Playa Cativo Lodge

The entire resort has an airy, tropical atmosphere and takes every advantage of the view. Tasty meals using organic ingredients and freshly-caught seafood are served at El Galivan, while the El Gazebo Sunset Bar is an alfresco spot to sip on something cool before dinner. If you're looking for a spot of R&R, the freeform pool is surrounded by shady trees and the Lotus Spa features its own plunge pool and divine treatments using essential oils made on-site. If you're a yogi, the open-air platform is a wonderful place to start the day.

Either spread across the main lodge or stand-alone Casitas, each room is full of reclaimed hardwood pieces, images of colourful birdlife and pretty tiles, handcrafted by local artisans. Kept cool by large fans, the rooms are high-ceilinged and spacious with wide views of the gardens and ocean beyond, best enjoyed from a hammock on the patio. All have comfy sitting areas, and beautifully-decorated bathrooms with rainfall showers and cotton robes. The Casitas are the most private of their rooms, and come with private plunge pools.

There's no end to the joys you'll discover at Playa Cativo. For water babies, explore on snorkelling and diving excursions, or choose from a bevy of vessels. As you go, look out for dolphins, whale sharks, manta rays and sea turtles and at night-time, follow in the phosphorescent wake of shoals. The next-door reserves are some of Costa Rica's most bio-diverse: discover them on hikes into the rainforest and spot some of the incredible birdlife. Or, find a cloistered beach to catch the sun and enjoy a picnic...