She lives in the hotel
Why Ellen Zoe Golden just can’t stay away from Costa Rica’s Best Western Tamarindo Vista Villas
Nirvana with a view at Anamaya
Montezuma yoga retreat offers tranquility, organic gourmet grub and ridiculous ocean views.
The best hotel in Playa Garza
A worldly Italian couple builds a delicious retreat in a tiny Costa Rican beach town.
Tamarindo: New, notable and not-to-be-missed
Exploring Costa Rica: Options for Tamarindo hotels and restaurants.
Mono Azul: Comfort in good conscience
Exploring Costa Rica: An eclectic layout, a laidback, friendly vibe, and a goal to do a greater good.
Who says they can’t rappel down a waterfall?
A reality show called "In Your Shoes" captures the experiences of adventurous Irish teens with disabilities in Costa Rica.
New Drake Bay luxury hotel totally sweet
Asian themed cabins generate a feeling of exotic luxury at Copa de Arbol.
Ridick deal at craft beer-themed hotel
Exploring Costa Rica: Volcano Brewing Company guests can enjoy Lake Arenal, great food and craft beer.
Undiscovered Guanacaste’s inviting oasis
Exploring Costa Rica: Hotel Laguna Mar features South Beach-inspired design.
Hotel Cariblue an eco-friendly escape
Exploring Costa Rica: a residential jungle-garden in the Caribbean.
A simple, natural escape in Sámara
Exploring Costa Rica: Located just outside of town, Hotel Entre Dos Aguas is like a private tropical oasis.
Delicious tranquility at Hotel Blue Conga
Exploring Costa Rica: At Hotel Blue Conga the quiet seems like a visual feature.
Wildlife rescue center welcomes human visitors
Tourists can get up close and personal with orphaned monkeys and injured wildlife at the Jaguar Rescue Center on the southern Caribbean coast.
The beer revolution comes to Costa Rica
Many Ticos have had the chance to experience craft beer while traveling abroad, and they’ve brought their passion for brewing back Costa Rica.
Villas Adele: Playa Hermosa’s tropical oasis
Villas, a main house and outdoor patio surround charming tropical gardens and a sparkly, sunlit pool fed by a small waterfall.
Chill vibe, great food, craft beer at Kaya’s
A wooden cantina is the main attraction of Kaya’s, and what it makes it stand out among all the other hotels, hostels and lodges of Puerto Viejo.
Dominical: A surf scene in transition
Dominical is home to some of Costa Rica’s most consistent waves.
Where to go for Tico christmas ingredients
Antique coffee grinders share space with pieces of modern art in a chic coffee boutique.
A stay in the trees at Playa Chiquita
To see wildlife, guests can just sit on the patio and relax, as the property is frequented by monkeys, toucans, and sloths.
Rafting the Pacuare is ridiculously fun
White water rafting one of Costa Rica's most famous rivers.
An adorable visit to the sloth sanctuary
Aves del Caribe Sloth Sanctuary aims to rehabilitate and release them, but sometimes they become permanent residents.
Tortugero: Still a nature-lover’s paradise
Laying of turtle eggs draws thousands of tourists to Tortuguero National Park on the northern Caribbean coast.
The full spoiling at Manuel Antonio’s Gaia
Situated on a hill overlooking the ocean the views from this hotel are breathtaking.
Soaking it up at Baldi Hot Springs
The resort features 25 naturally heated springs with the largest temperature range in the area: 11 different temperature zones.
Guests first at Monteverde Rustic Lodge
A hotel adorned with personal touches from the owners who decided that customer service, above all, would be the hotel’s priority.
Comfort, conscientiousness at Totoco
Eco-Lodge villas offer a sustainable relationship between man and nature in Nicaragua.
How not to do the Monkey Trail
Two Tico Times journalists traveled from Playas del Coco to Tamarindo on one of Costa Rica’s most treacherous roads. In a Yaris.
Gringos migrate yearly to the Pato Loco
Guests at this six-unit hotel can't get enough of the 'love bubble.'
Osa Amigos offers homestays in Palmar
A sleepy transit town with an unlikely attraction accommodates tourists with home stays.
DoubleTree: Luxury, proximity, authenticity
A local details the luxury, proximity and authenticity of the DoubleTree Hilton in Puntarenas.
Dolphin, whale festival breaches in Uvita
For a deep discount on marine mammal sightings, head to Bahía Ballena this weekend.
Hotel Makanda: A romantic seaside retreat
Go share a slice of paradise with a troupe of squirrel monkeys.
