Officially Quigley X Andaz Papagayo

If you’re looking for a secluded luxurious getaway, with sparkling shorelines and sun that tickles your skin with that magic “Je ne sait qoui”… it would be wise to look to the Papagayo Peninsula of Costa Rica. There are few hotels in this wonderful region of the country, and nestled into the hillside shoreline of the Peninsula, is one of the standout properties. It’s Andaz Papagayo. We had the pleasure of staying there for two nights on our recent trip to Costa Rica in February! It happened to be our first two nights in the country, and I would be lying if I said it didn’t set the bar ridiculously high! HUGE thanks to Kiwi Collection for helping us find such an incredibly luxurious property.

When we arrived, everyone on the staff immediately became our best friends, and we even made friends with the animals who lived on the property! From butterflies, to giant lizards, to cute little monkeys that hung from the trees by the beach, there was no shortage of “OMG” moments.

When you think of Costa Rica, it’s hard not to imagine lush greenery, wild exotic animals, and thrilling high energy adventures… but what I found to be undeniably understated by the hype leading up to the trip was the WEATHER. The SUN was the star of the show for our two days at Andaz. We loved relaxing by the pool and soaking in the sunshine. It was nearly 90 degrees, but not too humid with a perfectly intermittent breeze. It’s exactly what you want out of a tropical vacation.

You can’t have a trip to Costa Rica without hearing the national catch phrase, “Pura Vida.” Used and adopted as a greeting, when you meet a local in Papagayo.. they will most likely welcome you with these two words! It means “Pure Life,” but is an expression that encourages you to embrace life to its fullest! How cool! We took our time in Costa Rica to explore the local culture… from visiting waterfalls, to checking out local fruit stands, to visiting historical sights… we did our best to soak up and embody as much PURA VIDA as possible!

One of the highlights of our trip was our Dinner at Ostra. It is an amazing culinary experience on site at Andaz, that features fresh seafood specialties prepared and served on a lovely scenic terrace. When we walked in for dinner, one of the Chefs was teaching a Ceviche cooking class right in the center of the restaurant! Everyone was huddled around as he prepared tons of fresh recipes. He taught techniques as everyone sipped tequila and laughed alongside his table. It was such cool experience! We ordered the ceviche sampler, and it was hands down the best ceviche I’ve EVER had.