great food

Stayed in August 2025

It was lovely, great food at the restaurant, wonderful pool.

Stayed in August 2025

The room was comfortable, the garden was very nice and the food at the restaurant was outstanding.

Stayed in May 2025

The whole area is very buggy which is to be expected for a tropical paradise. There are some interesting bugs there! We left with so many bug bites but again, expected for that region. The property is a good distance from the beach which requires walking or dealing with parking. We were there during a very busy time so parking was hard. You can get passes from the front desk that allow you to cut through another property that is closer to the beach. We got used to the walk but it did make going to the beach a bit more of an event than we expected.

The property is beautiful and very well cared for. The pool was a wonderful place to relax and cool off after or before the beach. The kids loved night swimming and the grownups enjoyed the relaxation! The bathrooms have a screened window which does not have glass. It can be hot but we loved it. It felt like an outdoor shower with privacy.

Stayed in April 2025

The road it is located on

It is quaint and comfy! The food is amazing

Stayed in March 2025

I did not have a vehicle so walking to the beach was a bit longer than I typically would like. An onsite bbq would also be super handy!

The property was amazing, along with the food and my room. I had such a relaxing vacation & hope to go back soon!

Stayed in March 2025

Offer a little smaller food sizes for a little lower price, the sizes were a bit too large for me.

The food and drinks were great, very friendly staff and owner and the rooms were lovely, put a lot of effort in. Really close to the beach and some delicious food options very close by!

Stayed in February 2025

What an Oasis. Property grounds and pool were beautiful. The tropical bungalows were lovely, clean and comfortable. The staff and owners went above and beyond to make the experience perfect! Great location to restaurants and the beach. One of the best parts of the stay was eating at the cafe. The breakfast here is truly a culinary delight ! This place was paradise!

Stayed in February 2025

Noisy, due to local construction , guests, staff, music. Coffee access in rooms or quickly with breakfast would go a long way for our comfort.

Cabins and gardens were lovely, restaurant breakfast was wonderful.

Stayed in February 2025

Further from beach than had hoped. Good 15 min walk and really needed to drive if surfing most days.

Great rooms and restaurant on site was excellent.

Stayed in February 2025

The biggest issue for us was the very dark room lighting particularly in the bathroom. It was even during the day impossible to look clearly in the mirror. Despite great design of the rooms and exterior, it sometimes felt not completely thought through - the lamps next to the bed were not plugged in, or had also no plug around, etc. Our house was close to the kitchen and we heard the stuff or anything else very much in our room.

For sure, the concept is great to have your own little house. We appreciated the decoration and wonderful vibe around the entire property. It was easy and a good place to unwind. There were fresh towels, own toiletries with a wonderful smell and good quality, as well as the restaurant (which was though pretty expensive, in our opinion more than the average in the area). In addition, we had a warm welcoming and good explanations of the location and surroundings.

Stayed in December 2024

Food, staff, location and facilities were amazing.

Stayed in December 2024

The bed was very hard

Stayed in December 2024

Missing hairdryer

Very beautiful grounds, with cozy houses. Close to the beach!

Stayed in November 2024

The fan in our room didn't work but it seems like they are in the process of upgrading the property.

The food is very good and healthy but expensive. The staff are friendly and the gardens are beautiful.

