5 Reasons Why Kosher Travelers Choose Private Villas Over Hotels in Costa Rica

• February 5, 2026
• Christien
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Kosher travel is expanding around the world, and Costa Rica has quickly become a go-to destination for Jewish families, multigenerational groups, and observant travelers who want nature, privacy, luxury, and meaningful connection woven into their time away.

Still, with rising interest comes plenty of misconceptions. Many travelers assume they’ll have to sacrifice either kashrut, convenience, or comfort to experience this kind of trip. 

The truth? You don’t have to compromise at all.

In our experience as locals who have grown up in the country is that the easiest path to a seamless kosher vacation in Costa Rica is choosing a private villa over a resort. Private villas offer more control, more comfort, and a smoother, more reliable experience, especially when kosher standards matter to you and your family.

After welcoming many kosher groups to our estate in Manuel Antonio and coordinating every detail with care, we’ve seen firsthand that a luxury Costa Rica vacation can be restful, joyful, and fully kosher from start to finish. 

In fact, our kosher consultant who works with many kosher villas in Costa Rica shared that she believes “[Villa Punto de Vista] is the best villa in Costa Rica,” explaining, “We have many years working together and they help us a lot. It’s rare you don’t have to worry about anything.” 

There are a few reasons why this is: 

1. You have full control over the kitchen with no workarounds required.

Most hotels are not designed to support a fully kosher kitchen. Even when staff are accommodating, in many cases, they cannot offer:

• A kitchen that can be fully kashered
• Separate zones for meat, dairy, and pareve
• Full ingredient control
• Dedicated cookware and utensils
• Proper oversight during food preparation

Even luxury resorts cannot guarantee that dedicated kosher processes are followed unless you fully buy out the property, which comes with a much higher cost and far more logistics to manage.

At a private villa, you don’t have to ask permission or negotiate kitchen use. You have:

• Exclusive kitchen access
• Private refrigeration and food storage
• Supervised kitchen kashering
• Kosher-certified food sourcing from San José
• No shared prep surfaces or cookware

In a private villa estate, the goal is to always cater to the needs of the client, and we understand this is of the utmost importance when adhering to kosher standards while traveling. When you stay at a villa, you’re getting guaranteed control and supervision. 

When welcoming kosher guests in Manuel Antonio, we open the villa doors early to the kosher consultant so they may come in and prepare the villa according to the standards set for your level of observance.

Ultimately, you don’t have to adapt to the destination; the destination adapts to the requirements of you and your family. 

2. Shabbat feels sacred and not stressful. 

Shabbat is meant to be a pause. A deep breath. A weekly moment when life slows down, the outside world quiets, and family takes center stage.

But when you’re traveling, that peaceful rhythm can easily get disrupted, unless you’re in a place fully prepared to support it.

In many hotels, Shabbat preparation becomes a juggling act between requesting staff help to preset lights, hoping your room refrigerator bulb can be adjusted, trying to create privacy in public dining spaces, and explaining rituals to new faces again and again. 

What should feel holy can feel hurried.

At our villa, guests and our team typically begin preparing the villa rooms and spaces for Shabbat on Friday afternoon just as they would at home:

• Lights and appliances are preset or placed on timers
• Refrigerator lights are removed ahead of time
• Warmers and serving setups are arranged before candle-lighting
• The dining table is set in advance for a beautiful Friday-night meal
• Food is prepared before Shabbat and kept warm in accordance with halacha

When candle-lighting time arrives the atmosphere already feels settled. 

There is no scrambling. No negotiating with hotel kitchens. No explaining to new staff why a light needs to be unplugged. Just peace. Ritual. Family.

Shabbat away from home shouldn’t feel like a compromise. It should feel like an exhale. And in a villa designed to support it, it becomes one of the most meaningful parts of your family trip.

3. It’s simpler to have a dedicated mashgiach and kosher supervision. 

The result is peace of mind and the freedom to fully exhale into your experience, knowing everything is taken care of with the same level of care you’d expect at home without you personally needing to be in the kitchen at all times to cook and supervise.

4. For groups, it ends up being more affordable to rent a private villa than to stay at a hotel. 

It may seem counterintuitive to say that a private villa is more cost-effective than staying at a hotel. But when traveling in Costa Rica with a group, especially kosher-observant groups, in most cases, it is. 

As we mentioned, our kosher consultant says that many of her kosher guests must buy out the entire hotel to gain control of the kitchen and ensure they can adhere to kosher standards. 

A hotel buyout is not only complex, it’s costly. 

That’s why reserving a private villa that operates as a small boutique hotel but hosts only one group at a time makes more sense for many multigenerational groups traveling together. 

Villas typically provide better value than a hotel buyout because: 

• One simple reservation vs. multiple rooms and a full buyout contract
• Reduced dining costs, since meals are prepared in-villa
• No resort fees or private dining surcharges
• Private transportation assistance included
• Lower staffing and supervision costs than hotels
• No need to fully buy out a resort to guarantee kosher standards

When you factor in suites for every couple or family, expansive social spaces, a full hospitality team dedicated solely to your stay, concierge and travel planning services, private transportation, and more, a private villa in Costa Rica — or anywhere, really — delivers more privacy, comfort, and personalization than a hotel ever could. 

