The Chorotega Hotel, Montezuma

The Chorotega Hotel is a small beachfront address for divers who like their Costa Rica with a bit of town life around it. You have direct access to the beach, a garden to wander through and a terrace where the day can wind down without a programme shouting for attention.

The mood is easy-going and practical: sea views, outdoor seating, free WiFi and a fan in the room rather than a long list of resort theatrics. The hotel website is available in English and Spanish, which makes checking the basics straightforward before you arrive. Children are not allowed, so this is an adults-only stay in practice, even though family rooms appear among the accommodation facilities.

You are in Montezuma, Costa Rica, on the southern Nicoya Peninsula. The hotel sits in a jungle setting, 50 metres north of Hotel Aurora, behind wooden gates marked with The Chorotega Hotel. The Pacific is right at the property, while Montezuma Beach is a three-minute walk away. That is close enough for a pre-breakfast swim without turning it into an expedition.

Parque Montezuma Zman is about 500 feet away, and Montezuma Waterfall is roughly 1 mile from the hotel, around a 14-minute walk. The wider area is built for getting outside: hiking, wildlife watching, cultural excursions and trips to beaches including Playa Grande, Playa Cedros and Playa Montezuma are all part of the local offering. Isla Tortuga lies about 18 miles away for a longer outing.

Cobano Airport is around 4 miles away. Tambor Airport is farther, at about 9 miles, so your arrival plan deserves a little attention before the flight is booked.

For a couple, the sea-view rooms and the deluxe rooms with balconies are the obvious choices: you get somewhere to sit, a larger bed in the deluxe categories and a view that gives the room more than four walls after a day outdoors. The balcony is useful in the simple, unglamorous way balconies should be: a place for air, a book and a drink while the jungle gets on with its evening noises.

Travelling alone, you can choose a single room with a shared bathroom. For three adults, the triple rooms give you a king-size bed and a single bed, with a shared-bathroom option as well as a sea-view option. Check that detail closely when booking; shared bathrooms are a different proposition from returning to your own shower after a long day in salt water.

Rooms include linen, towels, toiletries, a shower, a clothes rack and a work desk, with free WiFi throughout the hotel. A fan helps keep the night moving, and the room categories include garden, mountain, landmark and sea views. Daily housekeeping is available, while private bathrooms and balconies vary by category rather than being standard across every room.

Breakfast is served as a buffet, with the sort of food that makes sense before a day in the water: Gallo pinto, eggs, plantain, fresh fruit, juice and coffee. It is distinctly Costa Rican rather than a generic continental spread, which is a useful start when you want something more substantial than a pastry and a hopeful expression.

The hotel also offers speciality dinners and private dining. There is no named restaurant or bar to plan your evening around, but nearby restaurants in Montezuma cover locally caught sushi and Costa Rican classics, including choices for different dietary requirements. Room service is available for the moments when the sensible distance between you and dinner is the distance to your door.

Outdoor furniture, a sun terrace, a terrace and picnic areas give you several places to eat or sit outside. Live music and other evening options are available locally, so the night can be as quiet or as social as your legs allow.

The hotel works well for the post-dive afternoon when the body wants horizontal time but the mind has not quite agreed to bed. A garden, beachfront access, a sun terrace, outdoor seating and picnic areas give you room to sit in the open air, while the indoor seating area offers a change when the sun has done enough for one day.

Yoga, meditation and Qigong are part of the wellbeing programme, alongside the Costa Rican Blue Zone longevity approach. For something more active, you can use the concierge to arrange walking tours, bicycle hire, bike tours, cultural outings and trips into the surrounding landscape. Hiking and wildlife watching are available in the area, as are snorkelling, fishing and windsurfing.

Boat excursions are also available, with Isla Tortuga among the named destinations. The waterfall and surrounding beaches provide simpler alternatives: no timetable, no equipment briefing, just shoes that can cope with a walk and enough energy left to use them.

Check-in runs from 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm, and check-out from 7:00 am to 11:00 am. Early check-in and late check-out can be requested. Private check-in and check-out, luggage storage and a tour desk are available, which is handy when transport and excursions refuse to align neatly with hotel hours.

An airport shuttle is available, and a separate shuttle service can also be arranged. Contact the hotel to organise the transfer before arrival. Free public parking is available nearby without reservation, while WiFi is free throughout the property. Cash is accepted, and pets are not allowed.

The hotel is non-smoking, with a designated smoking area. A safety deposit box, daily housekeeping and room service cover the useful basics; public transport tickets can also be arranged. With Cobano Airport around 4 miles away and Montezuma Beach a short walk from the gates, the practical advantage here is keeping local movements simple once you have arrived.