Reviews
El Perezoso provides cozy rooms with amazing views, and all the best that Costa Rica has to offer. But don't just take our word for it. Hear it from past visitors, as well!
“Charming and Undisturbed”
W e booked our stay at the Perezoso via internet, just to have a place to spend the night before taking a boat to the Osa peninsula next day. But when we left, we were sorry indeed that we could not stay longer. The place is splendidly situated near the top of a hillside, with a stunning view of the Pacific - particularly at sunset. The building is quite charming, well kept in a rustic fashion by the english owners. Our room - or rooms, as we had a double one on the ground floor - was large and clean, with a bathroom in between. Undoubtedly the "best buy" during our 15 days in Costa Rica.
I doubt that the place gets many visitors who have not booked in advance, because you have to spend some time just to find it. There was no sign at the highway, so we missed it twice until we finally tried the local road to the village of Ojochal. There, on a stretch of road in (apparently) the middle of nowhere, we happened to discover a side road, and after a short while a sign announcing the presence of Hotel El Perezoso.
The area is nice and quiet, off the beaten track among forest and pastures. We were the hotel's only guests. Owner Rosa told us that this year was very quiet indeed, because the world financial crisis made the North Americans skip their holiday and stay home instead.
We did not have time to explore the surroundings in any detail, but the ornithologically minded may note that a short morning stroll around the place revealed a varied bird life, including Lineated Woodpecker, Red-lored Parrot (amazon), Cherrie's Tanager, and in one of the trees beside the pool even a bird of prey, a Yellow-headed Caracara with one of its young. A cabinet crammed with books revealed the owner's fascination for nature, and was open for visitors to use.
The kids loved the pool between the house and the lawn, from where we had a wonderful view of the sun disappearing into the ocean. Rosa told us that she did not serve dinner, but carefully instructed us how to find some of several places to eat in nearby Ojochal, just some minutes away by car. In the dark, the place seemed almost too quiet, until we occasionally found among the trees the very place where all the people had gathered - a very special outdoor pizza restaurant. Fabulous pizza, but unfortunately I do not remember the name of the place. But it seemed to be very well known among the locals and guests at the hotels in the area.
The laid-back, homely atmosphere of Hotel El Perezoso fits its name well ("the Sloth"), and the place definitely is worthy of a longer stay than our one night visit. A hidden gem - if you can find it!
-- Sog N. (Norway)
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