250 Best Hotels in Costa Rica

Extremely well-informed, helpful owners and proximity to the airport (15 minutes) make this a good place to begin and end a trip, and thanks to its location on a ridge north of town, several of its rooms have views of Poás Volcano. All of them offer tranquility and abundant birdsong. The two rooms in the main house have the best views, but casitas (little houses) scattered around the large garden offer more privacy. These bright and cheery bungalows have small terraces with chairs where guests, typically well traveled, lounge. Continental breakfasts and delicious dinners (by reservation) are served on a covered terrace behind the house. Ask about their books-for-schools program.

The most comfortable way to experience the birds and wildlife of the Tempisque wetlands is to roost at this eco-boutique hotel, a luxurious version of a traditional hacienda, set in a private reserve directly across from Palo Verde National Park. Rooms and suites in the handsome, modern ranch are startlingly modern, combining a stark, Mondrian palette of red, black, and cream with an interesting mix of contemporary furniture, antiques, local collectibles, and large-scale wildlife paintings. You can take a guided tour along earthen dikes through a spectacular wetland, teeming with raptors and aquatic birds, along with crocodiles, wild boar, and deer (included with the price of the room). Beds and linens are top drawer, and bathrooms are spacious and sleek, with vessel sinks and rainforest shower heads. All rooms have air-conditioning and huge picture windows with screens, and most have private decks. There's a large deck with a curvaceous pool featuring a mosaic of a jabirú, the red-necked stork that serious birders hope to see here. Staff are a little shy but very accommodating. Meals, included in the rate along with the wetlands tour, aim at sophistication but aren't quite there yet. The feast for your eyes is the main event here; be sure to bring binoculars and cameras.

Nestled into the mountainside overlooking the Pacific, these private, chic, one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas, treehouses, and suites are the ultimate getaway. The rainforest location and luxurious lodging have lured such guests as Al Gore, Sheryl Crow, and Anderson Cooper. With panoramic ocean views including some of the "whale tail," Ranco Pacifico's restaurant and pool area are sleek, the rooms well appointed, and the service outstanding. The owners have managed to blend eco-friendly practices with an award-winning spa for a truly organic experience. Included in your stay are complementary touches like breakfast, beach shuttle, Wi-Fi, parking, a tote bag, and other hotel swag.

In one of the most beautiful mountain settings imaginable, this yoga-centric riverside lodge, reminiscent of a Himalayan temple, is pure pleasure, from the lush flower gardens to the sophisticated room design to the open-air yoga studio within sound of the rushing river. The two-story lodge has six double rooms with two single beds each and modern bathrooms; five suites and casitas offer more privacy and self-catering facilities. Breakfast is included and dinner is by reservation. You can order a packed lunch or be on your own for lunch. You can soak in the swimming pool and hot tub or cool off in a natural river pool.

You may feel as though you're on a luxury safari when you step inside one of these spacious South African tents perched on sturdy wooden platforms cantilevered over a rushing mountain river. There's lots of headroom, electricity for reading lights and fans, comfortable beds, and—even more civilized—a private, spring-fresh bathroom with hot shower just a zippered compartment away. You can enjoy bird-watching and river views from your own veranda, hike forest trails to a nearby waterfall or follow the stepping stones to explore the other side of the river, bask on a sun-baked rock in the middle of the river, or go horseback riding. This campers' paradise is the creation of an energetic, eco-minded Dutch couple. Breakfast is excellent—tropical fruits, homemade bread, granola, and Dutch pancakes are highlights—served in a stylish, open-air lodge with Wi-Fi. For guests who prefer to stay in the lodge, there are three comfortable rooms. Tea and coffee are available, but there's no restaurant.

