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About
4.5
#1 of 1 B&B in Cañafístula
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Located in the north Pacific side of Costa Rica, in the province of Guanacaste. A 10 min drive to Tamarindo Beach Resort, 5 min from the Hacienda Pinilla golf course facilities and only 15 min from world-class surf spots such as Avellanas Beach, Playa Negra and Playa Grande. El Sabanero is perfectly located close to all exciting activities. Staying at El Sabanero, one experiences total tranquility, the pure nature, the exotic local animals such as howling monkeys, iguanas, exotic butterflies, parrots & much more, plus the fantastic view of the area.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish, German
Location
Cana Fistula Entre Tamarindo y Santa Cruz, Cañafístula, Tamarindo 50309 Costa Rica
I went as a female solo traveler and had an amazing experience here. Many guests come alone and I met so many new friends in this welcoming environment. It is very relaxing and the compound feels nicely set apart up on a hill with a gorgeous view. I loved that meals are served family style at one big long table. The food was excellent - I am vegan and had no trouble getting many delicious meals. There is some repetition to the meals but overall I was very impressed with the flavors and options. It was easy to get around. The shuttles are set up for you by the owners and you can use Uber as well. Expect 1:15 drive to and from Liberia airport. There are several yoga instructors, so you will get a variety of styles during your stay. They provide yoga mats, but they are low quality ones and often dirty. Bring your own if that matters to you. Bolsters and blocks and straps are all provided. As a heads up, this IS an eco lodge in Costa Rica, not a 5 star hotel. There are bugs and natural elements. The air conditioner is small and mostly works for getting to sleep. The included toiletries are a few packs of shampoo and a bar of soap. It reminded me of a YMCA or summer camp. The cabins all have a nice porch with a hammock. I didn’t see a single mosquito, which surprised me! There are all sorts of critters around, including cats, dogs, bats, frogs, birds, scorpions, howler monkeys, and ants. That being said, I had an amazing time and I would return tomorrow!
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If you are looking for a safe, beautiful, peaceful and rich experience, this is it. The staff is incredible. The hosts are knowledgeable and so invested in their guests having a perfect stay. If you are a single woman or a yogi group, look no further. This is the spot. Close but not too close Tamarindo and the beach, wonderful food and a view of the hillside that will make you super smile. The private hut rooms are exactly what you see with everything you need. Yes I will be back!!!
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Date of stay: December 2021Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Harold Schneidergruber, General Manager at El Sabanero Eco lodge
Responded Apr 7, 2022
Thank you very much for your great review. Hope to see you again in the future. Harold
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
My husband and I with my two sons went to El Sabanero for 1 week at Xmas 2020 during the pandemic to celebrate our anniversary.We loved the retreat. Our host/manager was so nice ans treated us like family. He picked us up from the airport and also drove us to the beach every day no additional charge. The retreat was so beautiful, super green, and very quiet place to practice yoga and relax. We celebrated our Xmas 2020. It was wonderful. Donald, the chef, was a great cook. He made many awesome vegetarian meals and also chicken and fishes meals. We met many wonderful people here. We enjoyed the twice a day yoga classes. Hector, the yoga instructor, was wonderful but he pushed students to work on to get to the next level of the yoga journey. Fernando, the driver, was very nice too. Chris, the assistant manager / maintenance guy was super helpful. We highly recommended this yoga retreat because it was super relaxing, beautiful. The food were great and everyone here treated us like family. The prices were also very reasonable. Also, we felt super safe to travel to Costa Rica.
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I called the property directly on 3 November ‘21 for booking and was advised to do it online and did just that immediately. I got confirmation via mail on 4 November stating the availability on the said room type and advised me on how to proceed. I replied the same day confirming the same. After another follow up mail, on 6 November, I was surprised that I can’t get the property I was confirmed for for the reason that some else has made the booking on some days of my booking duration. This is definitely a disappointment ! And I am left with very limited options since the other resorts I was aiming also we’re fully booked since I stopped communicating with them. Just be careful in doing on line booking with this property because you never know that everytime they can change their statement !
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Date of stay: November 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kurt Reichenberger, Owner at El Sabanero Eco lodge
Responded Dec 29, 2021
Dear Adhinarto, we checked all logs and emails and had no communication with "Adhinarto". Our rooms did get sold out pretty fast and sometimes if people wait a day to confirm it might be too late. If you did get a confirmation as you stated then I ask you to display it here. Once someone received a confirmation from us (not from a booking site) than we honor that 100%. I am sorry for your troubles but something in your story just doesn't add up.
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This was such a wonderful experience! The yoga was geared to my abilities, which I appreciated greatly. The yoga instructors were extremely knowledgeable, kind and thoughtful with their yoga instruction. The facilities were rustic, but clean and comfortable, in a beautiful setting. Howler monkeys, snakes, turtles, all the wildlife you can imagine! Love the lodge dogs and cats, a real comfort to me. The only downfall was the food. The chef had broken his arm, which couldn’t be helped so the maid stepped in and cooked our meals for us. Although they were good, they were simple beans and rice, not the cuisine I was hoping for. Would go on this retreat again, and again! Loved every minute.
