Vista Celestial in Uvita
If you are in Uvita and are looking for the best hotel in town, then Vista Celestial [ad] is the place to go for you.
Nice people, excellent food and absolute peace await you.
Location and arrival
Vista Celestial is located in the small coastal town of Uvita on the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica.
The best option is to arrive at San Jose International Airport and then take a rental car. In our Costa Rica travel tips we have put together some tips for hiring a car in Costa Rica.
From San Jose, you reach Uvita in about four hours. Cross the mountain range and arrive on the amazing Pacific side.
From Quepos - the gateway to the famous Manuel Antonio - you reach Uvita in an hour.
The relatively little-visited and untouched Corcovado National Park can be reached from Uvita in about an hour and a half by boat.
Vista Celestial is not directly in Uvita, but rather high above the village in the mountains.
From up there, you have an amazing view of the whale fin and the Marino Ballena National Park.
But you have to work hard to get up there, because you absolutely need a 4WD to get to Vista Celestial. The road from the village up into the mountains is not paved, it is sown with potholes and sometimes very steep. It’s not just that you’re going to damage the car, you don’t have a chance to get up there. From Uvita you need about 15 minutes to the Vista Celestial.
Vista Celestial is located in the middle of the jungle on top of a mountain.
Shops, supermarkets and all kinds of restaurants can be found in Uvita.
Equipment & design at Vista Celestial
When you enter Vista Celestial property, the first thing you see is the parking lot. Park your car in a covered lot.
From there, you get to the reception and then to the pool and bar area, where social life takes place in this accommodation.
All meals are served here. The area is really nicely designed. An open bar, the dining tables and the infinity pool in front overlooking the famous Uvita whale fin and the ocean.
From here, stairs go down through the very idyllic garden to five villas.
The entire hotel area is designed so that vegetation forms a bridge that is supposed to connect two original forest areas. The animals use the hotel's plants and trees to migrate between the forests.
All villas have a gigantic view of the ocean.
In the villas, you will find a large king-size bed in the middle of the room. Air conditioning and a fan ensure pleasant temperatures in the villa. There are huge window fronts on two sides of the room, so it is very bright and you have a magnificent view of the jungle and ocean from your bed.
Overall, the villas are designed in wood and dark stone.
We had the villa on the far right, so we had jungle on one side and a neighboring villa on the other. Due to the large distance and the lush vegetation between the villas, privacy is absolutely guaranteed and nobody is able to see into your terrace. With the exception of the beautiful toucans, who visited us several times a day.
Towards sea and jungle, you have a large terrace with two loungers and comfortable cushions, a small table and - the best - with your own heated jacuzzi. We have used the jacuzzi so many times. Before breakfast, after the beach, after hiking, after dinner.
The pool is heated by a timer and gets really warm and cozy in about 30 minutes.
Inside the villa, you will find a small kitchen corner with a sink, microwave and refrigerator. Very comfortable, if you bring snacks or drinks from the supermarket.
There are also cups, tea and cocoa.
In terms of design, the bathroom is also really wonderful. In addition to a toilet, you will find a beautiful double sink, a shower and a huge black stone bathtub. In our opinion, this is the design highlight.
Room service has always skillfully arranged the towels with wonderful flowers, so we were really happy every time we came back to our freshly prepared room.
Another positive aspect is the laundry service, which we really needed after several weeks of travelling. Have a whole basket of laundry washed for ten dollars.
We really enjoyed the warmth and friendliness of the staff. The boys and girls from Vista Celestial are a big asset of this accommodation. Isaac, Guss, Juan and the others (whose names have unfortunately already disappeared from our memory) really made our stay special. Keep up the good work.
Culinary
At Vista Celestial, you can eat three times a day. We had breakfast every day and dinner once.
There is always a choice of three dishes for breakfast. You can usually choose from a combination of American breakfast, Costa Rican breakfast (Tico breakfast), oatmeal, granola & yoghurt, pancakes and various egg dishes. There is always a selection of fruits, a delicious smoothie and coffee or tea of your choice. The smoothie is always mixed absolutely fresh of regional fruits. Incredibly tasty.
If you want to take part in a tour or have to leave early, the boys and girls from the kitchen will be happy to prepare breakfast for take away.
We had a great breakfast burrito with ham, cheese, avocado, tomato and beans.
You can also have lunch at the Vista Celestial. We cannot tell you anything about this, because we were always on the road at that time.
In the evening the tables are nicely set for you to enjoy a lovely dinner. A fee of $ 29 per person will be charged for dinner. For this you get three courses. In the main course you can choose from three options.
All of the dishes we tried tasted very tasty without exception.
The “From garden to table” concept is also remarkable. There is a small vegetable and herb garden behind the kitchen. Some ingredients - if not all - are harvested from this garden. Isaac, who takes care of the garden, showed us his sanctuary. Really impressive, what is growing there.
You don't have to sign a bill after every single order. All your purchases are billed at the end, what is very comfortable. Our bill was perfectly correct. You are free to tip the team as a whole at the end of your stay, if you want.
Extra services are subject to the local 13 percent VAT.
Activities
If you have had enough of the fantastic view, of your jacuzzi or of the toucans on the terrace, then you will certainly not get bored in Uvita.
The Vista Celestial people will be happy to help you organizing activities around Uvita. In your villa, you will find a selection of activities in the area in the welcome folder.
There are some really nice hiking trails within the accommodation's property.
Try the Monkey Loop Trail, the Fruit Trail or the Canyon Trail. Our highlight is the Waterfall Trail. Descent from the villas, past the yoga platform, to the spectacular waterfall. When it has rained, the path is a bit slippery and muddy, but it's worth the effort. We were the only ones at the waterfall. For us, it was the most beautiful waterfall in Costa Rica.
You can use the already mentioned yoga platform in the jungle at any time. Just ask for yoga mats and enjoy the absolute peace in the jungle. The birds chirp and now and then a monkey howling. The terraces of the villas are also great for yoga or meditation. Vista Celestial also offers yoga retreats lasting several days.
In Uvita, it is highly recommendable to visit the impressive whale fin. It is located in the Marino Ballena National Park. Park just before the park entrance. A local offers parking for four dollars/2.000 colones. You can stay there all day.
The entry fee to the national park costs six dollars.
Make sure to visit the park at low tide, otherwise the whale fin is under water. The two adjacent beaches, Playa Uvita and Playa Hermosa, invite you to take long walks. Think of sufficient sun protection. There is little shade.
The exact times for high and low tide can be found on the blackboard at the bar of the Vista Celestial or online.
Otherwise we recommend the day trip to Corcovado National Park. From Playa Uvita, you start by boat to the south. In 90 minutes you'll reach the species-rich national park. In contrast to Manuel Antonio, the Corcovado is so uncrowded. If you're in the area, visit Corcovado and not Manuel Antonio.
If you want it to visit Manuel Antonio nevertheless, go to Quepos - the gateway to the Manuel Antonio National Park – in about an hour by car.
In the period from mid-July to late October and from mid-December to March you have excellent opportunities to see humpback whales in the ocean around Uvita. It is best to take part in a whale watching tour. Unfortunately, we were there at the wrong time, so we were not allowed to experience this spectacle.
All activities can be organized or booked by the Vista Celestial. Very practical and we have only had good experiences with it.
Conclusion
We felt extremely comfortable in Vista Celestial. A crowning end of our Costa Rica tour. Also consider coming here in the off season. In November there are few tourists in the city, prices are low and the weather is stable enough to spend a few wonderful days here at Vista Celestial.
Vista Celestial exceeded our expectations. We recommend it to you without restrictions.
