From jungles to beaches, the resorts in Costa Rica come in various locations, and sizes, immersing tourists and vacationers in Costa Rica’s most picturesque natural settings. When it comes to nature, Costa Rica has it all. With its winding rivers, dense jungles, secluded beaches, smoldering volcanoes, and tumbling waterfalls, the country acts like a beacon, beckoning the lovers of nature to its glistening shores. Once known as the country with the highest deforestation rates, now Costa Rica is the leader in sustainability. The country now prioritizes protecting its natural beauty and runs on 98 percent renewable energy to save the environment from deterioration. Currently, Costa Rica is working towards decarbonizing its economy.
Hotels and resorts in Costa Rica have also come together to inculcate sustainability in their practices. The retreats are as luxe as they are environmentally friendly, offering their visitors unforgettable experiences in protected natural areas. The resorts in Costa Rica, try to go the extra mile to operate responsibly within their communities and environments. In this article, we will talk about such resorts in Costa Rica that deliver excellence all the while preserving the natural beauty of their country.
From beachfront paradise with decent swells to safari-style tented camps showcasing stunning views of the volcano, the retreats in Costa Rica deliver sublime experiences. Moreover, the resorts in Costa Rica harbor aspects that suit the taste of different kinds of travelers.
Resorts in Costa Rica
Best Resorts in Costa Rica
1. Nayara Tented Camp – Best Resorts in Costa Rica
Located At – Arenal Natura Ecological Park
Known For – Safari-style adventure in Cost Rica and family-friendly atmosphere
Loyalty Program – Leaders Club
Starting Price – $1,221
One of the best resorts in Costa Rica that is the perfect definition of roughing it, is Nayara Tented Camp. Nayara Tented Camp harbors 37 spacious glamping accommodations that are equal parts luxe and environmentally friendly. These accommodations come with king-size beds, indoor-outdoor showers, massive bathrooms that harbor deep soaking tubs, a personal butler, as well as private hot spring-fed pools that offer views of the stunning active Arenal volcano. Nayara Tented Camp is a new retreat opened by Nayara on the same 62-acre rewilded estate where sister properties, Naya Springs and Naya Gardens are found. Nayara Gardens is currently undergoing renovations and is set to reopen in January 2024.
The luxe camp offers several multi-bedroom tents that are quite convenient for traveling families especially those with young children. Nayara Tented Camp offers along with its countless amenities, fun activities that appeal to travelers of different age groups. The activities include frog-spotting walks, naturalist-led bird watching, and visits to the wildlife-filled Arenal Hanging Bridges Park as well as to the farmers’ market in La Fortuna town. During your stay, learn about the efforts of Nayara towards sloth habitat protection via an on-property experience known as The Secret Life of Tony the Sloth.
In Secret Life of Tony the Sloth guests get to learn about the sloth named Tony that has made Nayara its home and has been living here for many years. Several other sloths also live on the Property of Nayara all thanks to the resort’s strenuous efforts. Nayara Resort planted more than 1,000 cecropia trees on which these mammals depend for food.
Once you have had your fill of fun adventures, make your way to the resort’s six cantilevered hot spring pools in the jungle, or replenish your energy by dining at the new in-site Mediterranean restaurant, serving food that is a feast for the eyes as much as it is a feast for the stomach. You can also visit the treetop spa and yoga platform at Nayara Springs to release all the build-up stress.
2. Origins Luxury Lodge by Mantis – Best Resorts in Costa Rica
Located At – Bijagua
Known For – Residing on an off the grid rain forest estate
Loyalty Program – Accor Live Limitless
Starting Price – $1,175
The quiet and picturesque town of Bijagua attracts visitors due to its close proximity to the Tenorio National Park. Tenorio National Park calls itself home to the Rio Celeste waterfall, the active Tenorio volcano, and numerous wildlife including, howler monkeys, sloths as well as tapirs. In Bijagua resides one of the best resorts in Costa Rica that goes by the name Origins Luxury Lodge by Mantis. This opulent resort sits along a hill in an adjacent 111-acre rainforest estate and offers its esteemed guests a stay that is equal parts luxurious and eco-conscious. The resort can either be reached via private heliport or by embarking on a two-hour drive that will take you past small, quaint villages.
Origins Luxury Lodge by Mantis harbors six circular luxury lodges that consist of one bedroom. Housed on the property is also a treetop villa that has three bedrooms and is ideal for large families. The accommodations, with their green roofs and natural materials like stone, wood, adobe, and bamboo blend effortlessly into the landscape. Each lodge comes with its own private canopy bed, hot tub, and an indoor-outdoor shower.
