Located close to WAYRA Institute of Spanish and Tamarindo Beach, Pura Vida Hostel provides a terrace, a coffee shop/cafe and a garden. Active travellers can enjoy cycling at this hostel. Stay connected with free in-room WiFi, and guests can find other amenities, such as a playground and an arcade/games room.
Located in Tamarindo, Pura Vida Hostel is near the beach. While the natural beauty of Tamarindo Beach and Las Baulas National Marine Park can be enjoyed by anyone, those looking for an activity can explore Hacienda Pinilla Golf Course. WAYRA Institute of Spanish and Tamarindo Church are two other places to visit that come recommended. Scuba diving offers a great chance to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with skydiving, mountain biking and ecotours nearby. Visit our Tamarindo travel guide
Calle Guanacaste Tamarindo, 100m East From Banco National, Tamarindo, Guanacaste, 50309
What's nearby
Tamarindo Beach
6 min walk - 0.6 km
Playa Langosta
10 min drive - 2.5 km
Grande Beach
48 min drive - 22.0 km
WAYRA Institute of Spanish
6 min walk - 0.6 km
Hacienda Pinilla Golf Course
41 min drive - 17.1 km
Getting around
Tamarindo (TNO)
13 min drive
Restaurants
Sharky's Sports Bar
4 min walk
Sol Bakery
7 min walk
Nordico Coffee House
4 min walk
Refugio Cafe
3 min walk
Rumours
5 min walk
About this property
Pura Vida Hostel
Family-friendly hostel near Tamarindo Beach
Located close to WAYRA Institute of Spanish and Grande Beach, Pura Vida Hostel provides a terrace, a coffee shop/cafe and a garden. Adventurous travellers may like the cycling at this hostel. Free in-room WiFi is available to all guests, along with a playground and an arcade/games room.
You'll also enjoy perks such as:
Free self-parking
Local cuisine breakfast (surcharge), bike hire and a round-trip airport shuttle (surcharge)
Express check-out, express check-in and supervised childcare (surcharge)
Room features
All guest rooms at Pura Vida Hostel offer perks, such as premium bedding and air conditioning, in addition to amenities, such as free WiFi and free newspapers.
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi and wired internet
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi and wired internet
Parking and transport
24-hour return airport shuttle (surcharge)
Free self parking on site
Limited on-site self parking
Food and drink
Daily local cuisine breakfast available 7:30 AM to 10:30 AM for a fee: USD 5 for adults and USD 5 for children
A bar/lounge
A coffee shop/cafe
Things to do
Arcade/game room
Bicycle rentals
Hiking/biking trails
Library
Playground
TV in common areas
Family friendly
Arcade/game room
Laundry facilities
Playground
Supervised activities for children (surcharge)
Conveniences
Free newspapers in lobby
Laundry facilities
Limited-hour front desk
Luggage storage
Safe at front desk
Shared microwave
Shared refrigerator
Guest services
Concierge services
Dry cleaning/laundry service
Housekeeping (daily)
Multilingual staff
Tour and ticket assistance
Outdoors
Garden
Terrace
Accessibility
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Assistive listening devices
No lift
More
Designated smoking areas
Room amenities
Bedroom
Premium bedding
Bathroom
Private or shared bathroom
Rainfall showerhead
Shower
Towels provided
More
Air conditioning
Free daily newspapers
Portable fan
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 2 PM; check-in end time: 11 PM
Early check-in subject to availability
Late check-in subject to availability
Express check-in available
Minimum check-in age - 12
Check-out
Check-out before 11 AM
Express check-out available
Special check-in instructions
This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply); guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
The front desk is open daily from 7 AM - 11 PM
Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; front desk staffed during limited hours
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property ahead of time using the information on the booking confirmation
If you are planning to arrive after 10:30 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
Access methods
Front desk (limited hours)
Pets
Pets not allowed (service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees)
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
Cots (infant beds) are not available
Important information
Optional extras
Fee for local cuisine breakfast: from approximately USD 5 for adults and from USD 5 for children
Airport shuttle fee: USD 20 per person (return)
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts mobile payments and cash
Mobile payment options include: PayPal
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher
We should mention
This property does not have any lifts
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms
Frequently asked questions
Is Pura Vida Hostel pet-friendly?
