Discover Luxury in Costa Rica
Costa Rica's long history with sustainable tourism has cultivated a wide range of immersive luxury travel experiences. Five-star options for lodging, tours, and transportation are all readily available.
When planning your trip, remember that travel specialists want to provide a memorable and meaningful experience, tailored to your vision. In addition to the ideas listed below, you can request multilingual guides and book memorable celebratory events—extra-special engagements, honeymoons, and anniversaries can all be arranged via your Costa Rica local specialist.
Spend the Night in a 5-Star Rainforest Bungalow
Costa Rica has no shortage of luxury digs, and many of the 5-star properties here blend seamlessly into the environment—which makes sense given the destination's consistent emphasis on conservation and protection of wild spaces.
One such spot is Lapas Rios, a collection of 17 beautifully appointed bungalows dotted along a ridge in a 1000-acre private rainforest reserve on the Osa Peninsula—one of the country's most remote and biodiverse areas. Listed as one of National Geographic’s Unique Lodges of the World, rooms feature private decks with outdoor showers. The open-air architecture and ocean-facing positioning create a natural airflow, and screens create an incredible indoor-outdoor sensory experience.
Visitors to the misty Monteverde area can stay at Senda, an eco-hotel bursting with contemporary design, local artwork, hyper-local cuisine, and luxe essentials. Though Senda is tucked away in Monteverde's cloud forest, it’s only a 15-minute walk to town for coffee shops and breweries, not to mention a short drive to the zipline tours and iconic suspension bridges of the forest reserve.
For more options, see our list of the 8 Best Luxury Hotels in Costa Rica and 5 Best Luxury Hotels in La Fortuna.
Find Your Zen with a Personalized Wellness Retreat
With its picture-perfect scenery, solid infrastructure, and no shortage of organic tropical produce, Costa Rica has long been one of the best places in the world to treat yourself well. Book a personalized wellness retreat that combines outdoor exercise, fresh cuisine, spa treatments, and/or yoga and meditation classes.
Consider this 10-day getaway, which perfectly balances active fun with relaxation. You'll go whitewater rafting and snorkeling with a private guide, enjoy spa treatments in the tranquil valley above San José, and soak in natural hot springs. Start your days with sunrise yoga at a luxury lodge, indulge in a chocolate-making class, and use your downtime to swim in the pool or hike to area waterfalls.
Travelers with more time can check out this 15-day wellness itinerary It includes all of the aforementioned activities, plus a guided Pacific Coast excursion via kayak or outrigger canoe and a stay at the Xandari Resort and Spa—a five-star tropical paradise on a plantation overlooking the Central Valley of Costa Rica. The resort is a natural oasis, with exotic gardens, waterfalls, multiple pools, and five private spas with panoramic views.
You can find more itinerary inspo with our list of the Best Yoga & Wellness Retreats in Costa Rica.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Get Pampered at a Volcanic Hotspring Spa
In areas with volcanic geothermal activity, natural hot springs are often a happy consequence. Costa Rica has both volcanoes and natural springs, in plentiful supply. These healing pools are a relaxing place to soak after a day’s worth of adventure activities, and some of the best locations have been developed into cushy resorts, with spring-fed outdoor spas and swim-up bars.
The Arenal region is particularly renowned for its hot springs, and some of the most luxurious can be found on the grounds of the Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort. This resort is situated on more than 900 acres of unspoiled tropical reserve, and beyond the requisite soaking, services include massages, facials, and body treatments in open-air spa bungalows.
Another option in the area is the Springs Resort and Spa, known for its secluded streams and jungle waterfalls. Freeform pools with views of Arenal Volcano are conducive to serious relaxation, and the 14,000-square-foot spa offers everything from full body herbal wraps to mani-pedis. The treatment menu uses indigenous botanicals and locally-harvested volcanic clay.
Visit an Organic Coffee Farm, VIP Style
Coffee is perhaps Costa Rica's most beloved export. Visiting a coffee finca (farm) is an educational and delicious experience, with tours and tastings set against a backdrop of verdant green hills.
Finca Rosa Blanca is an organic, conservation-minded coffee farm and high-end resort located only a 25-minute drive from San José, though it feels a world away. Take a private tour of the 30-acre plantation, shaded by a forest which is the home to over 145 species of birds. You'll also visit the bean processing facility and enjoy the flavors and aromas of the finished product with a "cupping" session. Afterward, take your coffee and cookies to the outdoor deck, enjoying the vista of Costa Rica's Central Valley.
Another option is a multi-farm tour in the foothills of the Talamanca Mountains—on horseback. Your private guide will lead you along unpaved roads, admiring prime views of the rainforest and the Rio Cedral River. The community here pride themselves on their coffee-growing heritage, and this excursion allows you to meet landowners who plant, harvest, and sell their own organic coffee. Learn more in this article.
Hop Between Regions on Chartered Flights
To maximize your time in Costa Rica, chartering flights is the way to go. Driving here is safe and scenic, but road conditions in some places are unpredictable—meaning a short route distance-wise can take hours of drive time. Private plane travel especially makes sense when heading to or from Tortuguero, the Osa Peninsula, Arenal, Perez Zeledón, Tamarindo, Nosara, or Manuel Antonio. Chartered flights can also be arranged to the aforementioned Finca Rosa Blanca if you're flying from Liberia. Your local specialist can make recommendations—including bilingual pilots and specific types of aircraft—for your itinerary and personal preferences.
Ready to plan your trip? Consider these luxury itineraries.
Costa Rica Private Tour: Volcanoes & Secluded Beaches - 6 Days. Recharge your batteries with a quick six-day jaunt to the tropical paradise of Costa Rica. This luxury holiday in the north of the country covers the major highlights, like Arenal Volcano and the unspoiled beaches of the Nicoya Peninsula. Not only will you get to view exotic wildlife on various nature tours, but you'll also get some exercise in with rainforest hikes and kayak excursions along the coast.
Golden Beaches & Wild Rainforests in Costa Rica - 13 Days. On this 13-day itinerary you'll get to enjoy many of the adventure sports and outdoor activities Costa Rica is famous for. This includes hiking and river rafting in the Arenal region and Tenorio National Park, plus snorkeling, paddleboarding, and horseback riding on the beach. And at the end of each day, you'll retire to the luxury hotels and eco-lodges that will serve as your accommodations during this adventure.
Luxury Wildlife & Outdoor Adventure Tour - 12 Days. On this 12-day adventure, you'll enjoy the most famous activities in Costa Rica. You'll do it all, from river rafting and jungle hikes to wildlife tours, snorkeling, horseback riding, and even stand-up paddleboarding. The journey combines luxury accommodations with outdoor excursions as you travel from Arenal Volcano to the waterfalls of Tenorio National Park and finally to the beaches of Guanacaste Province.