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:Bring shorts, a sun hat and bug spray. You cannot collect the seashells, against the law.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
El Sabanero Lodge is great place for meditating, practicing yoga, connecting to the nature and meeting wonderful people. They have a superb manager, knowledgeable yoga instructors, clean rooms, a swimming pool, and delicious food. Great visit and so much more to discover.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The accommodation huts are very comfortable. The food is absolutely incredible and simply the best vegetarian food I have ever had. Kurt, the owner, is always on hand to share and assist with interesting and insightful ideas for adventures in CR. And finally the Yoga.
As physically active beginners, Hector in the morning and Sabine in the afternoon provided, terrific, challenging, patient instruction. Very clear and informative and perfectly recharging for the soul. Yoga in the evening, amongst the treetops, as the sun retreats is truly magical.
Very sad to leave....but El Sabanero was exactly what I had envisioned and hoped for.
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Date of stay: February 2021
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I went here for a week, just expecting some relaxation and yoga. I received so much more... the owner greeted me with a welcoming warm smile, and I felt at home from then on. I enjoyed my solo bungalow on the hill with a view of the mountains, many times relaxing from my hammock that swayed in the breeze. The people I met here will never be forgotten, both the workers, and other retreaters who I spent days with at the exploring the markets, dancing and connecting with on a deeper level then I have with people I've known for years. I am coming home a better person than when I left, with a commitment to return. Thank you, El Sabanero, for the space you provide for healing.
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I'm so glad I stepped outside my comfort zone to book this solo retreat for myself. I couldn't be happier with all aspects of my stay. The staff was very friendly, food was delicious, my cabin was just what was needed and the yoga was fantastic. I will almost certainly be going back. The like-minded guests become more like a family, even in the short time I was there. It has a rustic charm that is exactly what I needed in order to get away from it all.
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Date of stay: March 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Harold Schneidergruber, General Manager at El Sabanero Eco lodge
Responded Apr 7, 2022
Thank you very much Bonnie. It was a pleasure having you here and hope to see you again in the future. Harold
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I recently brought a group of 26 yogis to this resort for our annual Yoga Retreat. I found so many paradox's in this place. First and foremost the food is AMAZING. Chefs Donald and Hazel are masters of their craft. They created 5 days of vegetarian lunches and dinners that were creative, healthy, delicious and made with love. We felt very nurtured by them. Fabiola was also amazing, helping us with any little detail we may have needed, acting as bartender, concierge, general assistant to everything.
The pool area and eating area is delightful, beautifully landscaped, a true pleasure to hang out in, although there are several nails sticking up on the deck that many of us cut our feet on. Some of the grounds are beautiful as well, and the Yoga Shala is very nice.
What isn't nice, or even acceptable is most of the rooms. Mine was one of the "better" ones, and while the view was beautiful, the room was in disrepair. The towel bar fell out of the wall upon reaching for the towel, I never got hot water, there was a frog living in my sink faucet, who jumped into my hand every morning( I actually didn't mind that part) there were random nails and screws sticking out from the walls with nothing attached to them. The toilet was falling apart, the shower had many tiles falling off or missing. Some of the rooms were worse. One of my students had blood stains on her sheets, several of them reported toilets plugging up, lights falling out of the sockets. The rooms under the Yoga shala were completely devoid of any decor, just white plaster walls and twin beds (but they did have hot water!) And those rooms reported that the walls are so thin you cannot even talk in normal voice without the room next door hearing your conversation. All of the rooms were inhabited by bugs (spiders, giant grasshoppers etc.) which I'm not sure is avoidable in Costa Rica. Many rooms had safes that didn't work. All of them looked like they had stopped being maintained years ago.
The yoga mats were disgusting, black with dirt and grunge. And even though there were a bunch of new yoga mats in the managers office, they were never offered to us. The whirlpool did not work. It was not warm and there were no functioning jets. One of my students leaned on the fence behind the whirlpool and it fell apart, falling 8 feet down to the ground below. Luckily she didn't fall with it. We told them about it and it was never even addressed the entire 6 days we were there. I got the distinct impression from the owners that they just didn't care.They took care of the minimum amount of business necessary and just assumed everyone would be ok with the rest.
I understand why the previous reviews are so positive. It's hard to resist the natural beauty that surrounds you in Costa Rica. It covers up a lot of the negative aspects. But I also feel like it is my responsibility to make known the truth about this place. I went there based on all the positive reviews. I brought 25 of my students there. I was shocked by the disheveled nature of the place, and the owners lack of care. Had I read a review that had noted these things I would have thought twice about booking.
I am not being vengeful, we actually had a lovely retreat. I am being honest. Know what you are getting into. We are not a fussy group, but the sum of all these things left me very disappointed in the place. We were all blown away by the food, and the kindness of Donald, Hazel, and Fabi, but beyond that....not so much.
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Date of stay: January 2018
Rooms
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:It's a crap shoot. I didn't see one that wasn't in pretty sad shape, but I...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Cañafístula area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
el sabanero eco hotel tamarindo, el sabanero ecolodge tamarindo, el sabanero ecolodge hotel tamarindo
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of GuanacasteTamarindoCañafístula
NUMBER OF ROOMS
10
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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