Costa Rica Honeymoon Guide for 2019
One of the world’s most popular honeymoon destinations, Costa Rica seamlessly blends adventure and romance to offer unique experiences that are far removed from the cookie-cutter mold. Yes, you can still soak up the rays along a stretch of an impossibly idyllic beach, but intrepid couples heading to Costa Rica choose to do so after a n active day out spent whitewater rafting, kayaking, canyoning, zip-lining or mountain biking. That’s really what sets Costa Rica apart from all other ‘tropical honeymoon destinations’ the world over: just as dreamy and swoon-worthy yet with the added bonus of a wicked, fun and adventurous side.
Do you get easily bored lunging on a beach chair sipping cocktails for days on end? Then Costa Rica is the honeymoon destinations for you! Every corner of the country offers its own cache of delights and adventures, offering an eclectic array for bespoke Costa Rica honeymoons.
We’ve compiled a comprehensive Costa Rica Honeymoon Guide for 2019 – the best places to go, the highlights you shouldn’t miss and a few insider tips to ensure your ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ trip to our shores is as memorable as can be.
Here’s to the adventure you’ll be telling the grand kids about!
Costa Rica Honeymoons in 2019 – The Best Hot Spots for Loved-up Couples
Let’s be honest: you’d be hard pressed to find a single corner of Costa Rica without redeeming honeymoon offerings but it is true that some areas are simply better suited to honeymooning couples. A few luxurious indulgences wouldn’t go amiss (in between all the crazy excursions) and given the fact most couples take only a week off to explore, many tend to home in on well-established destinations. Have more time? We’ll guide you to more remote destinations too!
One-week Costa Rica Honeymoon – Manuel Antonio and Arenal Volcano National Parks are the country’s prime hot-spots for Costa Rica honeymoons in 2019. Combine these two parks and you’ll have it all: pristine rain forests, peaky volcanoes, stunning beaches lined with coral reefs, natural thermal pools and a sensational array of activities that let you immerse yourself in the outstanding wilderness. Rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, surfing, snorkeling, hiking, zip-lining, wildlife-spotting and, naturally, plenty of steamy togetherness in hot springs and beaches. All in one compact and easily accessible region, all in just a single week!
Two-week Costa Rica Honeymoon – Add an extra week to your itinerary and you can spread your wings a little further afield. The Nicoya and Osa Peninsulas are our top pick for longer honeymoon adventures in Costa Rica, these two wild corners of the country offering the kind of remoteness you simply won’t find anywhere else. They both require more time to reach, however, and the added bonus of lesser development means you’ll find them blissfully uncrowded and wonderfully unplugged. Both regions are home to an astonishing array of wildlife and offer unique adventures. Read more about Nicoya and Osa and see which one tickles your travel-buds most.
Exclusive & Luxurious Costa Rica Honeymoons – When only the best will do, you really can’t sail past the Gulf of Papagayo in the Guanacaste Province, home to some of the most exclusive 5* resorts in the entire country. For world-class sustainable tourism with oodles of class – something for which Costa Rica is world-renowned – the Gulf of Papagayo is the bees’ knees. We’re talking golf courses, luxury marinas and incredible lodges, all immersed in unspoiled Costa Rica wilderness. Check out our latest guide to the Stellar Highlights of the Gulf of Papagayo to drool some more. You’ll soon see why so many honeymooning couples head here for a few days during their trip.
The Best Costa Rica Honeymoon Resorts for 2019
Gorgeous resorts and eco-lodges catering specifically to adventurous couples are all the rage in Costa Rica and it’s hardly surprising. Just as the country is beloved by families (and boasts plenty of family-friendly resorts) there’s a whole tourism scene that’s solely dedicated to adults-only vacations, where romantic candle-lit dinners, couple spa treatments, yoga classes and adventure-filled excursions are on the daily menu. The great thing about Costa Rica honeymoon resorts is that they are scattered about the country and come in all shapes, sizes and prices, so every couple will find their own little corner of paradise.
Here are just three of our long-standing favourites, to give you an idea of what you can expect to find in Costa Rica:
Nayara Springs Resort (Arenal Volcano) – The Nayara is an Arenal institution, winning a cult-like following thanks to its two equally sensational resorts. This adult-only delight boasts amazing villas equipped with their own private thermal pools and feels as removed from the Arenal mayhem as can be. Forbes Magazine rated this one of Costa Rica’s best picks and, in all seriousness, who’d argue with that?
Occidental Grand (Gulf of Papagayo) – Choosing the best value honeymoon resort in the Gulf of Papagayo is hard work – but someone had to do it! Cradled between two outstanding beaches (Playa Buena and Bonita) the Occidental is a luxury spa resort that offers fantastic value for money in a region of the country that can be a little pricey. The incredible location is reason enough to stay here yet what impresses most is the way the Occidental manages to offer superb luxuries among its pocket of pristine wilderness. The best parts? Their all-inclusive program and the fact that this is a small and compact resort, so it feels romantic and uncrowded. It’s not 5* by any means but it certainly feels like it and, for its price, it just can’t be beaten. Read this Telegraph Review to see if it fits your bill. Add a couple of nights here at the end of your Costa Rica honeymoon and you’ll go home totally transformed.
