The Most Luxurious Places to Stay in Costa Rica
Six villas and suites, from jungle hillsides to beachfront sand, that make a Costa Rica stay unforgettable.
Photo: Laloon Luxury Suites
Costa Rica has long been known for its beaches, surf and incredible natural scenery, but the places to stay have become just as impressive.
Across the country, you'll find villas tucked into the jungle, perched above the ocean or steps from the beach, combining privacy, design and some of the best views in Costa Rica.
We've rounded up a selection of standout luxury villas for your next stay.
1. SEN in Nosara, Playa Pelada
Managed by Beach Management Nosara · 4.92 rating · 26 reviews
Photo: Beach Management Nosara
SEN means dream in Polish, and the house earns it. Set in Section C above Playa Pelada, the quieter of Nosara's two beaches, it is a contemporary four-bedroom sanctuary of marble, stone and glass, with expansive windows, open layouts and a private skate bowl in the garden. All four bedrooms have king beds and bespoke furnishings; two are en-suite, including a master with a tub looking out over the gardens, and the remaining two share a spa-style bath.
Nosara is a Blue Zone surf town: consistent waves year-round, unreasonably good food for its size, and nobody in a hurry. SEN is a short drive from the Guiones break and a walk from the tide pools at Pelada. It sleeps eight, and Beach Management, which rents only elite homes on this coast, handles everything around the stay.
The local layer: private chef on request, a resident yoga and cold-plunge routine built into the house, and Beach Management's own concierge team arranging surf lessons at Guiones and day trips to the Nosara wildlife refuge.
2. Casa Villa Brisas in Playa Grande, Guanacaste
Managed by KRAIN Vacation Rentals · 4 bed · 4 bath · 18 reviews
Photo: KRAIN Vacation Rentals
Casa Villa Brisas is new construction built entirely around the view: floor-to-ceiling windows in every room frame the Pacific, and the line between indoors and out barely exists. Four bedrooms, four en-suite bathrooms, sleeps eight, with individually controlled air conditioning throughout. The primary suite has its own balcony where the ocean is the first thing you see.
Outside is where the house is really lived in: a private pool, a hot tub, an outdoor kitchen for grilling the catch of the day, and a covered terrace built for group dinners at sunset. It sits inside a gated community up a paved road in the heart of Playa Grande, with 24/7 property management, airport transfer coordination and a local guide included for every stay.
The local layer: Las Baulas National Park leatherback nesting tours a few minutes away, the Playa Grande surf break at the end of the road, and a 15-minute run into Tamarindo for anything the villa doesn't have on site.
3. Laloon Luxury Suites in Santa Teresa, Nicoya
Laloon Luxury Suites · boutique hotel · 9.5/10 “Exceptional” · 80 reviews (Booking.com)
Photo: Laloon Luxury Suites
Laloon sits on a mountainside above Santa Teresa, vibrant forest behind, open Pacific in front, and the claim it makes, that it has the best view in town, is hard to argue with. Every suite is ocean-facing, with a custom king bed, a bathroom that also has the view, bathrobes, biodegradable toiletries, and its own private salt-water plunge pool for watching the sun go down.
It is small, intimate and built for couples: a la carte breakfast is always included, there is a bar and tapas on site, a bottle of wine on arrival, complimentary laundry, and secure parking. The drive up the hill is steep enough to need a 4x4 or an ATV, they will arrange one. Beachfront yoga, surf lessons, Montezuma Waterfalls and Isla Tortuga are all booked through the front desk.
“Probably the best views in Santa Teresa! There is nothing like taking a dip in your private salt water pool and watching the most magnificent sunsets over breathtaking ocean views. The suite itself is top notch, very high end and luxurious.” — Gail A.
4. Carao Villa 5 in Reserva Conchal, Guanacaste
Managed by My Guanacaste Vacation · 5 bed · 4 bath · 9.6/10 “Exceptional” (Vrbo)
Photo: My Guanacaste Vacation
Reserva Conchal is 2,300 acres of gated golf-and-beach resort between dry tropical forest and Playa Conchal, and Carao Villa 5 is the house to take inside it: five bedrooms, four baths, a private pool in the back garden and shaded terraces looking straight onto the Robert Trent Jones II course. The Carao neighbourhood adds its own infinity pool and clubhouse on top of that.
Resort access is the real argument. The 60,000-square-foot Beach Club has two pools, the full-service Westin Heavenly Spa, a fitness centre and restaurants; shuttles run to the beach, which is 0.6 miles away and made of crushed shell rather than sand. My Guanacaste Vacation manages only inside these gates, and every booking comes with a personal concierge who will arrange groceries, a private chef, the airport run from Liberia and a golf cart to get around.
The local layer: tee times on the Robert Trent Jones II course, Beach Club spa treatments, and a concierge-arranged private chef for nights in.
