Ka'ana

Finca Rosa Blanca is a luxurious and quirky little hotel set into an oasis of lush gardens and a private coffee plantation. The decoration is quite loud and Gaudi-esque with white stucco arches and colourful murals, but it’s fun, tranquil and the staff are immensely nice. The rooms are all different and pleasantly comfortable with one of the master suites set into the tower with wonderful views over the valley. Also being located in the hills above San Jose (about a half hour drive away), at night you can see the twinkling lights of the city below from this quiet, green perch. Throughout the hotel you’ll discover a large collection of art, crafts and objects collected from all over the world. Finca Rosa Blanca is a well-equipped hotel with a spa, pool and a restaurant serving some good regional food, not to mention its own coffee plantation to stroll through and sample some of the produce. The team at El Tigre Vestido and Bar Buho select their fresh ingredients daily from the hotel’s organic greenhouse and gardens. Their menus feature international flavours and Latin fusion recipes. Proactive sustainable practices and environmental consciousness are important to the team at Finca Rosa Blanca. One of their main priorities is to have a lasting positive impact on the local community. With that in mind, they provide education and arrange cultural exchanges. The hotel was the first certified sustainable hotel in Costa Rica, and it has since evolved to become the highest ranking member of the prestigious Sustainable Tourism Certification program.

This boutique hotel encompasses all things luxurious, with views overlooking the grand Arenal Volcano, beautiful villas and a state-of-the-art spa and yoga pavilion. Privacy is as well taken care of as luxury, sitting outside the Costa Rican town of La Fortuna, Nayara Springs provides the perfect amount of seclusion at around three hours from the capital, San Jose. Each of the 35 villas is nestled among the floral gardens of the tropical rainforest and boasts its own personal pool, a spacious private garden with outdoor shower, a sumptuous four-poster bed, alongside both indoor and outdoor seating areas. A rich array of natural wildlife awaits, and guests can enjoy it from their private terrace, or by taking a tour through the Arenal Volcano National Park. Guests can then unwind by indulging in a treatment at the spa, heading to the yoga pavilion or swimming pool, or enjoying a drink at the stylish piano bar. Cuisine at Nayara Springs is served at the lovely poolside restaurant, Amor-Loco, where fresh fish, Latin American inspired sushi and organic home-grown vegetables all grace the menu.

This relaxing and wholesome eco-lodge imitates rural Costa Rican style and “pura vida”. The 16 luxury, free-standing and stilted casitas peer over the 500-acre private reserve cloud forest canopy on the edge of the Juan Castro Blanco National Park. They are built with the immediate nature very much in mind, based on cottages lived in by local people and using light and dark woods, bamboo and glass, yet they remain elegantly modern, minimal, spacious and comfortable. There are no TVs to detract from the natural world around you but all rooms are equipped with gas fireplaces, private terraces and jacuzzis making your casita feel especially cosy and romantic at night. The hotel strives to exist in harmony with its bio-diverse and delicate fauna setting. Organic gardens, a greenhouse and small farm help to sustain the hotel and its ethical concepts; guests see and taste the delicious and fresh benefits of this at El Silencio’s Las Ventanas and Hierbabuena Restaurants. Take part in spa treatments, eco-adventures, expeditions to the Poas volcano or even do your bit and plant a tree; these are just some of ways to while away the tropical hours at the hotel. Only two hours north of San Jose, with its relaxing and private atmosphere you’ll feel a whole world away at El Silencio.  

Even with 85 rooms El Mangroove still strikes a very boutique sort of style and atmosphere. Cool, contemporary design combined with a quiet position on the Papagayo Gulf, makes for a more personal alternative to the larger resorts of the area. It’s the epitome of relaxed barefoot chic. The hotel’s range of suites have been decked out in a contemporary yet natural style, spread over three floors, affording every level a new tier of views of the surrounding mangrove trees. The property also fronts a dark-sand beach almost exclusively enjoyed by its guests, or you can take to relaxing on the sun loungers and cabanas surrounding its outdoor pool and lovely gardens. There are a good variety of activities from fishing to yoga and surfing, and El Mangroove has two restaurants serving some excellent farm- and ocean-to-table dishes, ranging from Peruvian to Argentinean.