Deserted sand. Wildlife refuges. A laid-back pura vida lifestyle. What’s not to love about Costa Rica? Sure, it’s been on our radar for a while, but with a host of small, stylish hotels hidden in the jungle and along the shore, the tiny Central American country is now more appealing than ever. Here, the eight places that top our list.
Oxygen Jungle Villas, Uvita de Osa
As you drive up the steep gravel road that leads to this remote retreat above the southern town of Uvita, you may start to lose faith. Did you miss a turn? Could it be up this high? A few minutes later, you spot the pool, edged with Moroccan lanterns and seeming to spill out over green hills to the Pacific. Lounge music plays at just the right volume; guests lie under Balinese umbrellas reading their Kindles and listening to their iPods. Marco, the young concierge, escorts you to your bungalow, one of just 12 on the property. The rooms are all glass, except for the teak peaked roofs, and furnished with big poster beds, stacks of baskets that serve as dressers, and large white sofas on the front porches. There’s something disconcerting about staying in such futuristic digs in the middle of the jungle, but you’ll adjust quickly. Soon you’re off trekking to Oxygen’s waterfall, visiting nearby beaches, or venturing a 40-minute drive south to Corcovado National Park, one of the most biodiverse landscapes in the world.
T+L Tip: Ask the concierge to organize a zipline excursion with Osa Canopy Tours.
Rancho Pacifico, Uvita de Osa
Seeking a mountain to call your own? Set on a 250-acre preserve, this hilltop eco-lodge draws an A-list clientele (Anderson Cooper, Sheryl Crow, and Al Gore, to name a few) who come for the privacy: check in to one of two new “Treehauses,” which are set back from the main building. Rooms have neo-Modernist furnishings and sweeping vistas of the ocean—almost unheard of for a hotel in the rain forest. Adventurers can go wildlife spotting or visit indigenous villages, while those in need of downtime can opt for a hot-stone massage or relax at one of the property’s five pools. There is little reason to leave the lodge, except perhaps to spend the day at Ballena Beach Club, where hotel guests have free access to the umbrella-covered chaises and pristine white sand of Playa La Colonia. $$
T+L Tip: Arrange for a seafood dinner for two—or 10—beside the infinity pool.
Florblanca, Playa Santa Teresa
It’s not often that you come across an Asian-inspired resort in Costa Rica—especially one located on Playa Santa Teresa’s best surf break. Here, it’s more about blissing out than riding the waves. There are only a few dozen guests at any time, and everything is designed to soothe—from the boulder-studded pool, where you’ll feel like you’re swimming in an aqueous Zen garden, to the bamboo spa bungalow, with its ponds and shoji screens. Each of Florblanca’s 11 villas is accented with organic fabrics and native hardwoods, and all have terraces outfitted with hammocks. (Book the Surf House, steps from the ocean.) After an evening yoga class on the beach, kick back with a tamarind mojito—or two—from the open-air Nectar bar. $$$
T+L Tip: Don’t miss the tide pools surrounded by limestone formations, just steps from Florblanca.
Latitude 10º, Playa Santa Teresa
If Florblanca feels like a luxe Asian retreat, Latitude 10, its neighbor to the north, is somewhat of a no-frills—but fashionable—safari hideaway in Africa. Don’t expect Frette linens or flat-screen TV’s: the five simple, open-sided wooden casitas were built with shades instead of windows, so guests can “sleep and reside completely in harmony with nature,” as the sign reads in the lobby. Come dinnertime, you’ll be rewarded for your fortitude, thanks to affable French chef Sebastian Regier, who creates daily seafood-centric dishes—guests can preorder before noon for the freshest catch from local fishermen—served in the breezy dining room or, if you prefer, at a secluded beachside spot. $$
T+L Tip: Unwind with a sunset holistic massage by Sebastian Campanile or Dolores Aviani, two of the top practitioners in the area.
Hotels
$ Less than $200
$$ $200 to $350
$$$ $350 to $500
$$$$ $500 to $1,000
$$$$$ More than $1,000
Restaurants
$ Less than $25
$$ $25 to $75
$$$ $75 to $150
$$$$ More than $150
I Need Summer 