Lapa Ríos

Lapa Ríos Review

Hands down the most spectacular eco-resort in Costa Rica, Lapa Ríos has won numerous awards for its mix of conservation and comfort in a huge private nature reserve that brims with wildlife. After catching your breath when you see the view from the high, breezy jungle ridge rife with wildlife, your next sharp intake may be when you see the bill. But in this case the price is not inflated. Spacious, airy cabins built of gleaming hardwoods have four-poster queen beds, stylish bathrooms, and showers with one screened wall open to nature. Private teak-deck garden terraces allow you to view passing monkeys, roosting toucans, and plenty of scarlet macaws—the lodge's namesakes—all from your lounge chair. There's an infinity pool, a massage hut, and a yoga deck. Inspired meals, served under a soaring thatch roof, include lots of seafood, exotic local fruits and vegetables, and mouthwatering desserts. You can eat whenever—and as much or as little as—you want. Resident naturalist guides lead tours through pristine wilderness and to nearby beaches on foot or on horseback. Along with the high cost of transporting and providing all these luxuries in a remote location, it's the exceptional service, including morning coffee brought to your cabin at 6 am, that justifies the high price tag. Don't miss their free sustainability tour called Pigs, Twigs and Garbage, which highlights the resort's ingenious eco-friendly infrastructure, including pigs' contribution to energy fuels. If you don't like to climb stairs, request a cabin close to the main lodge.