El Faro (The Lighthouse) is part of the Las Tortugas apartment complex, located 3 blocks from the beachfront Las Tortugas Hotel and the adjacent main entrance to Playa Grande. "El Faro Up" occupies the upper two floors of the building (please see our other listing for "El Faro Down"). Enjoy a secluded space with wading pool, PLUS all of the amenities of our beachfront hotel: swimming pool & toddler pool, hot jacuzzi, hammocks, reading deck, bar/restaurant, beach path, yoga center, and more!
The space
El Faro Up is an eccentric second-level apartment located at the top of a serene forest hill surrounded by tropical gardens. It has a full kitchen and 3 beds: on the top floor "lantern room", there is a custom-built round queen bed, while on entry level there are two single sofa beds. With air conditioning, hot water shower and cable TV, it is a great place to rest and relax after a day at the beach and our hotel grounds. Sit outside on the private balcony upstairs or in the tropical garden by the shared small wading pool and watch the monkeys, iguanas, tropical birds and other wildlife!
Please note that Las Tortugas apartments is a simple "nature lodge" environment, not a resort style accommodation, and our prices reflect that.
Internet and cable TV can sometimes be affected by weather in the low season, and heavy tourist traffic in the high season (just a fact of life of being in rural Costa Rica!). Our pictures are nice but you may encounter hostel quality linens (clean but well used), and insects/dust that come in from the dry forest environment, even with daily maid service cleanings.
The beds have simple foam mattresses and the kitchen has the very basic essentials. Guests who enjoy their stay the most spend the majority of their time on the beach and on our hotel grounds.
NOTE: Usually El Faro guests occupy the wading pool. It is shared with the complex but there are usually not many people who use it. All guests have access to the hotel's large pool and grounds as well.
NOTA: Por lo general, los huéspedes de El Faro ocupan la piscina infantil. Se comparte con el complejo, pero generalmente no hay muchas personas que lo usen.
Other things to note
NOTE: El Faro Up is very basic, meant for budget conscious travelers, small families, students, and surfers who want a relatively inexpensive accommodation with A/C, hot water, kitchen with basic appliances/utensils, cable TV, wireless internet, and all the amenities and services of our separate hotel. If you are looking for a deluxe space or a room at our beachfront hotel, please look up our website on the internet and contact us there for options and availability.
Playa Grande is a light-sensitive environment. For the conservation of the turtles and other wildlife, we keep all outdoor lighting to a minimum. The moon and stars help a lot when they are out, but we suggest bringing a flashlight (or use the flashlight app built into most cellphones) for walking outside at night.
Please review the numerous online travel guides concerning Playa Grande; the area is somewhat rural and undeveloped, yet close (by car) to more tourist-oriented areas like Tamarindo. Our accommodations are best suited for guests who plan primarily to enjoy our hotel amenities and the natural surroundings of the pristine beach of Playa Grande.