Tranquil, comfortable, and nicely priced, this small hotel and spa a short walk from the beach is consistently the best deal in Malpaís. Red-tile-roof bungalows here are simple yet tasteful, with high wooden ceilings, large bathrooms, lots of windows, front terraces, Wi-Fi, and air-conditioning. Some bungalows, arranged in a semicircle around the large amoeba-shape pool and gardens, have views of the sea and the jungle. Two smaller rooms are a bargain, or there's a kitchen-equipped studio that sleeps four. The reasonably priced Italian restaurant in front of the property is open for breakfast and dinner and serves more than two-dozen types of pizza (you can also design your own) plus tapas. There are also fresh fish dishes with a selection of sauces, and tasty pasta offerings such as farfalle with fish and shrimp curry sauce. There's a pleasant yoga deck and best of all, the hotel fronts a paved road, so there are no clouds of dust to contend with, and you can actually hear birds singing.

This hotel has a volcano view along with luxury perks like a swim-up bar, five-star cuisine, a swanky lobby, and an impressive spa. Spacious, nicely decorated accommodations come with friendly service, a sense of intimacy, and another big bonus—on-site hot springs. Soothing cream-color walls, white polished floors, and wood furnishings prevail in the decor, with colorful accents scattered about in the form of pillows and wall hangings. Suites have stone accents and private hot tubs. Every room has a balcony with views of the pool and volcano. Three bars and a restaurant with international cuisine round out the offerings here. There's a sundeck on the second floor and plenty of lounge chairs near the three thermal pools.

One of the few hotels right on the beach, this small inn has lofty, breezy bungalows with air-conditioned bedrooms perfect for folks who love the open air and looking down on the beach action. Guests climb up wood stairs to the separate "tree house" cabins, each set on tree-trunk pillars with hammocks slung between at ground level, plus a table and two beach chairs and a barbecue grill set out on small patches of grass. Each cabina has a kitchenette, ceiling fan, and unscreened wall-size window to let in as much sea air as possible. Mosquito nets over the beds protect from any unwanted visitors at night. Two ground-floor cabinas by the pool and Jacuzzi have air-conditioning. There's a bar by the pool and breakfast is served at nearby tables shaded by a thatched roof. There's safe parking for six cars.

In downtown La Fortuna, this inn has clean, bright rooms linked by a long veranda lined with benches and potted plants, and added perks like a large pool and in-room Wi-Fi. The poolside breakfast is the perfect way to fuel up before a hike, and there is even a second pool just for the little ones. The secure parking, TVs, air-conditioning, and prime location make this a great budget option. Unobstructed views of the volcano can be had from the second-floor patio.

If quiet and cool is what you are seeking, these comfortable, tastefully decorated rooms above the popular restaurant of the same name are air-conditioned and soundproofed—and they are a bargain. Since 1989, Sano Banano has been the go-to community spot in Montezuma, ever since they offered movie night long before Internet came to town. Modern bathrooms, gorgeous jungle murals on the walls, colorful bedspreads on firm beds, and breakfast in the restaurant are included. The only drawback is that most of the rooms have no windows, and some of those that do don't open. The central location and affordable rates make this the perfect hotel for travelers that want to spend time exploring. For some views and fresh air, you can walk 10 minutes along the beach to sister hotel Ylang Ylang Beach Resort, and use the beach resort’s pool and lounge on their hammocks.

This simple family-run lodge with cozy rooms on the outskirts of Cuajiniquil provides the closest accommodations to both Playa Bahía Junquillal and Santa Rosa National Park, making it a good option for nature lovers and anyone who wants to stray from the vacationing crowds. The owner is a former fisherman who switched to tourism, converting his family home into a bed-and-breakfast. The rooms have varnished hardwood walls and ceilings, plenty of windows, and small bathrooms—rooms 5 and 6 are the nicest, because they overlook the garden. The lodge is reminiscent of a mountain cabin with spotless rooms, each with a/c and Wi-Fi but void of phones and TVs. A typical Costa Rican breakfast is served in back, and lunch and dinner are available at the adjacent seafood restaurant. Manuel can arrange an array of tours with local guides that include a hike through the Murcielago sector of Santa Rosa National Park, a boat tour of a mangrove estuary, and whale-watching (August to February). The area's closest grocery store is conveniently next door to the lodge.

