Photo: courtesy of Nayara Springs
On a rainforest hillside facing the Arenal Volcano, an adults-only resort gives every villa its own plunge pool fed by mineral hot springs, with a treetop yoga pavilion and a 4,500-acre reserve to explore.
The setting
The Arenal area in Costa Rica’s northern highlands has become one of the country’s busiest destinations, but Nayara Springs feels removed from it. The resort is one of three sister properties, alongside Nayara Gardens and Nayara Tented Camp, spread across a mountainside within the 4,500-acre Nayara Reserve, all looking out to the volcano. Footbridges and jungle paths connect them, and guests at Nayara Springs can use the facilities of all three.
“Both restaurants are quite frankly more impressive than they really need to be, as is the spa, whose open-air pavilions are surrounded by the treetop canopy.”
Founder Leo Ghitis, a Colombian-born hotelier based in Miami, set out to bring the feel of the safari lodges he had seen on his travels to Costa Rica. The group has also put conservation at the centre of the reserve. It created a sanctuary for sloths and other wildlife and replanted land that had been cleared for cattle. The resort’s naturalist guides lead night-time frog walks and early-morning birdwatching on the property.
Further afield, the excursions are half the reason to come: canopy walks on elevated bridges, river safaris, ATV tours, hikes on the volcano and day trips to the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, about two hours away.
The rooms & villas
The villas run along a jungle-covered ravine. Each has an expansive private garden with dual outdoor showers and seating areas, and a private plunge pool fed by the area’s mineral-rich hot springs, so soaking in volcanic water is something guests do without leaving their terrace. Indoors, MICHELIN notes handsome traditional-style furnishings.
Practical comforts are well handled. Every villa has mosquito nets over the bed, screened windows and complimentary insect repellent, and accessible rooms with roll-in showers are available. There are no connecting rooms, which fits the resort’s focus on couples.
Eat & drink
Nayara Springs has two restaurants of its own, both for adults only. Amor Loco serves international fine dining with live music. Mis Amores, an Italian bistro, specialises in wood-fired pizza with volcano views. A swim-up bar handles fresh juices, smoothies, salads and fish tacos.
Guests can also eat across the wider reserve, which has more than ten bars and restaurants in total, and 24-hour in-villa dining covers late arrivals and lazy mornings. On the property, a coffee class at Mi Cafecito explains how coffee is grown, harvested and roasted, ending with a cupping session, and mixology lessons use fresh fruit, flowers and herbs.
Wellness
The spa is set in open-air pavilions in the canopy, and each treatment room has its own plunge pool for afterwards. Treatments include deep-tissue massage, scrubs, wraps and facials, with local ingredients such as organic coffee, chocolate and volcanic mud. A yoga pavilion in the treetops hosts complimentary yoga every morning, and it is not unusual to see toucans or sloths during class.
Beyond the resort
La Fortuna, the town at the foot of the volcano, is about ten minutes from the resort and the base for most outings in the area. Costa Rica’s tourism board highlights the 70-metre La Fortuna Waterfall, about 5.5 kilometres from town and reached by a steep trail, and Lake Arenal, a reservoir known for the strong winds that suit windsurfing, as well as boat trips and fishing. Cerro Chato, an extinct volcano south-east of Arenal, has a climbable trail up to a green crater lagoon.
For more adrenaline, local operators run white-water rafting on class II and III rapids, canyoning with waterfall rappelling, and tubing on the Arenal River. Coffee and chocolate tours offer a gentler half-day.
When to go
Costa Rica’s tourism board names January to April as the best time to visit Arenal and La Fortuna, when it is hot and drier, and May, June and September to November as the rainiest months. Even in the drier season, the board warns that sunny mornings can turn into heavy afternoon rain, so outdoor plans are best made early, when views of the volcano also tend to be clearest. Temperatures range from roughly 15–17°C at the coolest to 33–35°C at the hottest. The resort itself warns that rainforest weather is unpredictable, with sun and rain at the same time, and keeps umbrellas around the grounds. The board counts birdwatching and the hot springs among the area’s year-round draws, and a wet afternoon is no hardship with a spring-fed plunge pool on the terrace.
Who it’s for
Nayara Springs is built for couples: honeymooners, anniversary trips, or anyone who wants rainforest and wildlife by day and a private hot-spring pool by night. Travellers keen to fill their days with activity will find plenty within easy reach, while those who want to stay put rarely need to leave the villa.
Families with children should look at the sister properties instead. The resort does not host weddings or events, and it bans drones, which keeps the atmosphere quiet.
Researched independently from the property’s published information and independent sources. Our editors have not stayed at the property, and Cosmopolitan Courier was not compensated for this guide.
