First-class Tropical Private Villa With Constant Paradise ViewN°001
Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
Private poolSea view
From $9,680 per night
Photo by Etienne Delorieux on UnsplashRainforest, volcanoes and the easy rhythm of pura vida
Costa Rica packs rainforest, volcanoes, cloud forest and two dazzling coastlines into a country smaller than Scotland, all run to the unhurried national creed of pura vida. Our villas concentrate on the Pacific side, from surf-town Jacó and the Puntarenas coast down to the wild Osa Peninsula, with private pools, jungle canopies and concierge support for every adventure.
- Manuel Antonio and Corcovado National Parks, home to sloths, monkeys and scarlet macaws
- Pacific surf and sunsets from Jacó and the Puntarenas coast to the Osa Peninsula
- Humpback whales off the Marino Ballena coast, with peaks around August to October
- Volcanoes and coffee country in the Central Valley, from Irazú to the Orosi Valley
- Private-pool villas set between rainforest and ocean, with concierge service
Known forRainforest and wildlife, Pacific surf beaches, volcanoes, national parks such as Manuel Antonio and Corcovado, whale watching and the pura vida lifestyle
Best time to visitDecember to April for the dry season; May to November, the green season, for lush landscapes, surf and whale watching
Nearest airportSan José Juan Santamaría (SJO) for the central Pacific; Liberia (LIR) for Guanacaste in the north-west
Ideal forFamilies, surfers, honeymooners and nature lovers seeking wildlife with comfort
Exotic Private Luxury Villa With Pristine LandscapeN°002
Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
Private poolSea view
From $7,250 per night
Unique Villa Located on the Most Desirable Beachfront PointN°003
Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Private poolSea view
From $5,880 per night
Luxury Villa in Breathtaking Tropical ParadiseN°004
Costa Rica (other), Costa Rica
Private poolSea view
From $4,380 per night
Phenomenal Landscapes With Stunning CoastlineN°005
Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Private poolSea viewWaterfront
From $3,488 per night
Tropical Paradise Overlooking Pacific CoastN°006
Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
Private pool
From $3,302 per night
45homes available
1–10bedrooms
up to 24guests
34with a pool
Costa Rica in pictures
Where to stay in Costa Rica
Events not to miss in Costa Rica
- Mid-January
Fiestas de Palmares
Costa Rica's biggest festival brings roughly two weeks of concerts, parades and celebration to the town of Palmares in the Central Valley, a joyful window on tico culture.
- Late February to early March
Envision Festival
A renowned international gathering of music, art and wellness held in the jungle at Uvita on the Costa Ballena, drawing a global crowd to the southern Pacific coast.
- Early August
Romería to Cartago
Each year around 2 August, pilgrims from across the country walk to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Cartago, Costa Rica's most moving national tradition.
- September
Whale and Dolphin Festival, Uvita
Marino Ballena National Park celebrates the peak of the humpback season with boat excursions and festivities, the best-organised moment to see whales off the Costa Ballena.
Costa Rica through the seasons
- Dry Season (December – April)
Pacific sunshine and beach days
Reliably dry, sunny weather across the Pacific coast, ideal for beaches, surf, sport fishing and easy national-park trails; book early for Christmas and Easter.
- Early Green Season (May – July)
Lush forests and softer prices
Bright mornings, dramatic afternoon rains and rainforest at its most vivid, with fewer visitors on the trails and the first humpbacks arriving offshore.
- Whale Season (August – October)
Humpbacks off the Costa Ballena
Humpback whales gather off Marino Ballena National Park near Uvita, the highlight of the southern Pacific year, alongside superb surf and green landscapes.
- Turn of the Season (November – December)
The country turns green-gold
Rains taper, rivers run full and the coast polishes up for the festive season, a rewarding shoulder window before the dry-season crowds arrive.
The Area and Where to Stay
Costa Rica's villa life gravitates to the Pacific. Jacó and the nearby Los Sueños area, under two hours from San José, form the most accessible base, with surf beaches, sport-fishing marinas and hillside villas looking over the Gulf of Nicoya. South along the Puntarenas province coast, Manuel Antonio pairs a celebrated national park with jungle-canopy homes, and the Costa Ballena around Uvita and Ciudad Cortés brings whale-rich waters and rainforest ridges within reach of the untamed Osa Peninsula. Inland, the Central Valley around Cartago and the green Orosi Valley offers coffee farms, colonial history and cool highland air. Expect villas with infinity pools facing the ocean or the jungle, wildlife in the garden and a concierge to arrange guides, chefs and transfers between regions.
Things to Do
Costa Rica is built for days outdoors. Walk the trails of Manuel Antonio National Park, where sloths, capuchins and toucans appear at close range, or venture to Corcovado on the Osa Peninsula, one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. Surf the breaks at Jacó and Playa Hermosa, zip-line through the canopy, raft jungle rivers and soak beneath waterfalls. Between roughly July and October, humpback whales gather off Marino Ballena National Park near Uvita, and boat trips run daily from the Costa Ballena. Inland, climb to the crater of Irazú volcano above Cartago, tour coffee plantations and circle the gentle Orosi Valley with its hot springs and colonial church. Sport fishing from the central Pacific marinas is world class; the concierge arranges charters, naturalist guides and park permits.
Food and Local Flavour
Costa Rican cooking is fresh, generous and quietly excellent. Start the day with gallo pinto, the beloved rice-and-beans breakfast, and eat casados, ceviche and whole fried fish at family-run sodas, where the cooking is honest and the welcome warm. The Pacific coast delivers superb seafood, from mahi-mahi and tuna to sweet local prawns, while the Central Valley grows some of the world's finest coffee, best tasted on a plantation tour near Cartago or Orosi. Tropical fruit is a daily pleasure: mango, papaya, pineapple and rambutan from roadside stands. Beach towns like Jacó and Uvita add polished international restaurants and beach clubs. In your villa, a private chef cooking that morning's catch beside the pool is the essential Costa Rican indulgence.
When to Visit
Costa Rica divides the year into a dry season, roughly December to April, and a green season from May to November. The dry months bring reliable Pacific sunshine and easy access to parks and beaches, and they are the busiest, especially over Christmas and Easter. The green season deserves its better name: mornings are usually bright, afternoon rains keep the rainforest thunderously alive, prices soften and the landscape glows. It is also prime time for surf and for the humpback whales that gather off the Costa Ballena from around July to October. Wildlife is rewarding year-round. Whatever your dates, a villa with a covered terrace and pool makes even a tropical downpour part of the show.
Getting There
San José's Juan Santamaría International (SJO) is the main gateway, with direct flights from North America and Europe, and it serves the central and southern Pacific villa areas: Jacó is around an hour and a half by road, Manuel Antonio about three hours. Liberia (LIR) in the north-west suits Guanacaste itineraries. Domestic flights and light aircraft shorten the run south to the Costa Ballena and the Osa Peninsula, and a 4x4 is the sensible choice for exploring beyond the main highways. The concierge arranges private transfers, internal flights and drivers, so the only planning left to you is which coast to watch the sunset from.