Karen Mogensen Reserve & Ecolodge

Set inside more than 1,000 hectares of protected tropical dry forest on the Nicoya Peninsula, Karen Mogensen Reserve & Ecolodge is reached only on foot, via a guided hike of about an hour, mostly uphill, through the reserve the nonprofit ASEPALECO has managed since 1996. There is no road in. Six cabins, named Toledo, Rana, Nutria, Pava, Ron Ron and Ceiba, are built from recycled forest wood, each with a private bathroom, a terrace and a hammock strung for watching the canopy. None run on grid power; solar panels supply what little electricity there is, and windows stay open to the forest air rather than glass. Howler monkeys and tropical birds call at first light, audible from the cabins before the morning hike sets out. Guides lead walks to the Bridal Veil Waterfall, the Tres Ríos crossings and a watchtower over the canopy, with sightings of green tree frogs, white bats and resident monkey troops along the way. Meals are taken at Gavilán Blanco, an open-sided dining ranch ringed by trees, using produce grown near the reserve and cooked by staff raised in the surrounding villages. The reserve's 22km of trails supply the day's structure. Every stay is arranged in advance directly with ASEPALECO, and every guest hikes with one of its guides, whose work also funds the forest's upkeep.