Being one of the best resorts in Costa Rica, while staying at this resort guests will notice countless eco-friendly initiatives. Single-use plastic is strictly prohibited here, and you won’t find it anywhere on the property. Moreover, the ingredients for the restaurant as well as the spa are supplied via the large on-site organic garden and 25 beehives.
The fragrant organic bath products found at the resort are made with wild ylang-ylang that grows on the property. Taking sustainability and environmental protection to another level, the Origins Luxury Lodge operates its own composting stations and has solar water tanks as well as a treatment plant for soapy water from which the treated water is used for watering plants. Guests can also engage in numerous activities here like taking part in a naturalist-led walk on the wildlife-rich property.
3. Kurá Boutique Hotel – Best Resorts in Costa Rica
Located At – Uvita
Known For – Romantic vibes in the green Osa Peninsula
Starting Price – $880
Among the best resorts in Costa Rica, Kurá Boutique Hotel is the one that is meant for adults only. This adults-only retreat lies on the Pacific Coast north of the Osa Peninsula and comes under the ownership of a Costa Rican biologist and architect. The owner of Kurá Boutique Hotel envisioned a hospitality experience that was equal parts, sophisticated, stylish, and sustainable, and came up with this eight-suit adults-only retreat.
The furnishing found at the resort is made from responsibly sourced teak wood, and single-use plastic is prohibited on the premises of this resort. Kurá Boutique Hotel also sits at an ideal location, on a hillside that overlooks the Marino Ballena National Park as well as its famous Whale’s Tail sandbar. Guests can spot migrating humpback whales at the Whale’s Tail.
The accommodations at Kurá Boutique Hotel feature floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase stunning views and two-person hammocks in the open-air verandas. Moreover, the master suite at the retreat also has its very own private pool. Aside from its beach meets rainforest setting, the resort’s most alluring attraction is its infinity pool that harbors an underwater sound system.
The infinity pool is surrounded by a bar as well as a restaurant that specializes in serving seafood and meat that is sourced from the nearby local farms. Some produce is also grown in the resort’s organic greenhouse and all the food waste is composted on site. The resort offers off-property activities as well like waterfall hikes, snorkeling, paddle boarding, and horseback riding. Moreover, it also provides a complimentary shuttle to the Whale Coast and the village of Uvita.
4. Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection – Best Resorts in Costa Rica
Located At – Pérez Zeledón, Nicoya Peninsula
Known For – Being an idyllic escape for the seekers of wellness and rejuvenation
Starting Price – $2,225
Hacienda AltaGracia is one of the best resorts in Costa Rica that is known for its idyllic location. Lying on a 180-acre property, Hacienda AltaGracia is a resort that is focused on rejuvenation and wellness. Harboring 50 casitas that house either one or two bedrooms, the resort focuses on sustainability as much as it focuses on luxury.
Its casitas come equipped with terraces and plunge pools from which are visible the soothing views of the green Talamanca Mountains that bring pure bliss and joy to the hearts of ten guests. The resort house harbors a farm from comes the ingredients for its spa and restaurant. From freshly squeezed juice to coffee to opulent meals, everything is prepared from the ingredients sourced from the farm.
When in Hacienda AltaGracia be one with nature by grabbing a horse from the stables and riding through the green hills or climb to the top of the forest canopy via rope and bask in the stunning views. Its integrated wellness center and spa called Well is housed on a 20,000-square-foot outpost and offers consultations and holistic health treatments. After a day of fun, make your way to the spa and spend time in the heated tepidarium, healing garden, and hydrotherapy tub. Or participate in aerial yoga or qigong. The Well also hosts multiday retreats that are led by a visiting expert.
Off-property Hacienda AltaGracia can arrange for the guests a rafting trip on the Pacuare River or a visit to the Indigenous Boruca village. A meeting with a local family can also be arranged. This meeting provided a glimpse of life on the farm in Nicoya Peninsula. The Nicoya Peninsula is one of the world’s five Blue Zones, where not only are people the healthiest but also live the longest.
5. Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo – Best Resorts in Costa Rica
Located At – Peninsula Papagayo
Known For – Cutting-edge service and accommodations that are suitable for multi-generational groups
Starting Price – $1,440
The Peninsula Papagayo resides on a 1,400-acre land located on the Pacific Coast in the northwest corner of Guanacaste Province and is fairly easy to access, lying only an hour’s drive away from Liberia Guanacaste airport. When it comes to resorts the Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo is deemed as the crown jewel of the peninsula and is one of the best resorts in Costa Rica. The resort reopened its doors in 2023, after going through a refresh.
