Tortuguero Village
In a prime location on the main street, eight simple, immaculate rooms with TVs and air-con sit perched above the river. A communal balcony overlooks the…
Must-see hotels in Costa Rica
Southern Costa Rica & Península de Osa
Right by the road winding through Rancho Quemado, this welcoming little place has a couple of tidy wooden guest cabins. The friendly proprietor cooks up…
To Corcovado via Puerto Jiménez
A five-minute walk from the Sendero El Tigre trailhead, on a steep hillside, Amazonita consists of two cabinas and a house open to the wilderness. There…
Southern Costa Rica & Península de Osa
The Brunka Lodge is the most inviting option in Palmar Norte, though there is wide variation in the lodgings onsite. Most are sun-filled, clean-swept…
Uvita
These apartments and stand-alone bungalows are popular with Tico families and large groups. All have kitchens, wi-fi and satellite TV. The place is…
Puerto Limón
Downtown Limón’s most attractive hotel has 32 rooms in a faded yellow building that faces the ocean. Tiled rooms are tidy and sport clean bathrooms with…
San José
On a quiet Barrio Escalante side street you’ll find this 10-room B&B in a Spanish-style house built in the 1940s by the Volio family. The rooms vary in…
Southern Costa Rica & Península de Osa
Golfito’s swishest hotel primarily caters to duty-free shoppers looking for an amenity-laden base. You can expect to find such facilities as a swimming…
Jacó
This lively outpost is popular with backpackers and surfers on a budget. Basic private rooms have hot-water bathrooms and are tidy but dark. The open-air…
Parque Nacional Corcovado
Facilities at Sirena Ranger Station include bunk beds with mosquito nets, sheets and pillowcases, clean bathrooms and cool showers. Sirena serves large…
La Fortuna
Set up around a pebbled pool area and shady palm garden, rooms are spacious with high slanted ceilings and crisp white paint. Located on a quiet side…
Southern Costa Rica & Península de Osa
Nine comfortable, rustic cabins are available to guests who stay on the farm; cabin rates include guided hikes (in Spanish) on the reserve and organic…
Caribbean Coast
On the road to Cariari, 1.5km north of the Servicentro Santa Clara, this Holiday Inn–like business resort has 98 spacious, tidy rooms and two restaurants…
Jacaranda Hotel & Jungle Garden
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
In a blooming garden intersected by mosaic walkways, this place near the soccer field has 12 simple wood cabinas (sleeping one to four people) with…
Central Pacific Coast
Tucked away in the northernmost corner of Hermosa's beachfront road, this creeper-clad hotel is one of the more characterful places in the village. The…
Montezuma
You can't beat the location of the 'happy snapper's' beachfront cabinas in the heart of Montezuma. Rooms are simple, clean and fan-cooled. The communal…
Playa Tamarindo
The Mahayana is a sweet retreat, away from the hustle and bustle of the main drag. Spotless, citrus-painted rooms have high ceilings, big windows and…
Playa Tamarindo
Four attractive cabinas – with full kitchens and private patios – are arranged around a tropical garden with hammocks and a small swimming pool. Upstairs,…
Northwestern Costa Rica
Closest to the Las Pailas entrance, this hacienda is on 400 hectares of protected land in breezy horse country. In addition to the 49 rustic rooms, there…
Tortuguero Village
This pleasant place has a rustic feel, with 66 rooms and private bungalows with fans and hot water surrounded by jungle greenery. Guests have access to a…
Uvita
Set up on a forested property with a short trail running through it, this 14-room spot slightly uphill from the Costanera Sur offers basic abodes with…
Monteverde & Santa Elena
All the dorms in this former hostel have been replaced by double rooms. It's akin to a well-appointed mountain lodge but only 200m from town; you might…
Península de Nicoya
Just steps from the beach, this resort hotel has 21 spacious rooms decorated with woodwork, bamboo beds with colorful bedspreads, wicker ceiling fans and…
Northwestern Costa Rica
The most upscale hotel in town has all the modern amenities, including well-insulated rooms with flat-screen TVs, comfy bedding and contemporary dark-wood…
Península de Nicoya
In an overdeveloped beach town filled with overpriced, cheesy resorts, this centrally located, eight-room inn is exceptional for its basic rooms at a…
Southern Costa Rica & Península de Osa
This attractive fishing lodge on the main drag has spacious but plain rooms and suites overlooking the marina. The attached bar-restaurant draws a good…
Central Valley & Highlands
This popular, locally run option is spotlessly clean throughout, offering 10 large rooms with wood furnishings, folk-art touches and cable TV. The bright,…
Central Valley & Highlands
Simple, modern and clean rooms come with cable TV and face a quiet interior courtyard. A restaurant serves Tico specialties, while the pleasant terrace…
Biolley
Well-kept dorms and private rooms at the headquarters for the women's cooperative Asomobi.
Península de Nicoya
A collection of Spanish-colonial vacation rental homes set within a carless community in on a stunning seafront.
Sarapiquí Valley
At this family-run lodge on the banks of the Río Sardinal, covered paths crisscross the landscaped garden, connecting thatched-roof, hammock-strung rooms…
La Fortuna
Just north of Chachagua village, these immaculate, simple wooden cabins with full kitchens and volcano views are surrounded by private rainforest trails…
Northwestern Costa Rica
This yellow stucco house on a cliff isn’t a bad place to spend the night. Its eight homey rooms are furnished rather randomly and have attractive brick…
La Fortuna
A combination of hostel and resort, this sprawling place is arranged around a landscaped garden complete with hammocks, small pool, party-place bar and…
Monteverde & Santa Elena
This attractive two-story wooden lodge is located away from the main drag in Santa Elena, guaranteeing a good night’s rest. Surrounding a spacious…
San José
This airy art deco building in Barrio Amón has 10 high-ceilinged rooms of various sizes, painted in pastel shades and equipped with cable TV. The best…
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio & Around
The Mono Azul is decent value and a good family option. Nestled in a tropical garden and decorated throughout in a rainforest theme, rooms are arranged…
Manzanillo
Run by the ever-helpful Sandra Castillo and Pablo Bustamante, these eight cabinas at Manzanillo's western edge are so clean you could eat off the tile…
Central Valley & Highlands
This gloomy four-story place with cookie-cutter rooms feels a tad institutional at first glance, but dig deeper and you'll discover some pluses: free…
Mal País & Santa Teresa
Gingi's place is beloved by surfers and backpackers for its welcoming, laid-back vibe and awesome extras. The whitewashed, mostly clean rooms are…
