Up high in the canopy of the Osa Peninsula rain-forest is Lapa Rios Lodge — a 17-bungalow lodge that is less hotel, more conservation center with rooms (albeit very, very swanky rooms). The lodge launched in 1993 and has become a stalwart of the responsible tourism community, actively encouraging guests to meaningfully interact with the vast yet precarious ecosystem inside which the property exists. The experiences on offer are all at once authentic, inspiring and intimate, with the geographically diverse peninsula counting the likes of jaguars, macaws, monkeys, turtle and tapir among the hundreds of species that call it home. When it comes to accommodation, the four Lapa Villas are jaw-dropping: Perched just above the canopy, where leaves break to reveal sky, the suites have sweeping views down to the ocean — a view best enjoyed from the plunge pool submerged into the deck of the outdoor terrace.  

Image credit: Golfo Dulce