Pacuare Lodge (Limon) – The Pacuare Lodge is one of the most distinctive eco-lodges in Costa Rica, revered for its commitment to sustainability as much as for its magnificent setting and luxury. Rated as one of the best extreme-adventure lodges in the world by National Geographic, the Pacuare isn’t a specific adults-only resort yet it still rates as one of the most ideal, unplugged, romantic and mesmerizing places for honeymooners to stay. Its organic spa treatments, farm-to-table dining, international wine-cellar offerings and extensive array of amazing villas seduces couples like nothing else, and that’s without even mentioning the wildlife-enriched wilderness that surrounds it. Built right on the shores of the famed Pacuare River – the best whitewater rafting destination in Costa Rica – The Pacuare Lodge is an adventure-seeker’s dream.
The Best Months for Costa Rica Honeymoons
Costa Rica is currently in the throes of its prime honeymoon season, the months between January and May – the driest of the year in the western half of the country- attracting more couples than at any other time. Now is a great time to plan your 2020 honeymoon if you’d love to visit during this peak time, with the best honeymoon resorts booking out months in advance.
If you’re looking to honeymoon in Costa Rica in 2019, however, note that all is not lost! We actually love the last month of the dry season – May – as you can still enjoy an idyllic climate BUT the crowds will have dissipated so last-minute bookings are still possible. Green Season honeymoons (June to December) can also be immensely rewarding, the sporadic rains helping to nourish the landscape and offering a vividly colourful backdrop to all those adrenalin-filled adventures. Honeymooning during Green Season also offers unrivalled value, as most top-end resorts and lodges offer discounts. You can still enjoy plenty of romantic beachside dinners, but you’ll just need to be on the lookout for the forecast and change plans accordingly. Generally speaking, the wettest months of all in Costa Rica’s Pacific region are September, October and November: choose to honeymoon outside of these months and your sunny time will surely be enhanced. Costa Rica boasts an eclectic climate given its varied regions – read more about regional differences in our Planning Your Costa Rica Wedding guide.
Honeymoon Insider Tips from the Experts
At Costa Rica Rios, we’ve helped plan countless honeymoons for adventurous couples and like to think we’ve accrued a fair bit of expertise on the subject. Here are just a few of the most important considerations when planning your Costa Rica honeymoon:
Budgeting is important – Budgeting is a very pivotal factor for many honeymooning couples and, although Costa Rica is an affordable holiday destination compared to many others, the cost of a trip can quickly add up. Speak to us about your budget first and foremost and we’ll help you plan your honeymoon from there. Read our recent guide Budgeting Tips for Costa Rica Honeymoons where we detail a few nifty trips to help you along.
Fight the urge to cram too much in your itinerary – Our beloved country is wild and most of the tourist infrastructure (ie. perfectly tarred roads) are concentrated in just a few areas. It takes time to get around, longer than you may imagine and that’s why we advise no more than two destinations in a week of travel. The fabulous thing about Costa Rica is that its most famous highlights are not only in one area: there are volcanoes and mountains all over, hot springs too, an endless array of beaches, wildlife parks in every corner and there’s rafting, kayaking, surfing and zip-lining to be had in almost every province. Choose what activities you wish to indulge in your Costa Rica honeymoon and we can advise you which province you should be visiting to make the most of your time here. We know all the most strategically placed honeymoon bases that offer a multitude of experiences nearby, cutting out your travel times and maximizing the fun ones.
That goes for activities, too! Sometimes, it’s not just about cramming different destinations in just a single week of travel but also about planning every single hour, of every single day. You’re coming a long way for your honeymoon, we get that, but we also know you’ll be craving some time for R&R and that’s why we plan our honeymoon itineraries to include some downtime, whether to chill out in your resort, take a leisurely walk or just lie in a hammock and read a book.
Don’t forget the cultural aspects of a Costa Rica honeymoon – Costa Rica is an enticing, welcoming and exotic country, where regional culinary specialties, history and indigenous culture combine to offer truly unique experiences. We know that the adventure-seekers will be out to conquer the forests, the rivers and the volcanoes but there’s so much to this country that should also be experienced. When visiting, make time to seek out local eateries, visit local plantations, perhaps a few museums and take time to know the local culture – this is one of the most rewarding aspects of any visit here and we know your experience will be all the more enriched because of it.
Found this Costa Rica honeymoon guide for 2019 helpful? Check out our Costa Rica Rios Blog Archive for more invaluable travel advice and inspiration and see all the amazing Honeymoon & Romance Itineraries we have on offer. Contact us at any time for more info and to book your unforgettable Costa Rica honeymoon in 2019.