Within the Centro Neotrópico Sarapiquís, an environmental educational center and garden, you can stay the night inside indigenous-inspired circular palenque (huts) with thatched roofs. The eco-friendly buildings reflect the center's commitment to sustainability, and for a fee guests have access to a botanical garden, forest preserve, and other facilities and nature-themed activities. Rooms are well sized and decorated with pre-Columbian-style art and wrought-iron furniture. Air-conditioning is an option here for an extra cost.

Situated on 3 acres with private nature trails, these completely updated casita duplexes with large windows, separate bedrooms, porches, and luxe linens are lovely, but it's the top-notch service that sets Senda apart. The parklike setting is made even better by views of the Gulf of Nicoya at the top of the property. Check out their complimentary cooking and yoga classes. The property is wheelchair accessible.

With some of the best service in Manuel Antonio and updated rooms, Shana by the Beach is a lovely option with jungle- or ocean-view balconies in every room. The pool area, with happy hour from 3 to 6, makes up for the fact that it's a 10-minute hike to Playa Biesanz. Everything—walls, furniture, paintwork—is blindingly white, in striking contrast to the lush greens of the hillside grounds, and the service is some of the best in Manuel Antonio. Bathrooms are spacious and modern with massage shower jets, and rooms have sleek touches like oversize tufted headboards, glass desks, and white flat-screen TVs. All have balconies with jungle or partial ocean views. The restaurant highlights Mediterranean dishes. Families or large groups can request the three attaching rooms. In low season, rates are often half price.

This sustainable resort sits atop one of the most idyllic hillsides in Manuel Antonio. Scattered through the rainforest in nine buildings, rooms are decorated in earth tones to complement the surrounding nature; spacious deluxe rooms have sea views and private balconies, smaller "superior" rooms have less impressive ocean views, and standard rooms face the jungle. Great lengths have been taken to be eco-friendly, and it's also quite family-friendly, with a separate kids' pool, complete with waterslide, and an in-house movie theater. There is often live music on weekends (except September and October) at Claro Que Sí restaurant (open 2–10 pm), which specializes in Caribbean-style seafood, and the Rico Tico grill, which serves lighter fare. A free shuttle makes scheduled trips to the beach, about 3 km (2 miles) away.

Just as the name implies, there's plenty of sun and sea, as well as a beach fringed by coconut palms and apricot-colored wooden cabinas with porches where you can take in the spectacular views of the Osa Peninsula year-round. Each breezy, roomy cabina (sleeps four) has high ceilings, lots of cooling fans, and has been recently refreshed. Two of the sunny bathrooms feature pebble-lined showers. The alfresco restaurant serves the town's heartiest meals and the tastiest brownies. The popular U-shaped bar is an easy place to meet new friends.

With its own adventure park, hot-springs complex, and activities for all ages, this resort caters to both hotel guests and the outside public with day passes to its massive grounds. Near-perfect volcano views from individual balconies, a 14,000-square-foot spa, and rustically elegant rooms all contribute to a sense of well-being at this luxurious and remote retreat. The sky is the limit in furnishings (and price) as you work your way up to the suites and villas—additional rooms, arched sky-lighted ceilings, and hot tubs are among the amenities. Even the standard rooms have surround-sound speaker systems and huge balconies facing the volcano. Below the property is Club Río, an outdoor adventure park with kayaking, horseback riding, rock climbing, rappelling, hiking, and a wildlife preserve for rescued animals. Visitors are transported up and down the hill by shuttle bus, and many of the hot-spring pools are surrounded by the kind of artificial rocks and boulders you see in amusement parks.

