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When it comes to luxury travel, Costa Rica is a destination that offers a variety of choices. Would you rather spend top dollar at a beachfront hideaway, a mountain enclave with world-class service, or an experiential property that keeps you as busy and active as you want to be? No matter your answer, there’s a Costa Rica luxury resort for you.
These seven are the pinnacle of luxury in the entire country.
Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo
Rooms and suites at the Andaz have floor-to-ceiling windows at this beach retreat nestled in the rainforest. Riverstone showers are adjacent to open-air balconies with expansive ocean views, and there are three distinct beaches and four pools, including a kid-friendly shallow pool and an adult-only tranquility pool. In other words, everyone can be happy here. There’s also a club for kids (ages 5-12) and the property is exceptionally pet-friendly.
Set on the lovely Gulf of Papagayo on the Northern Pacific coastline of Guanacaste, El Mangroove is an ideal base to explore both sea and land. Choose from water sports like snorkeling, paddleboarding and kayaking, or land adventures like hiking, horseback riding and waterfall-hunting. The all-inclusive plan is the way to go if you don’t want to think about planning meals, but it’s not required.
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
The Four Seasons brand is synonymous with luxury, and this Papagayo resort is a case in point. Set above the ocean, the rooms and suites are designed for supreme tranquility, famous for their proximity to the wide variety of birds and other wildlife that call Costa Rica home. The property was designed to maximize the soft light coming in from all angles. The spa is a destination unto itself and a perfect place to decompress, with a Volcanic Purification ritual that includes a seawater-and-volcanic-mud peloid and a bamboo massage.
One of the most beautiful and most exclusive resorts in Costa Rica is Hacienda AltaGracia, an experience-driven luxury property, where you can ride horses, hike through the rainforest to see raging waterfalls, learn firsthand how to process sugarcane or even milk a cow. This Auberge property, located in Perez Zeledon, offers 50 individual hacienda-style casitas with dramatic valley views. For just $175 per person, you can also take a private plane chartered by the hotel. The food here is some of the best in the country.
An eco-luxury boutique resort set on the Guanacaste coastline at Islita Beach’s islet outcropping, this resort is for the traveler who wants a personalized experience. Choose from cooking classes, art lessons, horseback writing, and other activities on both land and water. There are incredible ocean views from the property’s serene infinity pool. Accommodations are villas that can house couples or large groups traveling together, and all have full kitchens and extraordinary views.
This small, adults-only luxury hotel is just 2 miles from the village of Uvita and 5 miles from Marino Ballena National Park, set in the jungle with views of the ocean. Designed as a “minimalist paradise” by young Costa Rican couple Martin Wells and Alejandra Umaña, the concept is eco-luxury meets contemporary Zen retreat. The food program is centered around organic, locally sourced produce, including delicious grass-fed beef.
This luxury resort is set right on the beach in Santa Teresa, and the romantic casitas are all open-air, so visitors are free to be one with nature. Wake to the breeze coming off the ocean and the sound of monkeys playing outside your door. There’s also wonderful beachfront dining with meals prepared from local, organic ingredients. This is one of the most romantic and understatedly luxurious resorts in all of Costa Rica.
