Active volcanoes blurring the skyline, unspoiled, tropical rainforest, and pristine beaches
gleaming with golden sand make Costa Rica a paradise. The all-inclusive Allegro Papagayo, with its never-ending, freeform pool and delicious food, is the perfect fit within this paradise. The Allegro Papagayo‘s all-inclusive resort includes all meals, snacks, and drinks, an open bar, weekly cocktail parties, activities and sports, a Beach Club, a Fun Club, a Kids Club with supervised activities, and live evening entertainment.
Our balcony became the perfect picture window into Costa Rica’s rich, natural beauty. The vivid green hills, crystal clear waters, and sunny skies provided a visual treat from morning through night.
After long days of white-water rafting, zip-lining, Tarzan swinging, Nicaragua touring,
underwater picture taking, and all-inclusive drinking any bed would have been comfortable, but with linen colors that reflected the sand and surf, our king-sized bed engulfed our tired bodies and our pillows felt like fluffy clouds under our heads. Most all-inclusive resorts are lacking in the comfort area when it comes to the room but we were blessed with both comfort and convenience. The in-room internet was the unexpected bonus that added to my already strong opinion of the room, and the shower pressure that actually got the soap out of my excessive amounts of hair was the final touch. Our room was a haven.
The variety and freshness of the food and drinks kept me deliciously enthusiastic and thirsting for more. Even after a full day of drinks with fresh bananas and strawberries, they never ran out. Unlike several resorts in Jamaica and beyond, the “unlimited” drinks truly were unlimited, regardless of time or request.
The fun and splashing around began as soon as we were poolside. We took advantage of the pool bar and clean waters while taking some underwater photos and enjoying the company of each other. At no point did we feel crowded or bothered by others.
Although the beach didn’t have the white sands of Mexico, it was a private oasis with plenty of seating and shade from the trees. The calm, cove waves made kayaking a breath of fresh air and a relaxing venture.
Whether we were indulging in a la carte dining experience with international drinks at one of the many fine restaurants or discovering the simple pleasures at the most spectacular beaches and pools in Costa Rica, there truly were no limits when it came to our enjoyment and relaxation at Occidental Allegro Papagayo.
Bucket List Publications 
How touristy did Costa Rica feel? I’m not a big fan of Mexico, and most of the islands in Hawaii have become overrun with tourists too, and I found the Dominican to be the same too. Did it have that feel in the area where you stayed?
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We arrived in Costa Rica during the rainy season so it wasn’t touristy at all, but it could have been a skewed view since most tourists don’t travel during that time. We were in Guanacaste – the province of Costa Rica located in the northwestern part of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean and both the markets and the streets were certainly not filled with tourists. The white-water rafting tour and the zip-lining were both tourist attractions so that’s what’s expected during days like that. I’d return again to enjoy the privacy that I felt during that time. It is a unique experience.
Thanks for reading and commenting,
Lesley
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Cool. Thanks for the reply. My fiance and I are looking for place to get married in a few years – and we want to do it somewhere warm, fun, and someplace neither of us have been before, so I”m constantly looking for new suggestions.
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My husband and I did the same thing in January. We decided on Jamaica because it was hard to find a place that we both hadn’t been, but it wasn’t the best choice in retrospect.
Costa Rica certainly has it all, including great places for wedding photos.
Good luck with your search and congratulations on the up-coming wedding. I’ll keep watching for your wedding pictures.
Lesley
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Hi, I´ve been in that hotel in 2005 and I love it!!!!! Amazing!
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Costa Rica has been home away from home for quite some time and, as a natural history photographer it is a never ending fun house. There is more to do and see there than most have time to devote, but any time there is a little like heaven might be. Return and spend more time!
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My boyfriend and I are thinking of where we’d want to go for our next major trip…and Costa Rica is at the top of the list!! Would you advise travelling outside of the resort to see more the rustic areas of Costa Rica? We love exploring the non-touristy areas of countries we visit. Love your posts!…and living vicariously through you 🙂
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I would strongly recommend traveling outside of the resort! It was very safe and easy to get around, although the traffic moves extremely quickly and you need to take note of that. Please let me know which area of the country you will be traveling and I’ll happily make suggestions. We went zip-lining, white-water rafting, bus touring, surfing, and visiting the local markets. It was one of my favorite countries, and that’s saying something after visiting over 30.
🙂
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I am trying to convince my bf that our 2012 vacation should be to costa rica! still working on it…
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Hi We are hopefully booking a trip to the allegro for march. Could you advise what are the best tours to take. We are on a budget so prob can only do two. Prefer not to sit on a bus for 4 hours either. We both would like to try zip lining (even though i am afraid of heights lol), see the tropical rain forests, hot springs or volcano. We are travelling thru nolitours is that the same company you went thru? Did you have oceanview or just regular room. Thank you very much for any insite you can give. Congrats on the baby news!
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Hi,
Don’t bother paying extra for the ocean view room if you didn’t already; there’s not that much difference.
As for tours, you can do the Monteverde combination tour that includes ziplining, rain forest, Sky Tram, and butterfly/hummingbird gardens. It is at least an hour tour on the bus to get there but pretty much the best ziplining and rain forest tour. Plus, they have a special treat at the end of the ziplining that is great for adventurous people.
Also, you can rent a car from the resort for next to nothing and drive where ever you’d like. We went to Tamarindo and took surfing lessons for super cheap. The price of gas, car rental, and lessons was less than half of the surf lesson package offered at the hotel and it was the same thing only we controlled the driving.
I’m away right now but I’ll send more information in a couple of days.
Please feel free to ask any questions,
Lesley
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It is pleasant to see you enjoyed your time here. There are many many places to visit. I encourage you to visit the volcanoes and some rural areas around them because – as corny as it may sound – the best part will always be the caring people you’ll find everywhere.
Jason
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I am going to Costa Rica as well! I will be staying in Nosara. Do you have any suggestions for “Must Do’s/ See’s” before I go??
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The best advise I have is to rent a car. It’s very cheap and safe and you can travel where ever you’d like. You could drive to Tamarindo in an hour and take some surfing lessons at one of the best places in the world for next to nothing. Monteverde is also worthwhile but it is about 3 hours from where you are staying and extremely difficult roads. If you go there, I’d suggest doing a tour. In Monteverde, you can do ziplining, waterfall rappelling, touring the rain forest, and other amazing things. Most hotels offer tours there.
Good luck with your travels and if you have any other questions, please let me know and I’ll try to help.
Lesley
https://twitter.com/#!/LesleyMCarter
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Hey there,
My two friends and I will be headed to Costa Rica this June 10th. You said you visited during the rainy season…. Was there any sunshine and days without rain at all? This is my biggest concern right now and I’m feeling a little discouraged with what I’m reading online on several websites. I understand that Liberia is northern which is the drier area of Costa Rica and doesn’t see much rain… That’s what’s keeping me positive at this time! Hopefully you can bring some good news 🙂
I will be staying at the Allegro Papagayo, and am very pleased to see that you enjoyed your stay, the pictures are great and am really looking forward to my experience there.
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There was only one really rainy day; the rest of the time was great. We had the same concerns but the weather turned out amazing.
Allegro Papagayo was amazing. I’m sure you;ll have a great time. We rented a car and drove to Tamerindo for surfing. I’d recommend it. 🙂
Let me know if you’d like any suggestions.
Lesley
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