Corcovado and Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Playa Cativo Eco Lodge

Secluded rainforest hideaway

Nestled in the tranquil waters of Golfo Dulce

The luxury Playa Cativo Eco Lodge is unique in the beauty of its secluded surroundings: accessible only by boat, it’s set on 1,000 acres of private rainforest with both the Piedras Blancas National Park – a former extension of the Corcovado National Park – and its own pristine, sandy beach on its doorstep.

The lodge is well aware of the value of its environs and practices high sustainability policies. It was built using precious indigenous wood salvaged from an older lodge and a fallen-tree program and fittingly, each of its comfortable rooms have been decorated using reclaimed hardwood and colourful tile works crafted by local artisans. The bathrooms feature hot-water rain showers and biodegradable bathroom amenities, and each suite is just a few steps away from the beach with majestic ocean views.

Surrounded by some of the most unspoilt rainforest in the world, Playa Cativo Eco offers an unrivalled opportunity to immerse yourself in nature. Speak to your travel designer about adding excursions such as kayaking in the Rio Esquinas Mangrove-Ocean, hiking in the Piedras Blancas Nature, guided expeditions to the Nocturnal Rainforest, beach, rainforest and wetland birdwatching tours, Golfo Dulce half-day snorkelling trips, standup paddle boarding adventures, and dolphin and whale sightseeing to your stay.

Highlights

Seven rooms

Three à la carte, multi-course meals a day

Fresh water pool

Library

Kayaking, standup paddling and snorkelling

Self-guided hiking trails

Off-grid alternative energy tours

Organic farm-to-table programme experience

Hand-line pier fishing

Trip Inspiration

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Plan your trip to Costa Rica

Whatever you want from your adventure in Costa Rica, our team of expert travel designers are ready to help.

Places to combine Playa Cativo with

Rio Celeste

Hotel Rio Celeste

The Rio Celeste Hotel provides 26 comfortable and well-equipped casitas set amongst the tropical scenery of its surrounds as well as being well-positioned for access to the Tenorio National Park and the Rio Celeste itself. The charming resort connects guests with the unique and untouched rainforest surrounding it, with each of the bungalows carefully designed to complement the lush tropical setting. Wooden furnishings and warm colours create a welcoming atmosphere and each has its own private decks with showers, the premium suites have jetted bathtubs. Breakfast is included in the rates and in the evenings you can enjoy cocktails in the stylish lounge Cantina Delirio. Dine beside tranquil koi ponds, surrounded by the lush gardens at the open-air Kantala Restaurant. The menu features Costa Rican cuisine created with fresh local ingredients. And the popular swim-up bar, Luna Azul, means you don’t even need to climb out of the pool for a top up. Spend your days by the pool or exploring the nearby park, walking the resorts paths along the river, visiting the Rio Celeste waterfall or the Arenal Volcano – which is only an hour’s drive away.

Arenal

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.

The Central Cloud Forests

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.

The Guanacaste Coast

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.

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