids' menu. 

The rooms: design meets relaxation

From the design to the service, the Gilded Iguana won us over completely. The rooms are modern and furnished to a high standard: calm colours, natural materials, lots of attention to detail. The exact opposite of the somewhat worn rooms we'd had in Tamarindo before. An important point for anyone travelling to Nosara with kids: there are practically no hotels right on the sea here, because building directly on the coast isn't allowed due to the neighbouring nature reserve. So the Gilded Iguana isn't right on the beach either. But the footpath to Playa Guiones is only about 100 to 200 metres long, and you're down at the water in around five minutes.

Restaurant & breakfast: the secret star

For us, the food at the Gilded Iguana was among the best we ate during our entire Costa Rica trip. Breakfast is fresh, varied and lovingly presented – a little highlight for us every morning before heading to the beach. Thanks to the kids' menu and toys at the table, eating out with a child was relaxed, too.

Value for money

At around 350 euros per night, the Gilded Iguana is clearly in the upper price range for Nosara. For comparison: our base for the remaining eight nights, the Sunset Shack, cost about half that. But for two special nights to arrive and unwind, it was worth every euro to us – and saying goodbye was hard accordingly.

Things to do around Nosara with kids

Nosara is part of the so-called Blue Zone, one of only ten regions worldwide where people are proven to live especially long lives. That might also explain the relaxed, health-conscious way of life here. There's plenty to do around the Gilded Iguana:

• Playa Guiones – Nosara's main beach and one of the best-known surf spots in the world. Unspoilt, with no bars or sun loungers, but with a wonderful evening atmosphere when the whole town gathers for sunset. Tip: be sure to bring a parasol or beach tent – there's hardly any shade here.
• Playa Pelada – just a short walk away, with one of the most beautiful sunsets we saw in Costa Rica.
• Playa Garza – a small fishing village with the rustic Pilos Bar, known for ceviche and shrimp pasta with a sea view.
• Playa Barrigona – a little further out, best reached by taxi or rental car. At the end of the beach you'll find shady spots under palm trees, perfect for playing with kids. And thousands of hermit crabs!
• Day trip to Rio Celeste in Tenorio National Park – a real highlight, but also quite an effort: the drive takes around 3–4 hours, plus 250 steps down (and back up again) to the turquoise waterfall. Definitely doable with a baby or toddler in a carrier, but not to be underestimated.
• Finca Verde Lodge – a small, sustainably run patch of rainforest without cages, where we actually spotted a sloth family with a baby. For us, a far better alternative to sloth tourism with a petting factor.

Our verdict on the Gilded Iguana

If you want to treat yourselves to something special for one or two nights in Nosara, the Gilded Iguana is just the place: stylish, kid-friendly and top-notch when it comes to food. For a longer stay, we'd rather recommend our actual base, the laid-back Sunset Shack – also in Nosara, but much cheaper and with a real jungle feeling.

You'll find more about our entire Costa Rica trip with a child – including getting there, budget and restaurant tips for Nosara – in our detailed travel report.

Visit The Gilded Iguana