Traveling many times to Mexico to many different cities we know that Mexico is always an adventure. We really like this coastline and the little village of San Pancho and neighboring Saylita. The hotel is situated in a beautiful location where every room has an ocean view...but every room has many flaws, from fixtures hanging loose or falling off, to no dresser or hot water. Our room was very spacey and large and I felt lucky to have what we had, but the MAIN complaint from all our other friends traveling with us, and I agree, was the beds and bedding were extremely uncomfortable and "funky". We had our son with us and thought there would be a pull out sofa (sleeps 4), but he just got a sheet and nylon comforter to put over an old sofa. The mattress's were very hard and the sheets were very rough and old. When you lose sleep in the evenings it makes it hard to enjoy the next day.

The food was good, the staff servcie was great, the grounds were pretty (landscaping needs a little TLC), and the adventure package was very well run. I love the fact that there was no T.V. or phone, it really makes you have adventures.

Can we return? We would if they would updated and clean-up there rooms to a safe and comfortable level. All the rooms should be updated so that when you go with a group everyone is comfortable.

I hope they will try to update, it has so much potential.

My family and I just got back from a vacation at Costa Azul Resort and we are still daydreaming of the private beach, the restaurant, pool, trips, town, and people. The resort is located in a small town they call San Pancho. The town is lined with cobblestone roads beautiful flowers and palm trees and the sounds of the ocean. When we arrived at costa azul they accidentally let the guests who were staying in the villa we were supposed to be in, stay two extra nights, but instead of making a big snaffu out of it they gave us the HUGE 2 bedroom villa at the top of the hill instead. We were blown away by the breathtaking views of the ocean through the palm trees and when we arrived we caught the most gorgeous sunset dipping into the pacific ocean. While there the staff catered to our every need and made you feel right at home. They knew you by name there and that made a huge difference. There are no tv's in the rooms and you can only get internet in the restaurant area but this is the best idea because it gave you a chance to not only really converse and connect with our family but we also ended up meeting so many people staying at the resort from all over. We now have made friends from Canada to Lake Tahoe and all the way up in Washington State. All the families and couples there were feeling the same way. We felt relaxed comfortable and full of stories to share. The trips that the hotel takes you on are a definite adventure as well we went sea kayaking and whale watching and I tell you we still cant stop talking about it. Costa Azul is tucked away in a small pueblo so you will get the real flavor of Mexcio and the views and sights and sounds are unforgettable. The ONLY downsides I would say is the beds are quite firm and since it is in a tiny town don't expect to take a 30 minute hot shower, but I'm so glad I didn't buy into the negative reviews of this place because the experiences we had here, the people we got to know, and the memories we have far outweigh the 15 minutes of a hot shower and wanting a little more cushion on the beds. Come here and see for yourself, if you want an authentic Mexican beach experience and you like to be active on your vacations Costa Azul is it. I will absolutely be back!

Costa Azul is located in a great town, San Pancho, with a gorgeous and quiet (if you don't include the pounding of the waves) beach and a cute town with a handful of excellent restaurants. Costa Azul is the only resort in town and it has a very nice pool and restaurant facilties that appear to be well maintained.

We stayed in Villa #4 for 5 nights during a family wedding in January/February. The room was really a disappointment considering the price ($225/night). Although it was cleaned daily, and does have a nice balcony, the villa is really shabby and run-down. The first glimpse is of a bunch of dirty and peeling furniture on the balcony. Next, one enters the sitting room with two decent-looking sofas and a small table and chairs, but the attached kitchen is just so old looking I never would have wanted to cook there. It is handy to have a refrigerator for drinks and stuff but the dishes and silverware are all jumbled in the shabby lower cabinets and I can't imagine anyone really fixing a meal there.

The bathroom is decent, with minimal towels and amenities (but these are replaced daily) and decent hot water. However, there is a major lighting problem in here, especially at night. The only light comes from one compact fluorescent light hanging from the ceiling and I would never attempt to put makeup on in this room, especially at night! I think there once was another sconce on the wall but now there is a bare hole there.

Finally the bedroom: the pluses are air conditioning and a fan, which really helped me sleep at night. The minuses were the shabbiest, oldest looking comforter I've ever seen on the hardest king-sized bed I've ever slept on. I did get a couple extra pillows from housekeeping to help matters but the pillows aren't exactly luxurious. And, again, nothing but a few CFL bulbs in the room so when you come in at night everything looks glaring and green. I understand that the resort is trying to be eco-friendly but there's got to be a better way, the light in our villa was absolutely horrible and did nothing but enhance the shabbiness of the place. I hated coming back to the room at night. The window coverings and hardware are all dirty looking and shabby as well, and everything needs a new coat of paint.

The thing is, we had family staying in Villa #3 and their place seemed, although not much better, a little nicer because they had fewer CFL bulbs, a newer comforter and a better paint job. Still, they complained about the condition of the kitchen and the extremely hard bed.

I didn't see any of the standard rooms but I heard (we were part of a large wedding group) that they are similarly basic but maybe a little nicer than the villas? That's a shame since we paid twice as much and never benefited from the kitchen and sitting area at all since it was all so unattractive.

Onto the service and food. The truth is that the service was pretty spotty, other than the maid service who was obviously working very hard each day. Reception was so casual and flippant that it turned me off from the beginning. At the bar it always seemed that the staff were out at the bar eating their own meals so when you approached them to order a drink or something you felt like you were imposing. There was rarely anyone actually sitting in Guest Services to provide towels or sign up for activities, usually the people had to be hunted down to help you out. The activities we did (surfing and horsebackriding) were fun, however. The restaurant service itself was okay but the food was pretty poor. Mexican dishes were okay except they had the world's worst flan and attempts at other cuisines (pasta, pizza and hamburgers) were really bad.

I appreciate what Costa Azul is doing and I think it could be a great place if they would spend just a little effort doing some minor updates to the rooms, service and food. I loved San Pancho and would definitely return there sometime, just not as convinced I'd return to the resort.

My husband and I have traveled to Costa Azul Adventure Resort many times in the last 9 years. As a young married couple we participated in as many adventures as we could cram into our visit; snorkeling, kayaking, & horse back riding, surfing & hiking to Yelapa.

We are now parents of a 2 year old little dude and have taken him to Costa Azul two times. We already have dates set again in February 2008 with our close friends & their kids. The staff at Costa Azul is so friendly and treated us like family. We spent most days lounging in the pool, in the hammocks, by the swim up bar, and building sand castles on the white sand beach. There's a 15 minute walk into San Pancho where you'll find more restaurants and perhaps even a disco in the plaza on Saturday nights.

The rooms are simple and clean. The AC is a newer edition and make a big difference. There's no TV or phones but there is wireless internet in the restaurant which was key for my husband to get some work done and check in from time to time.

When traveling in Mexico, It's important to remember that you are in Mexico. Some things may take a little longer but it's all part of getting a true cultural experience which is exactly what we want.

Whether you're looking for a place to relax and play with the family, surf, experience the Mexican Culture or be adventurous Costa Azul is the place to go. We're already counting the days until our next Costa Azul visit.