Best Hotels and Resorts in the World: The Gold List 2022
"Rising with the sun is something I only do on holiday. At Nayara Tented Camp, I woke each day as the golden light stirred a colorful swath of jungle, with the smoking top of the mighty Arenal Volcano as the backdrop. The private plunge pool and the mug of steaming Costa Rican coffee help, but that view is enough to induce the earliest wake-ups. This is the third and most luxurious of Nayara’s trifecta of eco-retreats in central Costa Rica. Its hot-spring pools are carved non-invasively into the wild landscapes, and not a single tree was felled to make space for its 29 tented rooms, which take design cues from safari outfitters in Botswana. Reforestation is a cornerstone at Nayara, with an ongoing mission to plant fresh habitats for Costa Rica’s three-toed sloths. It means that you will spy these sluggish little guys all over the place, including Tony, the camp’s unofficial greeter, whose favorite spot during my stay was on the telephone pole by the entrance. The hotel grounds are also a sanctuary for jungle toads and morpho butterflies, which you’ll see on guided night walks. By day, Nayara is all about volcano-hiking, bird-watching in the thick rain forest, and getting up close with the grin-inducing creatures at the sloth sanctuary. The steak and Malbec at the wine bar tasted even better than they should—but the ultimate spot for a nightcap was back on my terrace, where the croaks of the tree frogs lulled me into a deep sleep, like nature’s own white noise. Doubles from $1,175. —Erin Florio" - CNT Editors
