The wife and I were in La Fortuna (foot of Arenal volcano) and Mal Pais last year. The beach at Mal Pais is amazing. The surf is perfect. The roads on the other hand are problem. This is where we stayed:
http://www.villashermosas.com/
..its a little off the beaten path though, which is why we picked it. The staff are great people and service. Going to try get back there next year.