13 Best Hotels in The Osa Peninsula and the South Pacific, Costa Rica

Atop a cliff at the tip of Cabo Matapalo, this lodge has unparalleled views of the Golfo Dulce merging with the endless blue of the Pacific, as well as 750 acres of primary forest, home to plenty of monkeys and peccaries, as well as the occasional puma and ocelot. A network of nine trails meander past creeks and pools. Deluxe thatched-roof cabins have king-size beds, and some have a loft with a single and double bed for families, along with private garden showers with hot water. Two cabins with two bedrooms are ideal for families. Decks are perfect for sunning by day and stargazing at night. A suspension bridge through the forest links the main lodge with two more thatched-roof, rustic cabins set in a tropical garden that is great for bird-watching. Per-person rates also cover complimentary round trip transportation from Puerto Jimenez to the lodge, as well as excellent meals, including wood-fired pizzas, served in a restaurant overlooking a garden alive with hummingbirds by day and serenaded by a chorus of frogs at night. Solar- and hydro-powered generators provide light to read by, and with the ocean breezes you won't miss air-conditioning. Expert resident guides are on hand to lead you along forest trails on foot, or you can climb a towering tree, fly in the canopy along a zipline, rappel down a waterfall, and soak in natural warm tidal whirlpools down on the beach. There's a yoga deck with a serene ocean view, and you can opt for a relaxing massage in your bungalow or in a forest glade. A new adults-only pool separates grown-ups from the family-friendly pool. Eco-conscious owners manage to keep the property in ship-shape order while maintaining the highest standard of sustainability.

Set in a vast, private nature reserve, with a breathtaking view from the lodge's high jungle ridge, this is the first and most spectacular ecolodge in Costa Rica, garlanded with numerous awards for its mix of sustainability, conservation, service, and comfort. The cost includes all on-site tours, meals, and transportation to and from Puerto Jiménez. The service here is exceptional, including morning coffee or hot cocoa brought to your cabin at 6 am. After a day of activities and three filling meals, you'll sleep on a luxury mattress in a four-poster queen or king bed that is layered with fabrics made by local artisans. Spacious, airy cabins built of gleaming hardwoods blend indigenous motifs with bold, contemporary design elements. Bathrooms are fresh and modern, with blissful indoor showers and double-vessel sinks. Outdoor garden showers also have hot water, along with views onto the private teak terraces, where you can view passing monkeys, roosting toucans, and plenty of scarlet macaws—the lodge's namesakes—all from your lounge chair. The layout is creatively designed with luxury villas branching off a skyway trail perched above the forest canopy. There's a good-size pool, with ocean view, plus a massage hut and a yoga deck. Meals here are all à la carte, served in a dramatically lighted, round rancho under a soaring thatched roof. The menu includes lots of seafood, exotic fruits and vegetables, and mouthwatering desserts. Four resident naturalist guides lead tours through the lodge's pristine wilderness and to nearby beaches on foot or on horseback. Don't miss the free sustainability tour called Pigs, Twigs, and Garbage, which highlights the resort's eco-friendly commitment, including pigs' contribution to energy fuels.

If you don't like to climb stairs, request a cabin close to the main lodge.

This hilltop jungle lodge has it all: exquisite bungalows in the closest location to Corcovado National Park, extensive gardens, two swimming pools, a beach, excellent tours, naturalist guides, and first-class service. Situated on189 acres, it's at the corridor to the Reserve, meaning wildlife is abundant, as are trails for exploring. Take your pick from rainforest or cliffside lodging—that latter attached by wooden pathways and boasting ocean views with a contemporary twist on glamping. There's no roughing it however, with every detail in place like plush bedding, soaking tubs, a/c, turndown service, bathrobes, hiking equipment, and even rain boots for muddy days. Self-guided nature trails around the property include a well-signed garden tour of the immaculate grounds. You can take a guided boat tour to Corcovado's nearby San Pedrillo station, or you can hike there with a guide. Another highlight is the Caño Island snorkeling tour, with stops to watch dolphins and whales en route. A daily sunset ritual takes place at the hilltop bar, where guests snack on bocas as the sun disappears into the sea behind Caño Island. In the elegant restaurant, decorated with stained-glass panels, meals focus on locally produced fish and meats. There is Wi-Fi throughout the property. 

