Nayara Resort Spa & Gardens

702 road 21007, Provincia de Alajuela, La Fortuna, Costa Rica

Tucked within a green corner next to Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano National Park, Nayara Springs is a haven for wellness seekers in the middle of the rainforest, with natural hot springs baths in each villa and healthy, farm-to-table-inspired menus in its restaurants. And if you want to take your wellness journey up a notch, be sure to spend some time at the idyllic spa, where open-air treatment rooms face the surrounding tree canopy inhabited by everything from toucans to howler monkeys. They’ll be the soundtrack to your experience, whether you’re getting a hot stone massage or a wrap treatment sourced from local ingredients, including volcanic mud, organic coffee, or chocolate.

With a view of the Arenal volcano the surrounding verdant rainforest, Mis Amores has one of the best vantage points at Nayara Springs. The restaurant’s menu is casual by day (fresh-caught fish and pizzas made in a wood-fired oven), and shifts to more sophisticated fare by night try the tuna carpaccio and the braised short rib). You might want to bring your binoculars for wildlife sightings between courses: the restaurant sits at the tree line, and many of Costa Rica’s 300 bird species can be spotted, along with the occasional three-toed sloth.

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Nayara Springs Spa

Nestled within the tropical vegetation at the foot of Arenal Volcano National Park, the award-winning Nayara Resort’s 50 hillside bungalows offer luxurious respite after a morning spent hiking, rafting, zip-lining, canyoning, or indulging in any number of other outdoor adventures the area is famous for. All of the freestanding deluxe casitas and villas feature pristinely polished dark-wood floors, wraparound decks with hammocks and two-person Jacuzzis, gardens with outdoor showers, and views of either the volcano or jungle canopy. At day’s end, lounge in the pool with a piña colada from the swim-up bar, or retreat to the open-air spa, perched above a lush ravine, to indulge in a volcanic-mud massage. Your hardest decision comes in the evening, when you have to decide between five restaurants for your dinner: Peckish types might go for the tapas at Nostalgia Bar (though a five-course dinner with wine pairings is also available), but the steaks, grilled seafood, and pasta at Altamira Restaurant will satisfy hungrier appetites.

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