The name of this beachfront bed-and-breakfast means "Dream of the Sea," and the front gate opens into a dreamy world of intimate gardens, patios, and hand-painted tiles. The downstairs rooms are a little dark but full of interesting, often amusing folk art, and have Balinese showers that open to the sky. The only drawback is that they are lined up along the main corridor, so there isn’t a lot of privacy. If privacy is paramount, opt for the breezy honeymoon suite upstairs, a sensuous lair with rich red fabrics, rugs, hanging glass lamps, and an ocean view. There are also two large casitas with kitchenettes and loft bedrooms. A lavish, multicourse breakfast is served on the patio next to a tiny garden pool. Nonguests can come for breakfast ($15), by reservation. Or you can take your morning coffee on the beach, with chairs and hammocks amid the trees and driftwood—it's also the perfect spot for sunsets. At low tide a large snorkeling pool forms in the rocks that surround the beach, but the swimming area is a 10-minute walk to the south.

Even if you’ve had your fill of flights to Costa Rica, this boutique hotel housed inside a refurbished airplane is one experience you’ll be bragging about for years. Modern and sleek, the stark-white main cabin has two queen beds with a bathroom that would make designer Philippe Starck proud. The retired Allegro aircraft features a private terrace with access to Ricar2 Restaurant and a large swimming pool. Perks like Wi-Fi, TV, and a/c will make you feel right at home. The bad news is that your “hotel” is parked beside the busy road near Dominical. The good news is that epic waves are just five minutes away.

Our favorite of the capital's many apartotels (part apartment house, part hotel) sits on a quiet, out-of-the-way street north of La Sabana Park. Bright, cheery suites have equipped kitchens and one or two bedrooms. Rates include a big buffet breakfast. Cristina has a devoted return clientele made up primarily of business travelers and medical tourists, Costa Rica's growing tourism segment.

At one of Central America's most relaxing and romantic resorts, it's the hot springs and lovely spa, coupled with attractive rooms, that customarily draw happy guests inland from the ocean. Most rooms have a terrace, all with either volcano or garden views. Luxurious touches include nightly turndown service, bathrobes, a minibar, a movie library, and free access to the hotel's hot springs (day passes for nonguests cost $89). Updated rooms provide respite after a day's adventuring. As the most romantic and beautifully designed hot-spring facility in the area, the 20 pools tend to get crowded with outside visitors. For a break from the public, hotel guests have access to the Shangri-La Gardens, an exclusive adults-only hideaway. The hot springs and spa are actually 300 meters east of the hotel; you can either walk from your room or take the complimentary shuttle.

Centered on the scenic sweep of placid Bahía Tambor with its warm, shallow water, intimate Tambor Tropical offers "beds with a view" in spacious suites, along with sportfishing, a turtle hatchery, horseback riding, bird-watching, and just lolling in a hammock by the pretty, blue-tile pool. Attractive two-story houses, with up-and-down suites equipped with kitchens, are entirely built and furnished with varnished, tropical hardwoods: floors, ceilings, walls, and even toilet seats. Large front windows provide panoramas of the sea and surrounding gardens—slightly pricier second-floor rooms have the best views—and platform beds really do enable sunrise views. All rooms have air-conditioning. Carefully prepared meals are served poolside or in the thatch-covered dining room during the rainy months. Paddleboards and kayaks get you out onto the water, and bird-watchers can comb nearby trails with a guide, in search of about 250 species. The spacious reception area also serves as an art gallery for local artisans.

Located 25 km (15½ miles) northeast of La Cruz, this remote eco-estate is made up of four hillside bungalows with stunning volcano views and a backdrop of Lake Nicaragua. Built on stilts, each wooden bungalow on this working organic farm has a private balcony where early risers are greeted by hummingbirds, toucans, and monkeys. Owners Adrien and Fahimeh make you feel like part of the family. Rattan furnishings decorate spacious rooms, complete with wooden showers, quality linens, and organic soaps. All bungalows have either two or three bedrooms and can accommodate between five and seven people. Guests are welcome to experience life on the farm during one of their workshops, ranging from milking cows to tilling fields. Despite the bumpy road, half the fun is getting here since the owners will gladly transport guests in a 4WD vehicle, on horseback, or in an oxcart from La Cruz free of charge. A variety of unique tours and activities are offered including archery, night hikes, a hike to waterfalls, and more. Considering the remote location and delicious food, it's a good idea to request the full-board option, with breakfast, lunch, a three-course dinner, and half-day activity with a nature guide for $99 per person per day.

