Costa Rica mixes pristine beaches with jungle-covered hillsides with amazing wildlife, including spider monkeys and quetzal birds. The best luxury Villa Escapes in Costa Rica offer distinct and exclusive hideaways with all the luxuries you could wish for. We pick the best below.
1. Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas
Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas is undoubtedly the best boutique hotel that we know of in Costa Rica and is a villa escape like no other. This hotel (pictured above) is multi-award-winning, being named in the Top 10 Hotels in Central America and Top 100 Hotels In The World by Travel and Leisure in 2021, as well as receiving a prestigious Forbes Travel Guide 4-Star Rating award and being voted in the Top 1% of Hotels Worldwide by TripAdvisor Travelers Choice Awards 2021.
Located on Costa Rica’s pristine and exotic Guanacaste peninsula, Casa Chameleon Hotel at Las Catalinas is perched high on the hilltop above the new walkable town of Las Catalinas. Just a 45-minute drive from the Liberia Airport.
Casa Chameleon Hotel at Las Catalinas features 21 private, one-bedroom villas with personal saltwater plunge pools and ocean views overlooking Sugar and Penca Beaches. This ‘adults only’ boutique resort allows you to experience the best Costa Rican adventure and culture.
If you look to the sea from Las Catalinas, the Pacific stretches for miles in every direction and beckons with its beaches, swells, and warm waters, which are ideal for great swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and more. Turn your gaze towards land, and you’ll find over 1,000 acres of tropical forest, hills, and valleys that can be explored on foot, on a bike, or on horseback.
The resort enjoys panoramic ocean views, minimalist contemporary design, an incredible infinity pool, and a terrific sunset bar scene at Sentido Norte Restaurant and Bar. If you’re looking to relax, the resort also offers in-villa spa and beauty treatments too, as well as yoga and wellness experiences for an additional fee. If you choose to venture outside the resort, guests can partake in ziplining, horseback riding, and birdwatching, not forgetting the top-notch, thrill-seeking 80 kilometers of mountain biking, hiking trails, and popular triathlons that all lie nearby.
2. Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica
Papagayo is a magical Costa Rica peninsula, a 20-minute drive from the Liberia International Airport. Blessed with year-round heat and a lush landscape of sandy beaches, rugged coastline, cloud-forest havens, and rainforest canopies, expect a stay here to satisfy your beachside dreams and offer a surprising array of exciting wildlife in stunning surroundings.
Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo commands views over the undulating and forest-covered peninsula. The resort stretches over 250 acres, with the bay on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. The entrance gate is cleverly positioned to take advantage of the views as the bay first comes into view. The vista that embraces you as you arrive is straight out of the movies.
To one side of this Four Seasons peninsula is a grey–sand beach. On the other, a crescent of palm-shaded white sand. Other facilities include an excellent spa, golf, numerous eateries, and a lobby bar.
Most relevant, you can rent your own private villa within this complex. There are 14 private residences from which to choose. All are ideal for families, groups, and longer-stay guests seeking the comforts of residential living. These Ronald Zürcher-designed Private Residences blend into the hillside and feature private kitchens and panoramas of the peninsula from the infinity pool and terrace.
3. La Paloma Lodge
La Paloma Lodge sits at the top of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and backed by the lush tropical jungle. The property is located on 14 acres and is just a short walk from the cool waters of Agujitas River and secluded black-sand beaches.
Accommodations include 7 bungalows and 4 rooms, all equipped with air-conditioning and offering a sanctuary for those looking to reconnect with nature. The newest addition is the private 3 bedroom Luxury Beach House, which is off-site and offers quiet seclusion amongst nature while still having access to the amenities and support of the lodge.
Relax amidst the richness and splendor of the tropical jungle. From your balcony, watch monkeys playing in the trees, catch a glimpse of scarlet macaws soaring overhead or relax poolside with your favorite book. Explore Corcovado National Park, snorkel in the clear waters of Caño Island, and indulge in all that this tropical paradise has to offer.
While you can rent the entire lodge out in one go, you will feel almost as exclusive by renting out one of their Ranchos, the largest of which has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
4. Florblanca
This luxury Costa Rica resort sits on the shores of the Pacific coast. Florblanca consists exclusively of private villas located on the pristine beaches of the Nicoya Peninsula along the Pacific coast shore. Each individual villa offers privacy while peaking out through the colorful tropical vegetation. Each one features a spacious open-air living area with comfortable seating, complete with a hand-made Costa Rican hammock for two, hanging at the dramatic opening to the lush jungle greenery adjacent to the world-famous surf of Playa Santa Teresa.
5. El Alma Private Villa & Soul Retreat
For a tropical hideaway high up in the mountains, pick El Alma Private Villa & Soul Retreat. This villa is set in a tropical paradise within the lush green hills of the Papagayo Península, with views of the Playa Prieta on the north Pacific coast of Costa Rica.
The gardens are a huge part of the experience here, and you will spend a lot of time outside; there is a pool, Jacuzzi, pool decks with a hanging day bed, and a patio with a pergola and a beautiful rancho. The views from the garden over the Pacific are take-your-breath-away fabulous, and the garden is the ideal place to relax and disconnect.
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