ORIGINS Lodge

Perched high on a mountain, surrounded by dense rainforest, with Nicaragua Lake below and the volcanoes looming on the horizon, settings don’t come much more spectacular, wild and unspoilt than at ORIGINS Lodge. 

The beautiful lodges manage to look at once futuristic and traditional, with an eye-catching fan-roofed design built from organic materials like local wood and stone. Spacious circular bedrooms are set around handcrafted canopy beds beneath high wooden-beamed ceilings, while there are also comfy sofas and armchairs for you to curl up on.

The bathrooms, hewn from stone and wood, with open-air garden showers, are particularly remarkable - and there’s also a wood-fired hot tub on the terrace, where you can enjoy exceptional panoramic views over the estate, the volcanoes and Nicaragua Lake. 

Villa Vertigo, suspended high in the treetops, comes with even more space and luxury, with three bedrooms, living and dining areas, a large terrace and Jacuzzi and wow-factor views. 

Michelin-starred French chef Jean-Luc l'Hourre creates exquisite traditional French dishes with a local twist provided by the bounty of Costa Rica’s fertile countryside. Enjoy dishes such as sliced beef with chayote (a local gourd-like vegetable) and grilled fillet of corvina, a native fish. Food is accompanied by the finest wines from Chile, Argentina and Europe, and you can dine a stunning spot overlooking the infinity pool, with the lush wilderness beyond.

The estate is home to plenty of places where you can kick back and relax while taking in the gorgeous views over the rainforest. As well as cooling off in the pool, you can indulge in a massage on one of the secluded platforms nestled in the gardens, or have a yoga session in this stunning setting - or simply relax in your own outdoor hot tub, heated by a wood-fired stove, on your lodge's balcony.

An array of activities are on offer to help you explore the beautiful wilderness surrounding the hotel. Take a boat trip through the wetlands of Cano Negro, looking out for caimans and monkeys along the way, or kayak on Rio Nino. Hikes and horse rides are also options, including scenic hikes to the beautiful Rio Celeste waterfall in Tenorio National Park.

Back at the lodge, go on a guided walk around the grounds, led by an expert naturalist, who will introduce you to the local flora and fauna, and night walks will see you spotting the area’s nocturnal inhabitants. Meanwhile, fishing in one of the estate’s 11 lagoons is another option. You can take some gourmet secrets home with you on a cooking class, and even contribute to the evening’s dinner on a foraging walk with the chef, and experience the counter-intuitive sensation of being surrounded by stingless Melipona bees, while learning about their life-giving honey.