Copa de Arbol is ultraluxurious, ultracool, ultra-expensive, and is idyllically situated between crashing ocean surf and dense jungle, right on the coastal path walking trail that connects Drake Bay to Corcovado. Two-story, thatched-roof houses scattered around the landscaped property have an open-air kitchen area or porch with hammocks at ground level. Stairs lead up to high-ceilinged, spacious rooms, decorated in muted earth tones with vaguely Asian touches: Buddha statues, cotton-print bedspreads from India, Balinese carved mirror frames. Luckily, you can turn off the a/c and throw open the screened windows to let in the sounds, scents, and breezes that let you know you really are in Costa Rica. Bathrooms are exquisite, with good lighting, overhead fans, and square showerheads that deliver truly tropical deluges. A deluxe 2-bedroom suite is aimed at families and groups of friends. Paths winding through a maze of hibiscus hedges in the landscaped garden lead to a dramatic four-tier pool where you can watch whales breaching in season. You'll find a hot tub on top, descending by steep stairs to two plunge pools with ocean views, and a kiddie-deep pool at the bottom. At mealtime you leave your shoes at the bottom of a staircase that climbs to the barefoot-only, second-story restaurant with an excellent view of garden, beach, and ocean. Service is attentive and friendly here, with a homey touch provided by self-serve coffee and stacks of specialty teas, along with home-baked cookies and cinnamon rolls. The overall feeling here is more hotel than nature lodge. All the usual snorkeling, nature, and wildlife tours are available, along with kayaks and paddleboards. Or you can just head off along the coastal path and create your own adventure. There is a three-night minimum stay here; rates do not include boat transport to the lodge or any tours, making the price high relative to other area lodges. Rooms 5 and 9 have the best views.

A garden paradise that lives up to its name, this combination organic farm and sophisticated ecolodge is an otherworldly experience, meant to be slowly and thoughtfully absorbed with time. Beautifully designed, thatched-roof tiki cabins have private bathrooms and outdoor showers in cane-and-bamboo enclosures. There's a gorgeous, contemporary house with a spectacular ocean view for families or couples. Adventurous, budget-minded travelers can play castaways in seven airy, comfortable platform tents with garden showers and communal restrooms. Meals (included in the rate) are truly exotic, using organic produce from the garden and local fish and meat, prepared with spicy Asian accents and served in a stunning restaurant overlooking the sea. There are fresh juices and coffee and tea available all day. Two daily yoga classes are held on a serene yoga deck, and a masseuse is on call. One of the best activities is a tour of the garden. Carate Beach is steps away, and La Leona entrance to Corcovado National Park is a 40-minute walk along the beach.

If a long stretch of deserted beach with macaws flying overhead in the kapok trees is your idea of heaven, check out this idyllic lodge with casitas and upscale club rooms set in a botanical garden. Casitas are elegantly furnished in bamboo, with thoughtful touches like Egyptian-cotton sheets and a raft of candles for romantic evenings. Pebble-lined showers have plenty of hot water and excellent water pressure. Eight modern but smallish rooms above the lodge's separate restaurant, are more affordable than the casitas, and have detailing such as travertine showers and outdoor porches. The gentle Golfo Dulce waters are perfect for swimming, sea-kayaking, and boogie boarding, and there's a 65-foot lap pool and Jacuzzi surrounded by gardens and forest. A tennis court, yoga studio, and ceramic studio round out the amenities. Their spa with excellent massages can help melt away the stress. Extravagant dinners, with exotic foods reflecting the owners' worldwide travels, are served at the Pearl of the Osa Restaurant on the property. Breakfasts may include mango scones and homemade granola chock-full of walnuts and cranberries. Macaws and toucans, and mammals aplenty—such as monkeys, sloths, tayras, frogs, and tapers—often wander through the 11-acre property.

