In Remote Costa Rica, Beautiful Boutique Property Touts Pristine Nature

A PARADISE FOR nature lovers, surfers and adventure seekers, Costa Rica often sees repeat visitors. The seven provinces, though different in the way of microclimates and the presence of volcanoes, cloud forests or beaches, are all predictably friendly, green and breathtakingly beautiful. Travelers come to anticipate and appreciate the “pura vida” lifestyle, i.e. an appreciation for the here-and-now beauty and wonder that the country offers so abundantly.

In the somewhat remote, southern-Pacific region of Puntarenas, humpback whales spout hello during their annual migration, and a lush coastline looks out at inlets and islands home to hundreds of species of fish and mollusks and coral. It is here, on a 58-acre rainforest reserve, that Hotel Three Sixty is perched, dangling nearly 1,000 feet in the air and boasting unobstructed views — hence the name.

With 12 two-person villas (and more on the way) and a wraparound infinity pool overlooking the beach, the adults-only Hotel Three Sixty offers something that few properties in Costa Rica can: permission to simply relax. Yes, ziplining adventures and hiking excursions are recommended; the nearby Nauyaca Waterfall is a fun one, whether you want to bring a book and post up on a riverside boulder for a few hours or scale rocky cliffs (rope and spotters provided) to make an impressive jump from the top. Or take a boat tour of the mangroves, where boa constrictors, bull sharks, crocodiles and gallymoons await, and adorable monkeys will performatively eat monkfruit.

But much of Costa Rica’s beauty can be soaked in from the property’s open-air restaurant and lounge — ask for binoculars to catch a glimpse of monkeys and more than 100 species of birds — or the jungle-immersed yoga deck, which is near the spa and gym at the bottom of a long, steep driveway. (Cute drivers offer lifts in golf carts to and from this part of the hotel.)

Further down the hill is the town of Ojochal, where a popular local restaurant called Citrus is located next-door to a gourmet gift shop called L’Epiciere — local honey, coffee and chocolate, along with housemade French-style pastries, beckon. Other festive places to experience regional craft beer include the treehouse-style Fuego restaurant and brewery; for Costa Rica’s laidback answer to fine-dining, try Heliconia.

But there’s nothing wrong with spending a majority of time kicking back at the hotel. Turn the edge of the infinity pool into a makeshift table for a truly fine cocktail and ceviche, and admire the canopy of trees below, some dusted with gold flowers, others covered by puffs of white clouds. You likely won’t even mind when the bugs glitter and flutter in front of your face, or drop into your fresh fruit bowl — you gently lift them out and send them on their way. The understanding of the special, delicate ecosystem conveniently comes by osmosis.

Elegant tropical cocktails at Hotel Three Sixty’s Kua Kua