A honeymoon in Costa Rica

Why Costa Rica for a honeymoon.

Costa Rica is the world’s original eco-luxury destination. It holds about six per cent of the world’s biodiversity in a country the size of West Virginia, and its finest lodges sit inside private reserves where couples can walk for hours without meeting another traveller.

It is also close: San José is under three and a half hours from the US East Coast, and there are direct flights from Miami, Houston, Atlanta and New York, so a honeymoon can begin the day after the wedding.

When to go.

The dry season, from mid-December to April, brings sunshine to the Pacific coast and the most reliable flights to the remote lodges. March is the driest month. The festive weeks and Semana Santa are the busiest, so a honeymoon in those weeks is planned early.

A green-season honeymoon, from May to November, is quieter and greener, with rain usually in the afternoon. July and August often bring a drier spell on the Pacific, and whales are along the coast; September and October are the time for the Caribbean coast instead.

Where to stay: villas with their own pools.

Several of the country’s finest stays welcome adults only. At Las Catalinas, Casa Chameleon has villas and suites each with a private terrace and a saltwater plunge pool. At Arenal, every villa at Nayara Springs has its own pool fed by mineral springs. Near Uvita, Rancho Pacifico has eight rooms in about 250 acres of forest above the coast.

At the Four Seasons on the Papagayo peninsula, the treetop Canopy suites have their own infinity pools; in Monteverde, Hotel Belmar’s Nicoya Suite looks out over the cloud forest in a 270-degree view; and on the Osa Peninsula, Lapa Rios has sixteen bungalows within a private rainforest reserve.

The coast, the volcano and the rainforest.

The classic honeymoon joins three places. It begins on the Pacific in Guanacaste, with calm water and sunsets. It moves to Arenal for the volcano and its hot springs, and ends in the rainforest of the Osa Peninsula or the cloud forest of Monteverde.

Three nights in each, with a light-aircraft flight between the coast and the forest, makes ten to twelve unhurried days.

Experiences for two.

A honeymoon in Costa Rica is made by its private moments, arranged by an advisor with the local specialists who know them:

• A private catamaran on the Gulf of Papagayo, with snorkelling over the coral gardens and the sunset at sea.
• Humpback whales by private boat in the Golfo Dulce or off Marino Ballena, in season.
• An evening in the mineral hot springs beneath Arenal volcano.
• A dawn walk in the Osa rainforest with a field biologist, for scarlet macaws and monkeys.
• A night on a platform in the forest canopy, with a naturalist and the southern stars.
• A cacao ceremony and river journey with a Bribri community on the Caribbean side.

The wildlife you can expect.

On the Osa Peninsula, scarlet macaws, toucans and birds of prey are seen almost daily, and all four of Central America’s monkey species are regular. Humpback whales visit the Pacific coast from July to October and from December to March. Tapirs and white-lipped peccaries are regular too, while jaguar sightings are rare but documented.

Privacy, and how safe it is.

The Osa Peninsula is private by nature: it is reached only by light aircraft or a long unpaved road, and its few lodges are surrounded by primary rainforest. On the coast, the Papagayo resorts keep their guests to themselves on a spectacular gulf.

Costa Rica is the most stable country in Central America. It abolished its army in 1948, crime in the resort areas is low, and its healthcare is the best in the region; ordinary care is advised in San José.

Luxury in the rainforest, defined differently.

The rainforest lodges offer private bungalows with exceptional views, excellent food and knowledgeable staff, in places where the electricity may be solar-powered and the sounds at night are the forest’s. Couples who love nature find it the heart of the honeymoon.

For those who prefer every five-star comfort throughout, a Papagayo resort can be the base, with days in the rainforest by light aircraft. An advisor helps you choose the balance.

How long to stay.

Seven to twelve nights is the usual length. A week allows the coast and one other place; ten to twelve days joins the coast, the volcano and the rainforest without hurrying.

Combining Costa Rica with another country.

Some couples join Costa Rica’s rainforest with the cayes and barrier reef of Belize, or with Panama City, a short flight from San José. An advisor plans the order and the flights so the honeymoon ends where you most want it to.

Planning: entry, flights and luggage.

Citizens of the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia enter without a visa; your advisor confirms the current rules for your passports. Light aircraft to the remote lodges carry limited luggage, so an advisor arranges for the rest to travel ahead.

What a Costa Rica honeymoon costs.

The cost depends on the villas chosen, the season and how you travel between regions. The dry season and the festive weeks are the most expensive; the green season brings lower rates. Private flights and the most remote lodges add the most.

An advisor gives you a clear plan with every stay, flight and experience before anything is booked, so you choose where to spend and where to save.

What an advisor adds.

An advisor reserves the right villa in each place, often with honeymoon benefits through their relationships with the hotels, plans the flights and transfers so the days are not lost to travel, and arranges the private moments the hotels and local specialists offer. If plans change, there is one person to call.

Your questions.

Tell us about the honeymoon you have in mind.

Recommendations chosen for you, an itinerary crafted around them, and every booking managed by an independent Ultra Advisor who works with local specialists in Costa Rica — Osa Peninsula.