The world-famous Playa Pavones surf break is a 15-minute walk from La Ponderosa, the area's only beach resort and several cuts above the usual surfer hangout, with accommodations verging on luxurious. Fresh, bright rooms have high-end mattresses dressed in crisp white linens and gleaming tiled bathrooms, air-conditioning, small refrigerators, flat-screen TVs, and Wi-Fi. Two of the seven spacious suites also have screened-in porches overlooking the sea. A large, two-bedroom villa with kitchen is also available for about double the price of a standard suite. If you're not into surfing, there are magnificent gardens loaded with birds and plants. On-site massages can be arranged. A swimmable beach is within walking distance. For rainy days, there's a large game room with Ping-Pong, darts, and a book exchange. In addition to surfboard and bike rental, there's a tranquil swimming pool set in an enchanting garden with an ocean view. Breakfast is not included in the price, but optional meal plans cover two or three meals.

Planted between the tranquil Golfo Dulce and tropical forest, this luxury ecolodge brilliantly fuses high design, luxe comfort, and gastronomic flights of fancy in two restaurants with an eco-consciousness dictated by its castaway location accessible only by boat. The original three-story lodge has five spacious suites with panoramic views, even from the chic, beautifully tiled bathrooms. A four-plex building nearby can accommodate family groups, and eight new rooms have private plunge pools and face a swimming pool. A charming cottage for two sits even closer to the shore, screened by tropical foliage. With a palm-fringed beach, a second large freshwater pool, a spa, and trails leading through forest to an organic garden, this is a true tropical paradise. Room rates include the round-trip boat transfer, kayaks and snorkeling in the bay, a two-hour guided tour, and yoga and meditation classes.

Hands down, this is the best ecolodge on the gulf, combining comfortable, upscale accommodations and great food with an emphasis on adventure on both land and sea. Out the front door of the lodge are beach, bay, and mangroves, with kayaks, snorkeling, fishing, sailing, and swimming; through the back door is a forested mountain with hiking trails, a waterfall, plenty of wildlife, and a resident naturalist to interpret the trails and lead bird-watching walks. The Edible Garden tour is a hit with visitors, especially when it includes turning raw cacao beans into chocolate cake. The night walks are filled with nocturnal natural wonders; you will often see more creatures than during daylight tours. For contemplative types, there is a beachfront yoga deck and a resident yoga instructor who does double duty as a massage therapist. The palatial two-story main lodge is a tree house, crafted from 15 kinds of wood. Scattered around the mature garden are luxurious, hexagonal wooden cabins with folding, shuttered doors and windows, gleaming hardwood floors, handmade wood furniture, and private verandas. Each secluded cabin's private bathroom has an open-air shower with its own exotic minigarden. For guests more comfortable in rooms and showers with walls, there's a stucco guesthouse with four large, comfortable rooms, shaded by mango trees. The upper-story rooms have terraces that are great bird-watching perches. Breakfast and lunch are served at the large wooden table in the second-story dining room–cum–lounge, with an unbeatable treetop view. Dinner, featuring imaginative meals made with local ingredients, is served in one communal sitting, after the cocktail hour, which always includes a plate of tasty bocas (appetizers).

This last-outpost ecolodge, near the border with Panama, is a draw for bird-watchers as well as nature lovers, yoga enthusiasts, and adventurers who want to really get away from it all in relative comfort and at an affordable, all-inclusive price. Built from fallen trees are comfortable wooden cabins on stilts with rustic furniture and tiled bathrooms. Cabin No. 7 has the most privacy, with an outdoor rainforest shower, screened windows on three sides, and a huge porch looking onto a beautiful ocean view. The property includes a vast orchard with more than 125 varieties of fruit trees that attract plenty of wildlife. Surrounding it are 800 acres of primary and secondary forest, a habitat for the more than 275 species of birds, including more than 65 scarlet macaws, the result of a 10-year release program. The best---and most relaxed---birding is from a deck chair beside the pool. A 90-strong troop of squirrel monkeys also roams the property, which includes a large yoga deck with an ocean view. Trails invite you to explore the jungle and a cascading waterfall with freshwater pools. Simple, healthy meals using local produce are served in an open-air dining room during set times. The beach, with swimmable waters, is a steep 10-minute downhill walk. Rates include two guided forest tours, all meals, plus coffee, tea and juices throughout the day. The owners sell their own cocoa butter and chocolate bars made in-house. 

