What it is

An ultra pampering new glamping spot in the rainforest-swathed Arenal Volcano National Park, with an open-air spa, locavore restaurants, and...a sloth sanctuary.

What it isn't

Making too big a mark on the local environment. Nayara is as sustainable as resorts get, with 21 stilted tents that have minimal impact on the land, plus low water and low energy-use initiatives galore.

What we think

Not even the most ardent luxury adventurer has ever “glamped” like this. Nayara Tented Camp combines the best of safari-style lodging (soaring canvas tented ceilings; mosquito net-wrapped four post beds) with opulent touches that are as Costa Rica as it gets, including a private plunge pool fed by natural mineral hot springs that bubble up from the volcanic earth here and two al fresco daybeds ideal for listening to sounds of the exultant rainforest, like local birds like the bare-necked umbrellabird and scarlet-thighed dacnis chat. Bonus: each tent is enormous (beginning at 1,700 square feet) and includes royal-worthy services, like twice-daily housekeeping, gratis laundry, and even mini-bar raids (wine and liquor at an added charge). But our favorite element might just be bathing under the twinkling stars in the outdoor shower. “Pura vida,” indeed.

You're here because

You love an outdoor spa that *sounds* like it’s playing a calming, white noise CD of bird songs. Here in their treatment pavilions, the songbird calls are real—and the volcanic mud wraps are exquisite.

The Moment

After a morning of ogling leisurely sloths, you feel like loafing around a bit yourself, and there’s no better excuse than lunch at the camp’s adjacent Relais & Chateaux sister property. From your volcano-view table at La Terraza del Arenal, you can’t get enough of your pork belly and rice with pico de gallo...the perfect prelude to a sloth-worthy afternoon nap.

Restaurants & Bars

La Terraza del Arenal - family restaurant serving a-la-carte local and international food

Asia Luna - Latin American and Asian fusion menu

Nostalgia Wine & Tapas - Latin American and European tapas and drinks

Amor Loco - signature fine dining restaurant

Location

In the luxuriant evergreen foothills of Arenal National Park, just next door to Arenal Natura Ecological Park, where you can visit a crocodile lagoon and a frog garden home to some 30 species, including the poisonous black and neon-green dart frog (little tip: don’t eat it).