For serenity and mountain greenery, you can't beat this lodge in a secluded valley with panoramic views and the opportunity to see hummingbirds and some of the 200-plus highland bird species on the lodge's list, including the resplendent quetzal. Accommodations are in three wooden cabins, where each room has its own private veranda and tile bathroom with skylight. Try to get room 1 for the best views. In addition, there are two spacious junior suites with fireplaces, kitchenettes, sunken whirlpool baths with views, and king-size beds. Now open to the public, the hotel's Los Colibríes Restaurant, serves tico and international cuisine.

This sustainability-focused lodging complex set within a large swath of undeveloped rainforest contains six spacious and wildly different houses, all at ground level and each creatively conceived to incorporate the surrounding nature and upcycled materials. The newest option, The School Bus, is a house ingeniously built out of an old yellow school bus. The largest is the spectacular Beach Suite, with three bedrooms and domed, sky-lighted bathrooms, and there's the marvelous open-air two-story Tree House. The Beach, Crystal, and Garden Houses are slightly more modest, but, here, that term is relative. Prices skew higher here than other Puerto Viejo lodgings, but the ample size of the houses allows you to split the space among a group, making the per-person price not so alarming. The hotel also has been awarded five leaves (the highest rating) from Costa Rica Tourism Board’s Certification of Sustainable Tourism Program.

Whether whiling away the mornings on the porch amid the toucans, trekking to the river, or spotting nocturnal creatures on night hikes, nature lovers will be enthralled with the stilted cabins of this 10-acre property in the trees. With nice beds and air-conditioning, the basic cabanas, elevated on stilts, are level with the forest canopy, where you get a bird's eye view of the, well, birds, and Costa Rica's other plentiful flora and fauna. The property is quite a drive from the sights, but they're a relative bargain and friendly staff are a nice bonus. There's a minimum two-night stay.

Set in a riotous garden filled with fuchsias, hydrangeas, and hummingbirds, Trogón Lodge is more picturesque hideaway than hiking-heavy destination. It has comfortable wooden cabins with white-tile bathrooms with rain shower heads and beds topped with snow-white duvets, flannel sheets, and rafts of plumped-up pillows; electric heaters and extra blankets also guard against the chilly mountain nights. One superior suite perched in solitary splendor has a king-size bed and a whirlpool tub with a panoramic view. Excellent meals featuring fresh trout are served at tree-trunk tables in a cozy restaurant with a wood stove, and a bar and dining terrace gaze out over the trout ponds and the river. Quetzal-watching along 3 km (1.8 miles) of trails, and waterfall hikes are some of the diversions.

Dramatically positioned on a hill overlooking the valley east of Turrialba, this Costa Rican–owned rustic wood lodge is a good budget option. An open-sided restaurant occupies the ground floor, above which are large rooms with multiple beds, suitable for groups. Ask for one on the west side—they have balconies with dazzling views of Turrialba and, if there are no clouds, Volcán Irazú in the distance. High-ceilinged cabins in the garden have more privacy, with sliding-glass screen doors that open onto forest or garden. There's also a fascinating orchid garden with hundreds of plants hanging from every available tree limb. The restaurant serves a small selection of authentic Costa Rican and international dishes and is famous for its homemade macadamia fudge. There is a pretty trail through the property to a waterfall.

The basic rooms here have stunning views of the Gulf of Nicoya as well as hardwood floors, firm beds, and powerful, hot showers. Rooms are spartan but cozy, and there's a two-bedroom cabin with a full kitchen that sleeps five. The inn is quite far from the Monteverde Reserve entrance, but is within Valle Escondido, a 28-acre private preserve to which guests have full access. A taxi into town costs about $5 one way. There is direct access to 5 km (3 miles) of trails from the hotel in its own reserve, where night tours are offered at 5:30. For wildlife, isolation, and great rates, this property is a good bet.