No, only service animals are welcome at the property.
How much is parking at Pura Vida Hostel?
Self-parking is free at this property.
What time is check-in at Pura Vida Hostel?
Check-in start time: 2 PM; check-in end time: 11 PM. Late check-in is available during limited hours.
What time is check-out at Pura Vida Hostel?
Checkout is at 11 AM.
Does Pura Vida Hostel provide a shuttle to the airport?
Yes, there's an airport shuttle. A fee of USD 20 per person applies.
Where is Pura Vida Hostel located?
This family-friendly Tamarindo hostel is located near the beach, within a 10-minute walk of WAYRA Institute of Spanish and Tamarindo Beach. Tamarindo Church and Las Baulas National Marine Park are also within 9 mi (15 km).
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Reviews
Pura Vida Hostel Reviews
7.0
Good
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.More informationOpens in a new window
Be award when booking this hostel, the owner tries to scam you for double payment when booking through Hotels.com and sites like that.
He informs that payment need to happen by cash and you will be refunded through the booking site, bit that is not possible without the host accepting the cancellation and refund aswell.
So stay away, very dirty rooms aswell!!
Anbefales ikke, slet ikke hvis det er forudbetalt!
Yderst utilfredsstillende!
Vi havde på forhånd booket og BETALT vores ophold på hostlet, så vi regnede naturligvis med at alt ville være i orden ved ankomst. Dog fortæller ejeren os, at på trods af vores forudbetalte ophold, at han ikke kan tage imod den betaling som vi har lavet, fordi det er via kort, og han tager KUN imod kontanter. Og da vi igen siger, at vi har betalt siger han, at det har vi i bund og grund ikke, fordi han ikke har modtaget dem, så hvis vi ikke betaler igen, kan vi ikke bo der.
Han lover os så, at når vi betaler skal han nok kontakte Hotels.com og bede dem tilbagebetale vores forudbetalte penge. Og lover os på samme tid at de vil komme dagen efter..
I skrivende stund er det knap 3 måneder siden vi var på dette ophold, og vi har ikke set det fjerneste af de penge, på trods af at ejeren er blevet kontaktet utallige gange. Blandt andet med en bekymring efter at have læst en anmeldelse om en pige der havde haft lignende oplevelse i forhold til at hun også har betalt dobbelt, men det fejede han væk ved at komme med undskylninger om at hun også selv havde været problemet og at de havde aftalt at hun skulle tage anmeldelsen ned.
Udover at han i bund og grundt skylder os 600kr, så var hostlet ikke noget at råbe hurra for. Man skulle selv putte sit sengetøj på, og der var huller i det meste, skraldespanden (hvor man smider sit toiletpapir i) blev slet ikke tømt de 3 nætter vi boede der, og udover det var det bare ikke særlig lækkert.
Jeg kan SLET ikke anbefale
When I arrived, the owner of the property told me he wanted me to cancel my expedia booking and pay him cash because "he couldnt recieve the funds I paid through expedia". I submitted a request for a full refund and expedia said they need confirmation through the owner of the hostel. The hostel owner told me that he confirmed with expedia and made me pay him money before I received any sort of refund for the money I already had paid for my stay. I contacted expedia yesterday to confirm that I was recieving a refund and they said they still couldnt contact the property owner to confirm. Therefore I have paid this man twice, once on expedia and once with cash for the same booking. I am pretty sure it is illegal to scam your customers like this, this is totally unacceptable. Please find a way to contact this man to help me recieve my refund. The hostel was also very dirty and smelled like stinky feet. As I was packing my bag to leave, I found peanuts scattered underneath my bed. I told my roommate and he said he saw them when he checked in earlier in the week. The room looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a month and the sheets I was given to make my own bed were stained. The hostel owner was also very rude and made me cry when he told me to pay him cash even though I hadn't recieved my expedia refund yet. I will never go back and I hope he doesn't scam the rest of the people who book through expedia.
