Grownup Accommodations
Where to Stay in Costa Rica
Costa Rica offers many options to indulge yourself with 5-star accommodations that come at a much more accessible price, making this destination not only a nature-lover’s paradise, but a country where you can spoil yourself a little in between the zip-lining, volcano viewings, and horseback riding. Several of the places where we stayed were already on my radar as ‘must-do’s’. Here’s why you really can’t afford NOT to “splurge” in Costa Rica:
SPLURGE
FINCA ROSA BLANCA, Heredia
www.fincarosablanca.com
SPLURGE
LAPA RIOS, Osa Peninsula
www.laparios.com
Imagine a 5 star jungle eco-lodge experience, with gourmet meals, a delivered-to-your-individual-hut wake up coffee service and on-site nature trails populated with colourful toucans and macaws. Throw in a mosquito-netted king bed, boutique hotel bathroom and an indoor/outdoor shower right out of Swiss Family Robinson, and that’s Lapa Rios.
Spend the money and feel like a modern-day Tarzan and Jane.
SPLURGE
XANDARI PLANTATION, San Jose www.xandari.com This spa village feels like a bargain compared to anything you would find in North America with this level of luxury and amenities.

SPLURG
E
SI COMO NO,
Manuel Antonio
www.sicomono.com
Call it a resort, call it a spa, call it a wildlife refuge, Si Como No is one of the best ways to enjoy the area of Manuel Antonio in ‘barefoot luxury’. Set into a hillside overlooking the ocean, and surrounded by lush jungle gardens, your room comes complete with everything you’ll need to settle in, except a television! With the grounds, pool and gardens as beautiful as they are at SiComoNo, you won’t miss unplugging completely to enjoy Costa Rica’s ‘Pura Vida’.
If you’re considering visiting this area, consider staying where the name “Si Como No” itself puts you in the right frame of mind to relax and say “Sure, Why Not?”
SCORE!
ARENAL OBSERVATORY LODGE, Arenal www.arenalobservatorylodge.com What would you pay to lie in bed, staring through floor-to-ceiling windows at a still-active volcano sputtering gas and steam from its caldera? Not as much as you’d think! In fact, given that description, this lodge is a steal! Which is why we chose to say in the Smithsonian Room, where two double beds face the expansive windows for front-row seats of the volcano, whatever time of day or night Arenal chooses to act out. This lodge was once used by the Smithsonian Institute to house scientists studying the Arenal Volcano, 1.7 miles away, hence the name of the rooms we chose. But if you’re interested in more than the geology, there are beautiful nature trails surrounding the lodge, as it is located in Arenal National Park. And not to worry, the volcano hasn’t been really active since 2010, but should it decide to get particularly angry, you are well protected by the deep gorge of the Agua Caliente River.Want to read more about our experiences in Costa Rica? Click here.
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