Housing 182 ginormous rooms, private residences, and suites, the resort speaks a language of opulence and advocates sustainability and eco-friendliness. Within its accommodations lie contemporary furnishing that are decked in natural hues, and on their walls are floor-to-ceiling windows that let in ample light and showcase stunning views of the surroundings.
Guests residing in the resort can take advantage of the four pools to relax. Or they can make their way to the Virador Beach Club which features cabanas on the beach, a restaurant, a lounge, and an infinity edge pool all of which are set against the backdrop of the scenic coastline.
Young children have access to the resort’s Kids for All Seasons club which recently renovated and reflets the flora and fauna of the area. Tweens and teens can check out the Tuanis Teen Center which harbors a basketball court as well as social spaces where young people can meet and make new friends. The resort offers numerous other family-friendly on-site pursuits such as golfing on the 18-hole course designed by Arnold Palmer that recently went through several upgrades that include a larger teeing area with 12 acres of native vegetation, a precision irrigation system that reduces water consumption by 20 percent as well as a new golf pro and tennis retail shop.
Families can also take part in surfing lessons with the resort’s SurfX surf school which is run by diligent women. The spa of the resort also went through upgrades and recently added a Wellness Shala. The Wellness Shala is an indoor-outdoor structure inspired by the Guanacaste winds and hosts meditation, health workshops, and yoga sessions.
Off the property, you can traverse the singing bridges, sip lines, and rope obstacles in the nearby Palmares aerial park or you can go on a rainforest excursion to spot the three local monkey species that call Peninsula Papagayo their home. Or you can it the water by boarding a water bike, going off-roading on a UTV around the Palmares estuary, or paddling through a mangrove forest. Environmental-conscious guests can also opt for a coral restoration project where they can help catalog, clean, and restore the fragile coral reefs in the area.
6. Finca Rosa Blanca – Best Resorts in Costa Rica
Located At – Central Valley
Known For – Being a beacon for lovers of coffee and food and travelers wanting to experience farm life
Starting Price – $499
Costa Rica is renowned around the world for its high-quality coffee beans that come from eight different growing regions, producing only 100 percent Arabica. To glimpse the growers of these coveted beans a stay at the Finca Rosa Blanca is a must. Finca Rose Blanca can be found residing in the highlands about an hour’s drive away from the capital city of San Jose. This resort is family-owned and practices sustainable coffee plantations and organic agriculture.
The inn is actually the family’s ordinal home that was built in 1974. These days the interior of the inn celebrates the local culture, art, food, and of course coffee. Housed in the inn are 14 suites that feature stunning murals hand-painted by a local artist, Oscar Salazar. The suites also feature locally crafted wooden furnishings, free-form hot tubs, and lots of coffee that is grown on-site.
The hotel also houses on its premises a farm-to-table restaurant that specializes in serving dishes like braises beef tenderloin with stewed plantains as well as coconut milk soup with root vegetables. Most of the ingredients used in the restaurant come from the property’s organic vegetable and herb greenhouse and fruit orchards.
When staying at the inn make sure to take up the coffee tour and cupping where you can learn about coffee making starting from plant and fermentation to roasting and drinking. Once you are done make your way to the chemical-free infinity pool of the resort that is surrounded by a garden filled with blooming orchids, bromeliads as well as palms. The pool also offers stunning views of the green Central Valley of Costa Rica and its two active volcanos.
7. Lapa Rios Lodge – Best Resorts in Costa Rica
Located At – Osa Peninsula
Known For – Being an ideal place for active travelers coveting a stay by both rainforest and ocean
Starting Price – $1,350
Lapa Rios Lodge offers the best of both worlds by providing its guests adventures in the ocean and rain forest and not just any rain forest the last remaining coastal lowland tropical rain forest in Central America. The lodge has helped preserve more than 100 acres of rainforest ever since it opened its doors n the year 1993.
This luxury lodge can be found on the Osa peninsula, lying adjacent to the biodiverse national park, Corcovado. Housed on the premises of Lapa Rios Lodge are 17 bungalows that feature large private verandas harboring their own private plunge pools and are decked with hardwood floors. When staying here, guests can take part in activities like waterfall hikes, and bird-watching walks where they can glimpse the beautiful macaw and toucan, or they can opt for volunteer work to help restore Golfo Dulce’s coral reefs.
Guests can also take up sustainability tours, that offer behind the scenes look at the renewable building materials that were used to build the lodge and a tutorial of how the lodge uses 10 water turbines, 240 solar panels, and 48 energy storage units to provide purified water and renewable energy. During the tour, guests are also taken to the organic gardens as well as the pig pens, where the food waste from the restaurant is fed to the pigs in order to avoid wastage.
