(CNN) – She flew into Costa Rica with her partner and baby for an extended break in February 2020.

But after getting stuck in the coastal town of Nosara during the Covid-19 pandemic, Stefanie Tannenbaum, from the US, felt so at home that she decided to stay for good.

Now, nearly four years later, Tannenbaum is the proud co-founder of sustainable boutique hotel Sendero, which she describes as a “neighborhood hotel” that aims to provide its guests with “a sense of belonging.”

“Nosara is a really magical place, and we wanted to share that,” she tells CNN Travel, before explaining that the hotel’s surf school, yoga studio and art gallery are all run by locals.

“People often say that as soon as they’re at the hotel, they feel part of Nosara.”

Read the full article at CNN here.
By Tamara Hardingham-Gill, CNN