Mountainside in Escazu – Costa Rica

Back in November I traveled to Costa Rica for my grandfather’s 100th birthday and I decided to spend a little time exploring other areas of the country while I was there. I was lucky enough to have a friend traveling with me this time around, so we decided to have some fun and book this incredible airbnb for one night. It wasn’t too far from my grandfather’s house, but going up into the mountains really changes the scenery. It was drop-dead gorgeous up here!

Escazu, where the airbnb is located, is a beautiful canton (suburb) on the west side of San Jose. More notably, it’s an upscale and affluent area that is home to the country’s largest shopping mall and some stunning homes. Escazu also happens to be situated along the side of a mountain, which creates some spectacular views for the homes situated far up the mountain. We chose our airbnb specifically for this reason 🙂

Since I arrived in San Jose before my friend did, I ubered to the airport to meet her before heading over to Escazu together. Our airbnb was actually so far up the mountain that our driver had a tough time getting up there! Steep roads AF.

Once we made it though, we felt it was 100% worth it. I mean, look at this view!

That night we continued our high-altitude theme and headed to El Monastére for dinner. A friend recommended it to me for the spectacular views and it did not disappoint. It’s basically an old monastery perched on the side of the mountain, which means you get a fantastic 180 degree view of downtown San Jose. For dinner all you see are glimmering lights below you as you eat and it’s wonderful. I will note, however, that although I loved the atmosphere and stunning views, I felt that the food was not up to par with what we paid. El Monastére is definitely pricey as far as Costa Rican options go and more on par with US prices. Also keep in mind that it’s not the easiest place to get to, so plan accordingly. We hired a local taxi driver who knew the Escazu mountainside well 🙂

We seriously enjoyed our Escazu mountainside adventure for the night, but I will also mention that staying this far up and away from the center of town has its drawbacks. It’s beautiful, but difficult to get to because of steep roads. It also puts you a decent distance from shopping centers, restaurants, etc. – you will definitely not be walking distance to most things. Since we only stayed one night, we didn’t have much issues. If you’re planning a longer stay, I recommend bringing things (like groceries) with you ahead of time.

Other than that, it was a fantastic stay and I would definitely do it again. Every time I’m in Costa Rica one phrase comes to mind and it’s especially relevant here – Costa Rica is nature bursting at the seams. 

Hope you enjoyed 🙂