Monteverde’s Hotel Belmar a tasty escape
Commune with nature, feast on surf-n-turf and pass out in a comfy chalet.
Love, sweat and humility atop Chirripó
Burly journalist Adam Williams gets beat up the mountain by his petite girlfriend.
Yoga goes ‘beyond the mat’ in Montezuma
Ireni Stamou gives city women a taste of pura vida at her retreat, Yoga Rica.
Where we climb: Rockin’ out in Costa Rica
The best spots in Costa Rica for outdoor climbing.
Sierpe aspires to more than Osa’s doorstep
But can the sleepy river town cash in on authenticity?
Hangin’ with Joe Walsh at Witch’s Rock
A surfer builds his dream.
Turrialba’s treasure: Hacienda Tayutic
This charming boutique hotel overlooking the Turrialba valley allows guests to tour its organic sugar cane, macadamia nut and coffee operations.
Puerto Jiménez: Rustic charm by the bay
Street repairs have made PJ's new waterfront, scarlet macaws and wizened locals all the more accessible. Find out where to eat, sleep and play on the frontier to Corcovado.
Natural living at Finca Luna Nueva Lodge
This turmeric and ginger farm just south of La Fortuna doubles as an eco-resort where folks can get back to nature.
Rancho Santana: Pacific Nicaraguan dream
Sometimes, an off-the-grid, over-the-border vacation with family and friends is just the thing.
DoceLunas: A luxurious haven in Jacó
To those who have written Jacó off as a gritty party town: Perhaps you've never stayed at DoceLunas.
Mi familia es su familia at Kaps Place
Karolina Bermúdez runs a super-friendly hostel that feels like home in the capital.
3 years after quake, La Paz still magical
Majestic waterfall gardens, animal exhibits and accompanying luxury hotel feel like something out of a Latin fairytale.
Guanacaste: Having it all in Playa Conchal
After you've gotten a decent sunburn, eaten yourself immobile and drank yourself incoherent, the entertainment begins.
The kindest hotel owner in Costa Rica
Rancho Armadillo owner Rick Vogel will make you a piña colada and do your dishes.
From Pasture to Paradise: Hacienda Pinilla
Atlanta developer Hg Patillo bought a 4,500-acre farm in 1973; now it's an eco-friendly and luxurious vacation community.
Playing on grass at the Four Seasons Papagayo
It's the only grass tennis court in the Four Seasons chain, and it may be the only in all of Costa Rica.
Tortuga Lodge: Adventure at a turtle’s pace
Eco-luxury and wildlife encounters abound at this remote jungle escape.
Chill out, see volcanoes at Blue River Resort
Remote hot-springs resort offers relaxation, adventure and old Costa Rica feel.
Where to partake in hot-springs tourism
Five excellent choices for soaking tired muscles in Costa Rican mineral hot springs.
Holistic tourism stretching out in Costa Rica
A round-up of Costa Rica's best retreats for yoga, massage therapy, fasting and cleanses.
Where medical tourists get recovery on
Costa Rica boasts an array of wellness and recovery centers and hotels where medical tourists can relax and replenish their bodies and souls.
Plastic surgeons slicing out their niche
Costa Rican plastic surgeons tell The Tico Times why the medical tourist business is good.
New medical procedures available in Costa Rica
Costa Rican companies like Meditek are beginning to promote contemporary treatments for ailments such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes and neurological diseases.
Paquera jungle luxury at Vista las Islas
Exploring Costa Rica: A Swiss man with a wild streak runs a stunning hotel with island views in Paquera.
Cabins of glass at romantic Uvita Resort
This intimate boutique resort will take you away from it all, accommodate you in a glass cabin and serve you a surprise five-course meal.
Tranquility in Tamarindo: Who knew?
Sueño del Mar B&B guests can have their party in Tamarindo and come home to the best breakfast in town.
Views, comfort, food impress at Ringle Resort
A new hotel and spa in an old colonial mansion in the hills of Santa Ana caters to business travelers and locals seeking Greek food and haircuts.
Nayara delivers on romance, wine, fresh sushi
The five-star luxury hotel near Costa Rica’s famous Arenal Volcano makes it nearly impossible to leave the property.
Bounteous breakfasts, vistas at San Vito B&B
Casa Botania offers gorgeous views, comfortable accommodations and excellent cuisine at great prices in Costa Rica’s Southern Zone.
Ticos ride surf school wave in Nosara
Local Costa Rican surfers who once worked for North American surf-school owners are setting up shop themselves in this Nicoya Peninsula beach community.
