Captivating Costa Rica

The Central Valley

Stay: Xandari Resort & Spa (1 night)

Just south of San José, the Central Valley is not only Costa Rica's geographical centre, but also its cultural and spiritual core. Ringed with volcanoes, it's home to picturesque highland coffee plantations (including Starbucks' Hacienda Alsacia Coffee Farm, the brand's first and only coffee farm); charming artisan villages like Sarchi; La Paz Waterfall Gardens with its variety of wildlife exhibits; and all-in-all a great setting for hiking, bird-watching, white-water rafting, and treetop adventures.​

Your Stay

Xandari Resort & Spa

The quintessential Costa Rica experience; where Xandari’s forest reserve, with five waterfalls and miles of trails for bird-watching, provides all the nature you can expect from your visit to this captivating country.

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Caribbean Coast

Stay: Le Caméléon Boutique Hotel (3 nights)

One of Costa Rica's most under-appreciated attractions, the Caribbean Coast is truly wonderful, with its bathwarm waters, radiant sunshine, rustling palms, piquant food, unique Afro-Caribbean culture, and pristine rainforest. Super laid-back, temperate, and teeming with wildlife, the Talamanca Mountains' Caribbean slopes are home to several rare, endangered and reclusive mammals like pumas, ocelots and the tayra; while birds, reptiles and amphibians seen nowhere else thrive in the Tortuguero National Park – famed for its nesting sea turtles – remote, accessible only by boat or plane… and totally worth the journey.​

Your Stay

Le Caméléon Boutique Hotel

Located in beautiful, laid-back Playa Cocles, just minutes from Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limon, Le Caméléon Boutique Hotel serves up a lovely slice of contemporary luxury and comfort.

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Arenal Volcano National Park

Stay: Nayara Resort, Spa & Gardens (2 nights)

​This is a national park that really has it all! There's hiking to and around Costa Rica's most active volcano (though there's not been a major eruption since 1968), zip-lining through lush forest, natural history walks over hanging bridges, and horse-riding to magnificent waterfalls surrounded by butterflies, flowers and a variety of birdsong, including the toucan. It's also famous for its hot springs, which are perfect for an indulgent soak after a long day of adventure.​

Your Stay

Nayara Resort, Spa & Gardens

With striking eco-luxury casitas and villas in the heart of the jungle, and unobstructed volcano vistas, Nayara is one of the world’s most romantic hotels, and an excellent base for family friendly eco-adventures.

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Monteverde Cloud Forest

Stay: Monteverde Lodge & Gardens (2 nights)

​Walk through the clouds, thousands of metres above sea level, and embrace the misty atmosphere of Monteverde Cloud Forest, one of Costa Rica's most coveted eco-tourism destinations. Encompassing a 26,000-acre biozone, it's packed with over 500 bird species like the elusive queztal and three-wattled bellbird; jaguars, toucanets, pumas, monkeys and red-eyed tree frogs; plus 420 orchid and 200 fern species, thanks to the bounty of life-giving moisture. There's a wealth of ways to explore too: eight miles of well-kept hiking trails, a heart-pumping skywalk, zip-lining and canopy tours.​

Your Stay

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

A homely, laid-back lodge full of rustic rainforest charm. Guests are spoilt for choice off-site with canopy-hiking, guided bird-watching, horse-riding and zip-lining.

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Manuel Antonio National Park

Stay: Arenas del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort (3 nights)

​The undisputed crowd-puller of the Central Pacific region (probably Costa Rica’s most popular tourist destination), the wonderful Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the smallest national parks, northernmost rainforests, and most photogenic, diverse destinations. With lush, dense forestation, four stunning beaches and wildlife a-plenty (crustacean-laden tide pools, endangered monkey species, sloths, Morpho butterflies, coatimundis, peccaries, iguanas, armadillos and a host of reptile and amphibian park-dwellers), it’s no surprise it’s long considered Costa Rica’s favourite ‘little’ national park.

Your Stay

Arenas del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort

Manuel Antonio’s only luxury beachfront resort and a great base from which to explore, nestled in 11 acres of rainforest with extensive hiking trails and two tree-shaded sandy beaches.

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