Take a look inside the Nayara Tented Camp in Costa Rica

Nayara Tented Camp in Costa Rica has put the finishing touches on a big phase two, seeing the addition of a main common area with a reception tent, bar, lounge, restaurant, swimming pool, and fire pit. 

There are also several new accommodations, including: two four-bedroom tented residences with a living area, dining area, and main deck and pool; six two-bedroom tents (perfect for families); and eight more stand-alone tents. With this, Nayara Tented Camp now has a total of 37 accommodations altogether. The new restaurant, Ayla, is led by Israeli Chef Yanir Elnasi and offers contemporary Mediterranean food with influences from the middle east – perfect for a light lunch with the view of the Arenal Volcano or a family-style dinner with live music.

The private two-bedroom, two-bathroom tents are connected by a central terrace with a plunge pool fed by hot springs as well as a sitting and dining area – perfect for room service breakfast. 

Casa Paloma + Casa Dana

The two new private residences can comfortably sleep eight adults and four small children. Two main tents are connected by a large terrace, a fully stocked kitchen, living area, and large TV. Outside there is an oversized pool, a fire pit, an outdoor dining area, and lounge chairs and umbrellas. The residences come with a personal concierge on hand throughout the stay to help plan any activities, reservations, or special experiences, including private chefs to come prepare personalized dinners. These private residences are perfect for larger families and small groups seeking extra privacy.

The indoor/outdoor design of the Camp blends contemporary, barefoot-luxe touches and unique-to-location design features: a master bedroom created as a nod to traditional African safari style tents fused with a Costa Rican sense of place; canopy beds with a botanical headboard mural; and double-head outdoor showers. The color palette aptly showcases tree bark tones, shades of green, and touches of leather.  

The tented camp’s collection of six hot spring pools nestled in the rainforest are the perfect place to spend the afternoon – each hot spring is a slightly different temperature ranging from cool and refreshing to piping hot – and the on-hand bartender is happy to mix up a guaro souror open bottle of local craft beer. The hot springs are particularly magical at night when they are illuminated by string lights.  

There are new experiences created   for Nayara Tented Camp guests including frog watching expeditions, Plant-a-tree day, Friday visits to the Farmer’s Market in La Fortuna town, birdwatching, botanical experience with the naturalist guides, and “The Secret Life of Tony, the Sloth” (where guests get an in depth look at the sloth who has called Nayara home for many years).  Through Nayara’s reforestation of the area, the tented camp has expanded the property’s sloth sanctuary to over 1,000 Cecropia tress (the sloth’s main food source) to serve as a home to more than 15 sloths.   

Just a short stroll away from the spas, pools, and four restaurants of the sister resorts, guests can relax with daily yoga and meditation suspended above the trees, or wake up to coffee brewed with rich, locally grown coffee beans roasted on site at the Mi Cafecito espresso bar.   

Nayara’s nature guides can also take more intrepid travelers off property to explore the surrounding Arenal region. Beginning with a hike through the Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, guides will lead guests through the rainforest. A surprise picnic (with personalized lunch) is then set up atop a hillside with postcard views of the volcano for a midday break, before more adventures such as trekking over the dried lava fields of the volcano or visiting the nearby mom-and-pop coffee farm where Nayara sources their beans.   

Photos: Brice ferre Studio