5. Villa Viva in Playa Grande, Guanacaste
Managed by The Hub · 6 bed · sleeps 12 · 4.89 rating · 22 reviews
Photo: The Hub
Six bedrooms, five baths, twelve guests, and a resort-style pool a few steps from the sand at Playa Grande. Villa Viva is built for indoor-outdoor living: open living spaces, several lounge areas, an outdoor shower, and a private volleyball court, with a gym that converts into a sixth bedroom when the group is large.
Playa Grande is the quiet side of the Tamarindo estuary: a protected leatherback nesting beach, a serious surf break, and almost none of the nightlife, while being minutes from Tamarindo by road. The practical luxuries matter here too, solar backup, a water reserve, and two high-speed internet lines, which on this coast is the difference between a working holiday and a frustrating one.
The local layer: leatherback turtle nesting tours at Las Baulas National Park, surf lessons at the Playa Grande break, and The Hub's own concierge team for chef and transport bookings.
6. Casa Taj in Playa Potrero, Guanacaste
Managed by Tropical Homes of Costa Rica · 4.86 rating · 21 reviews (Airbnb)
Photo: Tropical Homes of Costa Rica
If there is one house on this list that behaves like a small private hotel, it is Casa Taj. Spanish Colonial, three storeys, 6,000-odd square feet sitting directly on the sand at Playa Potrero, with a lagoon-style pool, a 2,000-square-foot run of covered balconies, and the Pacific sunset arriving front-row every evening. There is a private cinema, a library and bar, a professional chef's kitchen and a formal dining room, and one bedroom, the Cactus room, opens onto its own outdoor bathroom.
What makes it unusual is what comes included rather than a la carte: a private chef cooking breakfast and dinner every day, daily housekeeping, an overnight security guard, a dedicated concierge, and kayaks on the beach. The listing releases six of the nine bedrooms for up to twelve guests; the other three stay locked, so the house is genuinely yours. Nine-bedroom bookings are available on request.
The local layer: kayaking straight off the beach, a private chef handling breakfast and dinner daily, and Tropical Homes' concierge team booking catamaran tours out of nearby Playa Flamingo.
7. Matapalo 201 in Tamarindo, Guanacaste
Managed by VIP Tamarindo · 3 bed · 3 bath · 4.95 rating · 57 reviews (Airbnb)
Photo: VIP Tamarindo
Matapalo 201 sits inside the Diria Matapalo complex, a short walk from Tamarindo's main beach and the town's restaurant and surf-shop strip. The three-bedroom, three-bath apartment sleeps eight across a king, a queen and a room with two queens, with a full kitchen, an open living-dining area, air conditioning and a private balcony.
The building's biggest draw for the area is its shared pool, one of only a handful nearby, plus keyless self check-in and covered parking. It's built for groups who want to walk everywhere: the beach, cafes, surf lessons and nightlife are all a few minutes on foot, no car required.
The local layer: Tamarindo's surf breaks and beach bars steps from the door, day trips to the Las Baulas leatherback nesting beach at Playa Grande, and a longtime Superhost on the ground for anything guests need during the stay.
8. Ranch Villa Arenal in La Fortuna, Alajuela
Managed by Jorge Guerrero · 7 bed · 7 bath · 5/5 rating · 5 reviews
Photo: Ranch Villa Arenal
Ranch Villa Arenal sits on a working farm ten minutes from La Fortuna, still growing plantains, cassava and mangosteen around the property. The seven-bedroom, seven-bath farmhouse is built for big groups, with a wide outdoor terrace, a sitting room for gatherings, expansive gardens and a yoga deck, all with Arenal Volcano close enough to feel like part of the view.
Every stay comes with an in-house private chef and on-the-ground staff who handle transfers and excursions, plus a pool and hot tub set into lush jungle grounds. It's less resort, more working ranch that happens to sleep a crowd in comfort.
Lovely, unique property with responsive staff: a huge house perfect for large groups, comfortable bedrooms, a great sitting room for gatherings, and a convenient location near a grocery store and not too far from La Fortuna. — Ranjana P., June 2023
Rates & booking
SEN, Nosara: from $12,000 / week (quiet season). Book with Beach Management Nosara
Casa Villa Brisas, Playa Grande: rates on request. Book with KRAIN Vacation Rentals
Laloon Luxury Suites, Santa Teresa: rates on request. Book direct with Laloon
Carao Villa 5, Reserva Conchal: rates on request. Book with My Guanacaste Vacation
Villa Viva, Playa Grande: rates on request. Book with The Hub
Casa Taj, Playa Potrero: from $1,384 / night. Book with Tropical Homes of Costa Rica
VIP Tamarindo, Tamarindo: rates on request.
Ranch Villa Arenal, La Fortuna: rates on request. Book with Ranch Villa Arenal
Every property here is managed by a Localbird partner on the ground. Transport, private chefs, surf lessons, boat charters and everything else are arranged through them directly.
