El Remanso Lodge

Set on a canyon slope above the Pacific, El Remanso looks down through forest canopy to tidal pools and a lagoon 700 metres below. The lodge sits inside a private reserve bordering the Osa Peninsula's protected land, on Costa Rica's southern Pacific coast near Puerto Jiménez. It is a family business, founded in 1999 and now run by a second generation, with just 16 rooms, bungalows and villas built from fallen timber and plantation wood. Every building runs on power the lodge generates itself, and water comes from a spring on the property, filtered and UV-treated. Deluxe villas hold natural stone and teak interiors with outdoor showers and a private plunge pool; La Vainilla villa spans two storeys and 1,883 sq ft with bedrooms both upstairs and down. Superior rooms face west across the gardens for sunset. A network of trails and suspension bridges, built on fibreglass decking to limit disturbance to the canopy, links the lodge to a beach trail and a lookout called Mirablau. Guided walks are included daily: bird watching, a night hike, a river trail, and a truck tour out to the surf beaches at Matapalo. You can hear macaws and howler monkeys from the deck most mornings. The restaurant serves produce from the property's own gardens, and a wellness centre offers massage and skin treatments on site.