Stayed in November 2024

Very expensive breakfast

Location and gardens

Stayed in July 2024

Everyone has things they care about and things they would never notice. My wife would disagree with my callouts here as they are things she simply wouldn’t notice. I am unfortunately plagued with noticing and it dampened the experience for me. There are lots of small things that will add up to make this property a poor choice for some guests. Almost none of these things changed the actual function/purpose of our stay, but I know they will bother some people (as it did me) and so they’re worth mentioning so potential guests are aware. I’ve seen similar comments from other reviewers that appear to have been ignored. So, I wouldn’t expect this to change. Please note that I scored our stay as an 8. So, put my comments in the proper context. Here are a few examples: 1) The owners live on this property, which could be seen as a positive. However, their family space is on full display right at the front of the property including what some might consider a bunch of junk in disarray; a heavy bag, grill, kids toys, etc strewn about the “yard”. This had absolutely no impact on our stay, but it just feels off. 2) The pool was clean, but the finish has not been well maintained, there’s no cover on the drain, and there are rusty supports (bleeding through flaking white paint) holding up a little foot bridge. Again, functionally it had no impact on our ability to enjoy the cool clean water of the pool, but just aesthetically off. 3) The towel bar and shower shelf in our room were hanging off the wall (i.e. the anchors were pulling out of the wall). The towel bar held the towels, and the shelf held the shampoo and shower gel as needed (with a little help shoving the anchors back into the wall). All of these are things that the staff can see with their own two eyes. I’ve seen Soul Shine respond to similar feedback in the past complaining that the guests didn’t highlight the problem during their stay. We also did not.

We spent two nights at Soul Shine. We were welcomed, checked in, shown the property, and escorted to our room very professionally. The surrounding area was well explained; restaurants, beach access, etc. There are beautiful plants and trees throughout the property. Our accommodation was an independent structure as were most on the property. The construction added to the aesthetics with exposed wooden structural components inside and out. The room is spacious with a desk, small fridge, a couch, and a bed. The bathroom is also roomy. The porch is welcoming with storage for surf boards, seating, and even an outdoor shower to rinse off from the beach or pool. Breakfast was the highlight of the visit. I had the “Chunky Avocado” which sounded like avocado toast with an egg, but turned out to be a massive crusty baguette with tons of Guac-like avocado and a fried egg. It was super filling to power a morning of surfing. This is a great stay for surfers.

Stayed in August 2024

Beautiful and interesting grounds. Clean pool. Delicious food

Stayed in July 2024

It’s a tiny bit overpriced for what it is but i really enjoyed it and would stay again.

This is a beautiful oasis in a quiet location with access to beaches and restaurants. You feel like you are in a serene getaway. The rooms were super cute and decorated so nicely. There was AC and the beds were comfortable. The staff was so nice. I had a small issue with ants in my room and the women at the front desk were super helpful and made sure it was fixed. The best part of the property though is the food! They have the best brunch. If you want something in a quiet area that is very beachy I recommend this location.

Stayed in April 2024

No safe and hairdryer

Very nice staff and owner; clean and cozy bungalows

Stayed in April 2024

My wife and I are not recalling anything not to like. Thank you.

If you are looking for a Hilton vacation, Soul Shine is not for you. However, if you are looking for a relaxing, tropical, and comfortable stay waking up to birds, monkeys above, and nice staff then this is a wonderful choice. The breakfasts are highly recommended as well. The facility was clean and well secured in the evenings. The pool is a great spot to end the day coming back from the beach. Avellanas Beach is one of the top beaches we've experienced in Costa Rica as well.

Stayed in March 2024

Everything was great! Having a car was helpful to get around as transit or transfers are limited, and beach was just over a 1km walk.

Our large family rented 3 cabins, which complete suited our needs - allowing some downtown while being super each to be together. Check- in and communication was super smooth, rooms were very clean, stylish and comfortable. Breakfast was next level. The pool was perfect for the kids to play and offered lots of comfortable shaded seating for parents and grandparents. Grounds were tidy and room cleaning staff did a great job. Considering the area is still quite undeveloped, there were a few great restaurant options close by. The beach offered great surfing, boogie boarding and walking. Not over crowded.

Stayed in March 2024

Property is wonderful, food was fantastic, can't wait to go back!

Stayed in January 2024

The use of perfumes/scented cleaning products was an issue. But this was immediately addressed after raising it with the staff and they refrained from using these for the rest of our stay.

A truly unique, charming property with beautiful tropical gardens and private cabanas. The shared kitchen with coffee machine and complimentary coffee was a nice touch for early risers like us. The 24/7 use of the pool was a bonus. Also loved having a restaurant on site that served up amazing brunch, coffee, and fresh orange juice. Rates were reasonable and the location was great, within walking distance to markets, restaurants, and the beach. I also took advantage of the on-site massage service and enjoyed a private massage inside my room.

Stayed in February 2024