Coco hotel offers comfy lodging, great food
With comfortable, well-appointed rooms and an Italian chef owner, La Puerta del Sol makes an excellent base from which to explore the northwestern Guanacaste province.
Hiking Costa Rica’s wildest coastal trail
Whales, dolphins, myriad jungle flora and even yachts may be spotted on the six-hour coastal hike from Drake Bay to Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula.
Villas Hermosas ranks tops with travelers
Canadian-owned Villas Hermosas, just up the coast from the popular Nicoya Peninsula surf destinations of Malpaís and Santa Teresa, has earned big kudos on TripAdvisor.
Tabacón makes green strides at Arenal
The luxury hot springs resort at the base of Arenal Volcano has been garnering recognition for its eco-efforts in recent years.
‘No cars, no stress’ on Isla Bastimentos
Residents of the roadless island in western Panama’s Bocas del Toro archipelago happily share their laid-back culture with visitors.
Surf inn offers all the comforts in Marbella
Built by a surfer for surfers, Marbella Surf Inn lets guests enjoy a remote Guanacaste beach setting in style.
Playas del Coco resort an oasis in paradise
Toro Blanco Resort, owned by Italian expats, offers fully equipped suites for self-contained vacations on Costa Rica’s northern Pacific coast.
Grand Tara Hotel reborn under new owners
The hotel in the hills of San Antonio de Escazú returns to its roots as a spot for weddings, international travelers and families.
Tropical bungalows, cultural exchange in Tambor
Tambor Tropical Resort on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula encourages guests to volunteer at a local school and use local guides for tours, while offering beautiful vacation accommodations.
Lodge offers ‘rustic elegance’ in misty Monteverde
Guests enjoy discreet luxury and cloud-forest views at Monteverde Lodge and Gardens in north-central Costa Rica.
Beaches beckon on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast
Boasting turquoise seas and golden sand, the string of beaches between Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo are among the most beautiful in the country.
Río Celeste remains true blue
Named for its celestial-blue waters, the river is the main attraction of Guanacaste’s Tenorio Volcano National Park.
Contempo: Chic boutique outside Managua
Hotel Contempo packs a wealth of elegance into a small boutique property outside Nicaragua’s capital city.
Retreat to Río Chirripó in the Southern Zone
Mountain air, abundant nature and yoga and art classes soothe body and spirit at Río Chirripó Yoga Retreat in Canaán de Rivas.
Change Pace at the Sloth Sanctuary of C.R.
No matter how many fingers, all sloths – and visitors – are welcome at Aviarios del Caribe Sloth Sanctuary on the southern Caribbean coast.
Cahuita hotel welcomes all species of visitors
Kelly Creek Hotel offers laid-back accommodations and the chance to see plenty of wildlife at its location at the entrance to Costa Rica’s Cahuita National Park.
Lodge sits in idyllic corner of Lake Nicaragua
The rustic La Esquina del Lago Jungle River Lodge offers tarpon fishing, bird-watching and kayak tours on Lake Nicaragua and the Río San Juan.
All’s wellness at Nicaraguan luxury yoga retreat
Aqua Wellness Resort offers a unique beach-jungle yoga experience near the Pacific-coast surf town of Playa Gigante.
Indigenous eco-lodge welcomes first guests in Costa Rica
An association of Bribrí indigenous women is now welcoming guests to the Kabata U Indigenous Eco-lodge in Watsi, Talamanca.
La Fortuna: More than just volcano gazing
Arenal Volcano may be the most celebrated attraction in north-central Costa Rica, but the surrounding area offers plenty of other attractions, including an eco zoo, canyoneering and a hike to a crater lake.
Caño Island: Costa Rica’s accessible wild isle
Limiting visitation to just a small portion of the island seems to be working well at Caño Island Biological Reserve, off the southern Pacific coast.
Start your adventuring at Costa Rica’s Adventure Inn
The conveniently located hotel in Ciudad Cariari comes highly recommended.
Jacó hilltop hotel big on views, hospitality
Vista Pacifico apartment hotel offers panoramic views and Canadian hospitality on Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast.
An Orosi getaway
In the heart of the Orosi Valley, the Orosi Lodge offers relaxation, breathtaking scenery and one amazing breakfast
The cutest town in Panama
The mountain town of Boquete features tasty restaurants, adorable accommodations, abundant flowers and frequent rainbows.
Hotel Liberia: a modern haven with colonial roots
One of the oldest guesthouses in Guanacaste’s provincial capital has a shiny new interior