On-site the resort houses a Brisa Azul Restaurant that uses produce from the gardens to craft dishes that are equal parts glamorous and decadent. The restaurant offers two menus one that is entirely plant-based and the other that features sustainably sourced dairy, meat, and seafood.
8. Nantipa – Best Resorts in Costa Rica
Located At – Santa Teresa, Nicoya Peninsula
Known For – Being a sustainable retreat residing in a UNESCO-designated Blue Zone
Starting Price – $350
The Nicoya Peninsula is a part of UNESCO’s five Blue Zones which are designated areas where the people living are the healthiest and have extended lifespans. Found in this area is a boutique hotel known as Nantipa. Nantipa lies at a soothing location, shaded by the trees, facing an idyllic beach. The hotel consists of 19 suites as well as bungalows among which the two new beachfront villas consist of three bedrooms, kitchens, and well as indoor-outdoor living areas that come with private pools. Home to the Numú Wellness Center, where the guests of Nantipa can engage in various fitness and healing classes as well as worship-like life coaching sessions, Ayurvedic therapy, and sound healing.
After replenishing their souls, guests can replenish their hunger by visiting the Manzú Restaurant which lies right on the beach and specializes in serving both Caribbean and international-influenced foods. When not lounging by the pool or sunbathing by the beach, guests can go on excursions that include surfing lessons, rainforest hikes, fishing trips, a boat tour of Tortuga Island to see marine life and horseback riding.
9. Casa Chameleon – Best Resorts in Costa Rica
Located At – Las Catalinas
Known For – Being a nature escape ideal for gourmands
Loyalty Program – Always be Expected (Relais & Chateaux)
Starting Price – $1,160
Relais & Chateau hotels that are specifically culinary-focused accommodations added to the collection a brand-new resort in 2023 called Casa Chameleon. Casa Chameleon is one of those resorts in Costa Rica that are dedicated to sustainability and the environment all the while offering personalized service and exceptional cuisine. The eco-friendly resort is set on a hill that overlooks the coastal town of Las Catalinas which lies north of Tamarindo. Offering panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean from its idyllic location, the resort harbors 21 contemporary private villas all of which feature an infinity-edge saltwater plunge pool.
You will find impressive culinary pitons here with the resort’s restaurant Sentido Norte showcasing Costa Rica’s flavors and food heritage in an open-air setting that offers stunning views of the ocean. Another restaurant Grotto 12 is a new addition to the culinary service and features a selection of global wines in a wine cave that only seats 12 at a time.
Another intimate dining spot, the Green House serves dishes that celebrate Costa Rican cuisine and are made from ingredients that are grown on site. La Pampa Grill features slow-cooked farm-to-table and se feasts that include fall-of-the-bone ribs charred and prepared on an open-fire barbecue.
10. El Silencio Lodge & Spa – Best Resorts in Costa Rica
Located At – Bajos del Toto
Known For – Its Costa Rican vibes and culture
Loyalty Program – Always be Expected (Relais & Chateaux)
Starting Price – $540
Lying within a 500-acre cloud forest reserve, El Silencio Lodge is one of the best resorts in Costa Rica residing on the slopes of Poas Volcano, about halfway between La Fortuna and San Jose, with a gurgling creek running through the grounds. The retreat calls itself home to 16 spacious suites and villas that are the epitome of opulence and luxury.
The accommodations are heated by fireplaces and face the nearby Poas Volcano which is the largest Costa Rican volcano. Housed on the property is an Esencia Spa that is a true sanctuary harboring a yoga deck, open-air treatment bungalows, as well as the Conical Room that is designed to channel the essential energy of the Costa Rican cloud forest. Guests can get various treatments from the spa all of which highlight local ingredients such as volcanic clay wraps, fruit flake facials, and chocolate massage.
There is also a private trail that leads guests to the resort’s three waterfalls, paths for mountain biking and horseback riding, and an adventure park for rappelling and ziplining. Offers by the resort are mixology and cooking classes, night frog walks and bird watching walks, wine and coffee tasting, traditional oxcart painting, and tree planting. After spending a long day enjoying the excursions and activities, guests can replenish their energy by visiting the Las Ventanas Restaurant and Toro Bohemio Bar using herbs and vegetables from the organic greenhouse of the resort, sourcing fresh eggs from resident free-range chickens and trout from on-site ponds, delivering to guests the best meals they will ever taste.
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