Costa Verde Resort

Built along a forested ridge, Costa Verde has various zones, each with its own cliffside pool and deck. The resort's social spaces were designed like they simply popped up in the jungle: the main restaurant, El Avion, is a salvaged C-123 Fairchild plane with dishes delivered by a fuselage dumbwaiter! Other dining options include La Cantina that serves barbecued specialties to the sounds of the Jungle Boys, and El Wagon, which offers casual dining with floors featuring vivid animal mosaics. If you're feeling peckish between meals, visit El Baguette for a pastry.

The resort has a variety of places to stay, from rooms to three-bedroom houses, each boasting views of the coast and rainforest from the private balconies. There are two blocks of studios and rooms featuring a Balinese style and kitchenette, one with an adults-only pool and another with a more family-friendly environment. The most interesting accommodations are set in refurbished teak-panelled planes. These include the two-bedroom 727 Fuselage Home, which emerges from the jungle on a 50-foot pedestal, the Cockpit Cottage, and Cockpit Cabana, where guests can enjoy a soak in the outdoor tub and 180° ocean views.

What can't you do? At the resort, there are canopy excursions of every kind, while Manuel Antonio National Park can be explored on hiking trails, ATV rides, or with the 10-in-1 adventure (canyoning, ziplining, free falling into a river pool and more). On the coast, there is jet skiing and sea kayaking, snorkelling and surfing, as well as whale-watching boat rides and sunset sails with dolphins in your wake. Or, meander through the mangroves where crocodiles lurk and anteaters peer out from the foliage...