Four kilometres' drive from Tamarindo airstrip this smart property's focal point is its large, free-form swimming pool, set in well-tended gardens right next to the beach.

It has 22 well-planned, split-level rooms and eight thatched-roof bungalows, all with soft furnishings in light hues, and stone floors. As the name suggests, there are homely Swiss touches throughout, extending to the restaurant menu, where stroganoff sits alongside local seafood.

Among the many additional activities on offer are visits to see leatherback turtles hatching their eggs at Playa Grande in Marino Las Baulas National Park. (December - March).

Our comment

"Although the sea is a hundred metres away, you can step straight from the restaurant onto the beach. The convenience, also, of being a short walk from the bustling village of Tamarindo (but not in it), makes this unpretentious but smart hotel popular among our clients."