If you are traveling with grandparents, the golf cart is not optional. That is the honest version of the advice guests pass along most often after their stay at Casa Bonita Beach.
Hacienda Pinilla was designed to be explored. The property covers a significant area of Guanacaste coastline, with four beaches, trails, a golf course, a beach club, and the JW Marriott spread across the community. A car gets you to the gate and back to Tamarindo. A golf cart is how you actually live inside the resort during your week.
"We got golf carts, a rented car, and toys for the family. The best part is the concierge service from Mariam. She knows everything about the town, the adventures, and Hacienda Pinilla."
Jessie, guest reviewWhere the cart takes you
From Casa Bonita Beach, a golf cart opens up the entire community. These are the destinations guests use it for most.
About 2 minutes
Playa Bonita
The villa's nearest beach. A 5-minute walk on foot, 2 minutes by cart. At low tide it becomes a natural snorkel lagoon.
About 5 minutes
Hacienda Pinilla Beach Club
Pool, restaurant, lounge chairs, and direct beach access. There is a small fee per person for non-resort guests. Worth it for a relaxed afternoon.
About 10 minutes
JW Marriott Guanacaste
Bar, restaurant, spa, and a beautiful stretch of coastline. Guests staying at the villa can access the public areas. A quick cart ride rather than a car trip.
About 5 minutes
Community market
A small market inside Hacienda Pinilla for basics and supplies mid-stay. Not a full grocery run, but good for restocking essentials without driving out to town.
About 8 minutes
Golf course
Hacienda Pinilla's course is a notable layout with several holes running along the coast. The cart gets the golf contingent to the clubhouse without taking the car.
A few minutes
Tennis courts and trails
Hacienda Pinilla has tennis facilities and biking and walking trails through the community. The cart covers the terrain quickly and keeps the group moving together.
Who needs the cart most
For groups of young adults or active couples with no mobility concerns, the walk to Playa Bonita is genuinely pleasant. The 5-minute stroll through shaded paths under howler monkey canopy is one of the highlights guests mention. Walking is fine for the immediate neighborhood.
The calculus changes when the group includes grandparents, children under eight, or anyone who finds extended walking in heat uncomfortable. Casa Bonita Beach regularly hosts three-generation family groups of 12 to 19 people. For those families, the golf cart shifts from convenience to necessity.
One guest who hosted her parents on a milestone trip put it plainly: the cart meant her parents could come along to every beach trip and beach club lunch instead of staying behind at the pool. That kind of inclusion is what the 109 five-star reviews are built on. Small practical decisions that make everyone feel accounted for.
How to arrange a golf cart rental
The concierge team at Stay in Tamarindo coordinates golf cart rentals as part of the pre-arrival planning process. The most convenient option is to request a cart during the booking confirmation process so it is parked at the villa when you arrive. Arriving on the first day and discovering the cart is not yet arranged is a minor frustration guests have mentioned.
The concierge can provide current pricing and availability when you reach out. As a general note, weekly rates are more cost-effective than daily rentals if you are staying a full week, and most groups find they use the cart every single day once it is there. Vida Pinilla's concierge service, which operates within Hacienda Pinilla, also maintains a golf cart rental page with details on delivery and availability. For the full scope of what Hacienda Pinilla offers once you are mobile in the community, the official Hacienda Pinilla golf course page gives a sense of the scale and quality of the amenities your cart will be unlocking.
Before you arrive: golf cart checklist
- Request the cart when you confirm your booking, not on arrival day. Peak season availability is limited.
- Ask the concierge for current pricing on weekly vs daily rental rates.
- Ask how many seats the cart accommodates. If your group is large, consider two carts or a larger model.
- Check whether a driver's license is required to operate the cart within the community (typically yes for adults).
- Ask the concierge if the cart can be charged or fueled at the villa overnight.
- If anyone in your group has limited mobility, ask about accessible cart options.
What guests say about the golf cart experience
The reviews are consistent on one point: guests who arrive with a cart have a qualitatively different week than those who don't. The community is designed to be experienced at golf cart speed, not car speed or walking speed.
Multiple reviews mention renting a cart for grandparents specifically, allowing older family members full participation in every activity rather than waiting at the villa. One couple staying for five weeks cited the cart as essential for daily life inside the community. Families with young kids consistently say the cart made beach runs effortless.
"We rented a golf cart for my parents and they loved driving around the communities, golf courses, and going to the beach club. We wished we could have stayed longer."
Marja, repeat guestThe one pattern in reviews from guests who did not get the cart: they often mention that transportation within the community felt difficult. The concierge team can help with taxis and shuttles, but the cart removes that friction entirely for the day-to-day movement that makes a week comfortable.
What a golf cart cannot do
Golf carts are permitted on all internal roads within Hacienda Pinilla. They are not permitted on public roads outside the community. For Tamarindo, excursions, or the Walmart grocery run, you need a rental car or arranged transportation.
For the full transfer and transport picture, including the drive from Liberia Airport to the villa, the LIR transfer guide covers all the logistics from landing to arrival.
For anyone wanting a complete picture of what is available inside the community, the guide to Hacienda Pinilla's beaches, amenities, and what to know covers every destination the cart can take you to.