I booked this place with an open mind since it had limited reviews. Everything I came across though said it was good so I took a chance. It’s a unique place that had a very laid back vibe. People hanging out conversing and small jam sessions were cool. The rooms however were a little questionable in terms of cleanliness. The sheets were very worn and had stains on them. The bunk I had had multiple small little ants crawling all over it. Now I get there are bugs in Costa Rica and ants come with the territory but the per capita to the space was a little high. Also when we came back that night we found a giant cockroach on the wall next to the bunk. I scurried it back the bathroom and tried to sleep knowing it was free and it likely had multiple friends there with it. I was awoken at 1 am to multiple firecrackers outside the hostel at this time I decided to use the restroom and I found the cockroach friends all over the sink and shower. To top the night off there were multiple bats in the open area living in the giant hit ceiling and kid you not a skunk ran through the communal area. By far my worst hostel experience and I get that you get for what you pay for but multiple critters is a little much.
Gars de l'accueil sympa mais peu apte à donner des informations pratiques ou touristiques. La chambre et installations basiques de chez basiques - meme rudimentaires et pzs tres propre. Pour un prix qui ne vaut meme pzs la moitié 'de ce que nous avons payer - prix exorbitant de base et encore plu en vue de ce que nous avons eu. Le seul point positif: l'hostel a invite tout le monde pour le repas de Noël ce qui etit bien sympa. Sinon a éviter !
my 1st time in a hostel. the staff were amazing. my room was large and comfortable. walking distance to beach and shopping. will stay there every time i go back to costa rica
Very close to the ocean and beach, maybe 5-15 minute walk! A great spot with lots of really good food and very nice people within walking distance. The place itself was very beach-hippy esque, bright colours and lots of chill communal spaces.
The rooms were ok but quite hot and not the cleanest hostel I have stayed in. Sheets seemed worn and pillow was all lumps. This overall cleanliness could also be attributed to the sand and water being tracked in by all the guests though.
While front desk employees were nice they did seem a tad unorganized. Took us 3 different staff before someknew could help us pay as they weren’t confident in how to do it properly.
If you are laid back and just need a place to crash while you stay by the beach this is a fine choice. Wouldn’t be my recommendation for a long-term stay though.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Verified traveller
2 Jan 2019
Liked: Staff & service
Vey central location. The instalations weren´t too clean and the facilities were limited.
Stayed in the four person dorm with my friend for two nights. The room was large with plenty of locker space for belongings. The hostel has two kitchens and a large outside living area. Free coffee in the morning, live entertainment three nights a week. Great hostel.
conveniente, close to the beach and cheap. good attention
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2017
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Edwin
18 Sept 2017
Liked: Room comfort
Estadía en el hostel pura vida
No me gusto ya que en el area del rancho la gente se queda hablando muy tarde en la noche y uno no puede dormir. Deberían solucionar esto para que los huespedes tengan ese derecho a la tranquilidad-. Si uno renta un cuarto es para pasarla bien y poder dormir y no soportar hasta altas horas de la noche la gente hablando, eso no puede ser.
Bodde här tidigare men åkte tillbaka igen för att detta hostel troligast är det bästa jag bott på. Personalen är grym och väldigt hjälpsamma. Många kvällar i veckan händer det någonting, eldshow, olika band som spelar osv. Det är en väldigt skön atmosfär
We had an amazing time. Just bring lots of bug spray.
Verified review
6/10 Okay
carlos
19 Sept 2016
Liked: Staff & service
Cheap and close beach
Good attention, I could return. They should put new sheets
Verified review
8/10 Good
Verified traveller
4 Aug 2016
Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Bien en función del precio
Para el precio la habitación y lugar está bien, solo la limpieza del baño es inexistente. El parqueo es en la calle así que la seguridad es a su propio riesgo. La atención fue buena y cuenta con bastantes utensilios de cocina para poder cocinar.
great experience, staff- Tomas and Sandra were super helpful and welcoming. Great music and entertainment provided almost every night. 3 minute walk to the beach. We stayed for a week and loved it.