And for groups, it often offers better value per person than a high-end resort with only partial kosher compliance.

Beyond cost, your family stays together in one luxurious place, sharing meals, blessing the wine, and celebrating life.

5. You have complete privacy and security for religious observance as you desire. 

For many kosher travelers, privacy isn’t just a preference it’s part of feeling at ease during prayer, meals, mikvah preparation, and Shabbat gatherings.

Hotels often mean:

• Shared pools and restaurants filled with other guests
• Curious questions from well-meaning travelers or staff
• Limited ability to create a sacred, family-only Shabbat atmosphere
• Public spaces that make modest dress or ritual practice feel spotlighted
• No private area to set up candle-lighting safely
• Noise or music you can’t control during holy days

A private villa gives you:

• Your family has the entire estate to yourselves — from oceanfront terraces to open-air dining salas
• A gated entrance and on-site security team ensure only your group is on the property
• No shared pools, no shared hallways, no strangers passing through
• Outdoor and indoor spaces to gather for davening, Kiddush, Havdalah, and meals
• Staff who understand when to be attentive and when to fade into the background
• No music, events, or outside guests interrupting Shabbat
• Private access to walking paths so you can enjoy nature without driving
• A kitchen and dining area fully dedicated to your group the entire stay

This is your home for the week with a dedicated hospitality team to support you. 

You’re choosing a setting that respects your rhythm, your rituals, and your privacy, so spiritual time can stay sacred and family time can feel effortless.

FAQs About Hotels vs. Villas for Kosher Travelers 

Is Costa Rica good for kosher travel?

Yes. Costa Rica has an established Jewish community, reliable kosher food suppliers, and villas that understand the needs of observant travelers. With the right planning and support, you can enjoy a fully kosher vacation without compromising on comfort, luxury, or halachic standards.

Do private villas support Shabbat needs?

Villas experienced in hosting kosher groups should. 

At Villa Punto de Vista, we provide support for Shabbat  prep, timers, refrigerator light removal, dining setup, warming equipment, and privacy for prayer, meals, and candle-lighting so the day feels peaceful and sacred.

Can I bring my own mashgiach / get one locally?

Yes. Observant families frequently travel with a mashgiach, and there are trusted local kosher supervisors who work with our villas as well that we can bring in. A good villa team will help coordinate and ensure they have everything needed to oversee the kitchen and food preparation.

How do kosher food orders work in Costa Rica?

Kosher food orders can be difficult to navigate in Costa Rica without the right connections. This is why staying at a villa with a kosher consultant is incredibly valuable for Jewish travelers. 

Most kosher travelers or bring packaged products with them, but when working with a kosher consultant who knows how to navigate kosher food sourcing in Costa Rica, you can have elevated culinary experiences throughout your stay. 

Villas experienced in kosher stays can coordinate ordering, delivery, and storage of kosher ingredients in advance so everything is ready upon arrival. For example, our villa’s kosher consultant sources ingredients through established suppliers in San José and brings all the supplies to the villa personally.

Do I need to kasher the kitchen myself?

No — not in a villa that is familiar with kosher hosting like Villa Punto de Vista. The kitchen is typically kashered under mashgiach supervision before your stay, with full access, dedicated cookware, and no shared equipment or prep surfaces.

Private Villa vs. Hotel for Kosher Travel in Costa Rica

Let’s sum it up, shall we? 

For kosher-observant families and groups, a private villa offers the control, privacy, and halachic peace of mind you simply can’t guarantee at a hotel.

Choosing the Right Kosher Villa in Costa Rica Matters

If you’re starting to picture your own kosher retreat in Costa Rica with mornings overlooking the ocean, Shabbat meals shared beneath the rainforest canopy, and every detail handled with precision, respect, and genuine care — we’d be honored to welcome you to Villa Punto de Vista.

Share your dates, group size, and level of observance, and we’ll connect you with our trusted kosher consultant to begin thoughtfully planning your stay. From there, our team works hand-in-hand with your kosher support to ensure each moment flows seamlessly from kashering and meal planning to excursions, Shabbat preparations, and beyond.

All that’s left for you to do is arrive, settle in, and savor time with the people you love — knowing your standards are upheld and your experience is elevated at every turn.

Kosher travel should feel joyful, easeful, and expansive. Here at Villa Punto de Vista, it is. 

Let’s start planning your kosher vacation in Costa Rica.

Christien

Christien Johnson is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Villa Punto de Vista Estate, an award-winning private resort in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. With nearly 20 years in luxury hospitality, he has helped make the estate a benchmark for private villa experiences, earning 700+ five-star reviews, 13 consecutive WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards (an achievement only secured by the top 3% of venues worldwide) and a vote as the #1 wedding venue in Costa Rica, as well as recognition from Architectural Digest, Condé Nast Johansens, and the Global Choice Awards as the Best Villa in Central America. 

Christien also founded and manages Vista Destinations Luxury Travel Agency, Costa Rica Weddings, and Costa Rica Chefs, and advises brands worldwide on automation and AI in luxury hospitality, shaping the next era of high-touch, personalized travel as a trusted voice in private-estate and transformational travel.