Nayara Gardens
La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Arenal Volcano National Park
Vibe
Footbridges weave through dense rainforest where resident naturalists guide morning bird walks, and thermal springs steam beneath the Arenal Volcano.
“Rainforest casita grove”
Dedicated personal hosts coordinate excursions, alongside twice-daily housekeeping and private plunge pools on every deck.
Open-air rainforest spa bungalows offer volcanic mud wraps, complemented by geothermal mineral pools and daily yoga.
Naturalist-led birding walks, sloth trails, multiple dining venues, and estate-wide thermal mineral springs to explore.
In the rainforest foothills facing Arenal Volcano, surrounded by estate grounds and thermal mineral springs.
“High-end, high-altitude, colorfully stylish, luxuriously sedate, and environmentally sensitive — Nayara Gardens is just about everything you’d want a resort in inland Costa Rica to be.”
Rooms
Each standalone casita features a private plunge pool on a wraparound deck, outdoor monsoon showers, and direct views of the canopy.
“The smallest rooms, the Arenal Pool Casitas, are 855 square feet and are dressed in hardwood furnishings and locally crafted accents...”
Wellness
Open-air spa bungalows perched over the rainforest offer volcanic mud wraps and coffee scrubs, alongside geothermal mineral pools and morning yoga.
“The resort's 50 huge and colorful casitas deliver the promise of views impossible to replicate, and all have outdoor showers and hot tubs.”
Backstory
Colombian hotelier Leo Ghitis opened this rainforest retreat in 2007, establishing the foundational hideaway that anchored the broader Nayara estate.
Eat & drink
La Terraza serves local fare with nightly live music, complemented by tapas and wine flights at Nostalgia and cocktails at Bar Azul.
The neighborhood
Trails wind through Arenal Volcano National Park just outside, leading past hanging bridges and lava flows home to monkeys and toucans.
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The app
This is one hotel. The app has every one we rate, in your pocket, for the whole trip.
Our shorthand
What makes a hotel special, how well they pull it off, and what it feels like outside the door.
How well they pull it off
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
They did this well. You’ll notice.
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Architecture and interiors lead. There’s a creative vision at work.
The guest is conspicuously well cared for. Requests met before they’re made.
Rooted in place. Local character runs through the whole stay.
Energy and scene. Where the city goes out, whether or not it’s sleeping here.
A building with history. The story of the place is part of the stay.
Built around feeling better. Rest, sweat, soak, spa.
A hotel the city grew up with. Same rituals, same regulars.
A world of its own. No reason to leave the property.
Scene — what’s outside the door
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
A place apart: the property is the destination.