The carefully groomed grounds of this top-notch, luxury beachfront resort are a riot of tropical foliage and flowers, shaded by massive mango trees. Guests, who are mostly well-heeled, avid anglers, sleep in spacious, air-conditioned, deluxe rooms with ultramodern bathrooms with thick towels and huge showers. Most rooms are in a two-story building shaded by tall trees, but there are also two separate bungalow suites that are larger and have private porches with pool and ocean views. More ocean views can be had in the two huge luxury suites with wraparound glass walls. The style is chic and contemporary: dark-wood furniture softened by earth-tone fabrics in natural textures and beds dressed in top-quality linens. On the property, water elements, from a koi pond and trickling fountains, to the inviting pool with ocean view, provide a cool note in the southern heat. Hammocks strung between trees and lounging areas, both indoors and on shaded beachfront platforms, provide relaxing places to contemplate the Golfo Dulce view. The outdoor lounge has handsome teak furniture with front-row seats for watching sunsets, where guests are treated to s'mores around the firepit. Weary fishers can also relax with a massage after a day of reeling in fish. The upscale restaurant serves bountiful, innovative breakfasts, and lunch and dinner buffets are included. An outdoor kitchen includes a brick pizza oven and a huge grill. Kayaks, bikes, and surfboards are available. The hotel boasts fiber-optic Wi-Fi throughout.

Location, views, and the all-inclusive price make this the best family deal in Drake Bay, with kid-friendly grounds, lots of flat, open space for romping, plus a refreshing saltwater swimming pool and rocky tidal pools to explore. The neat wooden cabins, which have modern tile bathrooms and hot showers, are lined up camp-style, spread out over landscaped grounds with mature trees, an ornamental fish pond, and fruit trees that attract birds and monkeys. Each building has three attractive rooms that come with firm queen-size beds, supported by wooden bedposts carved in animal shapes. Every room has air-conditioning and screened windows letting in cool ocean breezes. All but one of the cabins are easily accessible on foot or by wheelchair. The "honeymoon" cottage is perched on a ridge overlooking the ocean. Meals are satisfying and delicious, featuring poultry, eggs, and pork from the owners' nearby mountain farm, fresh fish and seafood, creative salads and pastas, and homemade breads and cakes. The bar serves free snacks at sunset, and there is always coffee, tea, and snacks available in the dining room. Laundry service is included—a real plus in this humid climate. Kayaks are at your disposal for exploring the river. Most guests come to see the rainforest, but you can also opt for scuba diving, sportfishing, and dolphin- and whale-watching tours. There are several packages, with the most basic including meals, laundry, tours, and transportation from Drake.

Along with one of the best sunset views along the coast, this comfortable ecolodge on a high cliff bordering Ballena Marine National Park has spacious, airy cabins and a forest trail to a pristine beach. Wood-and-stone cabins, spaced out along a garden path that descends from the open-air main lodge, have huge bathrooms with spacious showers. Trails wend through dense primary forest down to the wide sweep of almost-deserted Playa Arco and to a private, natural swimming pond. Electric car owners can charge up for the night at the hotel's electric charging stations. Breakfasts are hearty, served in the hotel's contemporary restaurant Aracari, which is also open to nonguests. Along with contemplating nature, you can nurture your inner self at the huge, otherworldly yoga platform or pamper your outer self with a massage. For more space with a view, request a suite or deluxe room.