Boutique hotels in Costa Rica

Costa Rica packs rainforest, volcanoes, two coasts and cloud forest into a country smaller than West Virginia, and its best hotels are shaped by that nature. Small eco-lodges, treehouse suites, surf-town boutiques and hot-spring retreats are the norm, many of them family-run and focused on conservation.

The Pacific coast

The Nicoya Peninsula, with Santa Teresa, Nosara, Tamarindo and Montezuma, is the surf-and-yoga heartland, with beachfront villas and jungle bungalows. Farther south, Manuel Antonio, Uvita and Dominical combine beaches with rainforest national parks, while the remote Osa Peninsula and Drake Bay hold some of the country's best-known wilderness lodges.

Volcanoes, cloud forest and the Caribbean

La Fortuna sits below Arenal Volcano with hot springs on its doorstep, Monteverde is a misty cloud-forest reserve, and Rincón de la Vieja has fumaroles and mud pools. On the Caribbean side, Puerto Viejo and Cahuita have a laid-back, Afro-Caribbean feel, and Tortuguero is reached only by boat or small plane for its turtle nesting. The capital, San José, has a few characterful hotels set in coffee country above the city.

When to go

The dry season, from December to April, is the most popular. The green season, from May to November, brings afternoon showers, fewer visitors and lower rates, and the Caribbean coast has its own pattern, with the driest weather often in September and October.