Great location to avoid hordes of tourists and all it's trappings, yet close enough to beach restaurants and bars. Onsite restaurant is the best choice for breakfast and dinner. Good surf for beginners, and the best walking beach. Sunsets are fabulous. Hammocks are very relaxing looking onto the surf. Good sized pool, well maintained. The manager and staff are extremely friendly and accommodating, we even returned after our stay to use the beach and hammocks, welcomed by the manager. everyone tries very hard to make your stay as pleasant as possible. We hope to return some day as this was our favorite place from Jaco to Uvita.

We rented the entire place and had 18 people. The pool and the outside eating area were where we spent most of our time. The setting was beautiful! The managers Mikey and Diana were awesome. They cooked us delicous meals and bent over backwards to help us with tours, answering questions, etc. They were always happy and fun. We will miss them. The rooms themselves were rustic. Just some simple touches would make such a difference. Overall we have travelled quite a bit and this will go down as one of our very favorite vacations!!!!

Every other Christmas Grandpa carries on a tradition of uniting our entire family at a special destination. (Lucky!) This year we visited Encantada. Highlights included having individual cabins for each family and common areas we could share. We would all go off on day excursions, or relax around the attractive grounds or on the beach. We looked forward to gathering poolside to share adventures and eat dinner together on the dining porch. Staff is hardworking, friendly and helpful with the local culture and activities. Having evening meals prepared is worth it and delicious, but it is fun to opt to borrow the kitchen as well. The beach was one of the best. Mid-day we could look both directions and see only a handful of people. Surfing and boogie boards for the waves. (Keep in mind many of the extras have extra charges.) Volleyball and Bocce ball on the sand. And a hammock around every corner. Sunsets are incredible! Your wake-up call is handled by the native birds. Amenities in cabins vary. Don't expect a hotel suite - this is casual and very basic. Warm water and AC is available in most cabins. Know before you go that refrigerator space is limited. We liked the fact that it's away from resort areas and has a private feel, yet there are beach-side cocktails and restaurants near by, and towns and tourist activities within easy drives. (Cars are a must.) We recommend this as a venue for groups, families, reunions, getaways. Rent the whole place!

My family of 22 stayed at Encatada for 1 week for a family reunion December 2011. It is great place for a group as you have the entire resort to yourself! We spent mornings jumping the waves and body surfing in the ocean. We used the boogie boards and took some surfing lessons with Alfredo. The beach is amazing for long walks and collecting shells, beach volleyball and soccer. The sunsets are beautiful. Most afternoons were spent in the pool talking and laughing and having a few cervesas. Evenings we gathered in the large dining area (covered and open air). We listened to music, played our annual chess tournament and cards. Anyone needing to stay in touch could access their WiFi. Katrina and her staff prepared most of our meals. The food was absolutely amazing and we wished we had arranged for her to do all our meals. The other meals we ate at the local restaurants. They were good but Katrina's were better. The cabins are basic. They were clean and the sheets and towels are clean and there was daily housekeeping. The air conditioner in one cabin could not keep up to the heat, the showers were older and one did not have hot water. That being said, the only time spent in the room was to sleep and that we all did well. I want you to know that the cabins are basic and rustic. Not to put you off but so that you know what to expect. Katrina was extremely helpful during our stay. She booked 2 excursions and made reservations for our restaurant dinners. Everyone loved the zip lining and seeing the monkeys in Manuel Antonio park. We had a half hour break at the park to swim but all of us said we would rather be back at our own beach (Encantada) because it was so much better! Being a large group for the excursions, Katrina arranged for transportation to come to pick us up right at Encantada. Katrina was always available to assist with anything we needed and answer any questions we had. We felt we had a local friend to help us. Last but not least about Katrina, we had a medical emergency and Katrina was very knowledgeable and helpful in getting us the emergency care needed. For those concerned about the medical system, the emergency care in Jaco and the medical care at the hosptial in San Jose were A1. Book Encantada if you are looking for a beautiful beach, amazing food, great pool and a relaxed environment where you can enjoy vacationing with your friends and/or family group. We would not hesitate to return.