Le Cameleon Stay on Costa Rica's Caribbean Coast

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Category: Costa Rica

Getting there... finally!

The one thing that everyone hopes for after a long journey and getting lost many times is that there is a cool drink and a comfortable bed waiting for them. Le Cameleon does not disappoint. After a long shuttle bus from Arenal to San Jose with my mother, picking up my boyfriend and car and setting off for the Caribbean coast and the beautiful beaches of Puerto Viejo, I did not mean to go round in circles. But then who does? Just getting out of the crazy one way system of downtown San Jose took an hour. Then that was followed by a few hours dodging lorries on the 32 through Guapiles and out to Limon, taking the wrong turn and ending up in the exact same place an hour later. After 7 hours in the car, we arrived to a smiling, friendly receptionist who immediately served three tropical welcome drinks and showed us to our super modern, minimalist yet comfortable room. That followed by a lovely dinner in the hotel’s chic, terraced restaurant and I am feeling good. Early night. Heaven.

Day One - An almighty trek deserves a few cocktails!

The thing about falling asleep early is that you wake up full of beans bright and early the next day. Last night we ate in the hotel restaurant, but in the dark we had not noticed the stunning setting of the hotel. It was lit up by torches and looked lovely but in the daylight on the walk to breakfast, we got to see just how beautiful the greenery and other outdoor areas of the hotel are. Not realising that a continental breakfast was included (it had been a long week of many hotels!), we decided to walk in the scorching heat to Puerto Viejo centre. The night before it had seemed so close in the dark in a car. The next morning, not so much. After our 3km hike we were fully ready for some Gallo Pinto and coffee overlooking the sea in this small, pretty fishing village. It is so laid back and surfer-types line the streets. We took a cab back to the hotel and spent the rest of the afternoon recovering at the hotel’s beach club. I could spend every day sitting in a hammock with a good book and a lovely waiter with cuba libres on hand. Absolute bliss. We later headed back into Puerto Viejo for Happy Hour and ended up staying all evening chatting and enjoying a few appetisers. I highly recommend KOKi on the seafront for a brilliant atmosphere with great cocktails and food.

Day Two - No plans today, thank you!

Our plan for the second day at Le Cameleon was to enjoy breakfast (which we did with some of the best Eggs Benedict I have ever tasted!) and then to once again frequent the beach club. It was a quiet weekend, just before Easter, so the hotel wasn’t very full, meaning lots of space and peace and quiet for us. Perfection. Now, I may be a little behind, but this week was also all about Steig Larsson for me, I could barely move from my sunbed gripped at the second in Lisbeth Salander’s adventures (so don’t ask me about the view!). The ocean on Playa Cocles was warm and pleasant, making it perfect for quick dips to cool off. As the sun went in, we made our way back to our room where the entire colour scheme had changed from orange to blue, with the simple switch of towels, cushions and pictures (genius!), showered and headed out for dinner. We found a lovely local Caribbean place called Flip Flop that also boasted pasta and curry dishes and we enjoyed a couple more cocktails (when in Rome..!) whilst enjoying a tropical downpour. Yes, it rained. It was April and the rainy season is upon us. But, something about that didn’t matter and I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend at Le Cameleon.

Why I would return to Le Cameleon

The location is just to die for. The decor of the hotel is superb, and having read a few negative reviews, I was a little concerned that it would be a bit scruffy, but the service and the presentation of the hotel was excellent. The bar/restaurant area were lovely and the menu was very good. However, I did feel at times that they were a bit rushed as there were a couple of mistakes in the meals that I ordered - and at no point was the restaurant busy. The local area is such a fun, diverse place and the beach club was brilliant service and the perfect amount of nature and luxury. I’d even put up with that drive again for such a brilliant time. Incidentally, I drove back in under four hours, making the thought of returning even more tempting! Next time, I’d like to try the yoga on the beach, it was raining the morning that I left so I couldn’t take part. Le Cameleon is a brilliantly modern hotel with touches of nature all around it. I cannot wait to go back.