Flights tend to arrive late and leave early from Costa Rica, so there's a good chance you'll be staying overnight in the capital. That proposition becomes much more appealing if you're booked into the Alta Hotel in Altos de las Palomas, about 15 minutes from Juan Santamaría Airport. This 23-room hotel's name refers to its hilltop location in the Central Valley, and from your room you'll have a view that, while not bucolic, is still rather beautiful. Stucco walls, a barrel-tiled roof, and gentle arches give the impression of a colonial-era building. Rooms lead to covered terraces, and there's a sapphire-colored oval swimming pool at the center of the hotel's tropical gardens. If you want to stroll the streets downtown, this isn't for you, but if you do opt for an overnight here, join dressed-to-the-nines locals in the second-floor La Luz restaurant, which serves modernized local dishes (shrimp sautéed with sage and roast garlic potato cake; coffee-wood smoked vegetables and tequila lime butter).

Hidden away in tropical undergrowth on the edge of Playa Tamarindo, one of the Nicoya Peninsula's most popular beaches. Its 22 spacious rooms are split-level and decorated simply in white or pastel shades. Room 31 is a good choice, with many windows and a curved wooden balcony overlooking the free-form pool. If you're splurging, there are eight bungalows and a four-bedroom apartment, each with large windows and outdoor showers surrounded by greenery. Not all of the bungalows have an ocean view, so make sure you ask for one.

This 10-villa haven on the Nicoya Peninsula is ideal for spa addicts with an adventurous streak. The huge rooms have their own sunken outdoor tubs and garden showers, and equally open living areas with Wi-Fi access; only the bedrooms are closed and air-conditioned. There's a beachfront yoga center with resident instructors and a year-round program of workshops and retreats, horseback riding, mountain biking, snorkeling, and the requisite onsite biologist, who leads exploratory hikes into the rain forest. Were it not for the high rates here, surfing would no doubt be the top draw—the entire staff seems to consist of cute American surfer dudes and dudettes. The clientele, by contrast, is older, wealthier, and more family-oriented, despite the fact that the gorgeous white-sand beach here is not really safe for swimming, apart from the small lagoons at low tide. Food in the open-air Nectar restaurant is good but pricey and a bit monotonous.

This secluded 27-room eco-lodge, a ten-minute drive from the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, has rustic charm, with rough-hewn ceiling beams and a circular fireplace in the bar and reception. But the focus is on what's outside. A huge 14-person hot tub off the lobby is inside a glass atrium (solar-heated on sunny days), and there are triangular bay windows in the 24 standard rooms, for viewing tropical birds and wildlife. The gardens are exceptional, with many species of hummingbird hovering around. For a total escape, there's also a renovated garden cabin with the same rustic charm as the lodge. If you tire of the tranquility, it's only a ten-minute walk to Santa Elena, the nearest town, for dinner. Though, there's really no need, the on-site Garden Restaurant serves up fine international cuisine (corn chowder, beef tenderloin in red-wine reduction, or pan-grilled red snapper).

This is the best place for anyone with ambivalence about hardcore jungle adventure: Here, the tarantulas are in a lobby aquarium, the rain-forest hikes are paved and signposted, and the waterfalls are in your own bathroom... There are five real waterfalls in the grounds, too, but even the standard rooms have crazy tropical showers, as well as mosaic tubs and jungle murals, in their carved-stone bathrooms. Sound a bit Polynesian-Disney? You're not wrong, but who cares when you have tons of space, gas fireplaces with programmable flames, canopied beds, terraces with hammocks and Jacuzzis, AC, Bose sound systems, TVs, and a big DVD library? Even diehard outdoorsman will love the butterfly observatory and hummingbird garden, where the tiny birds are bold enough to feed from your hand.

The look is chic boutique but the attitude is eco-lodge at this 58-room hillside hideaway near the entrance to Manuel Antonio National Park, designed to make as little impact on its surroundings as possible. Troops of squirrel monkeys swing through the trees near the outdoor bar, and iguanas sun themselves by the two pools (one for families, the other reserved for grown-ups). Standard rooms are surprisingly large, with kitchens, separate bedrooms, and garden views, but spend a bit more for one of the deluxe room, which have balconies overlooking the entire coastline and a raised sleeping area—just lie back and enjoy the view. Of the two eateries, the more casual option is the poolside Rico Tico (where expansive buffet breakfasts are served). The other is Claro Que Sí, a seafood restaurant on the terrace hung with gauzy fabrics and cooled by ocean breezes; other hotels actually send their guests to dine here. Arrive early to enjoy the sunset.

This 114-room resort next to Volcán Arenal has natural hot springs of steaming water that are channeled into numerous private pools, tailor-made for romantic moments. There are also waterfalls where you can get an all-natural massage; if that's too exposed, there's an on-site Grand Spa where you can arrange an alfresco rubdown hidden among tropical flowers. There's the requisite swim-up bar in the main pool, but El Palenque, in a secluded corner of the lush gardens, is a less crowded watering hole and all the better for it. The views of Volcán Arenal are spectacular, especially since the volcano blows its top nightly. Tabacón is for those seeking some serious R&R rather than an eco-lodge, and it is a good alternative to the area's beach resorts for those who enjoy swimming. The rooms are luxurious, with some of the dark-wood furnishings made by local craftspeople. For the best views of the volcano, ask for a superior room.

You'll be hard-pressed to find somewhere that doesn't have a breathtaking view of the Pacific among the 52 rooms in this cluster of whitewashed luxury villas perched on a hillside on the Nicoya Peninsula. A mile below is your very own private beach with sun beds and a snack bar, reachable by a four-wheel-drive shuttle (leaves on the hour). The terra-cotta tile floors and wrought-iron furnishings create a distinctly southern-European feel. The open-air Mirador restaurant serves French cuisine and is a popular hangout for well-heeled weekenders from San José. Even if you're not staying here, consider stopping for lunch on your way to Manuel Antonio National Park.

Bird watching doesn't get any easier than this. Early each morning, owners Jeff Crandall and Bill Hemmer put out pieces of fresh fruit in the garden, prompting a flurry of activity as rainbow-billed toucans and all manner of other tropical birds arrive for the feast. Your breakfast arrives after theirs—a different offering every day, ranging from crepes filled with fresh herbs to pancakes topped with homemade papaya-ginger compote. The five simply furnished yet colorful rooms in this former coffee farm have huge picture windows to maximize the view out over silvery Lake Arenal. Three villas on the hillside are a good choice if you want more privacy. They don't serve dinner here, but there are several places to eat within walking distance.

At this 40-acre plantation, "large, airy villas" have their own terrace and are surrounded by "succulent plants in bloom." Miles of on-property hiking trails take guests past river vistas and waterfalls; dine on greenhouse-and garden-sourced produce in the resort's restaurants. Original artwork appears throughout, from stained glass to quilts. Spa treatments include post-sun wraps with aloe and lavender.

(21 villas)