Lapa Rios

Lapa Rios' 17 bungalows sit along a forested ridge inside a 1,000-acre private rainforest reserve at the southern tip of Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, each open-air behind screens to maximise proximity to nature. The reserve holds an estimated 2.5 per cent of the world's biodiversity, including all four of Costa Rica's monkey species and more than 300 recorded bird species, among them the scarlet macaws the lodge is named for. A permanent conservation easement, placed in 2013, protects the land from mining, forestry and further development.

Guided hikes are available every day on the reserve, from a gentler two-hour coastal walk to the six-hour Osa Trail through primary forest, along with birdwatching walks, night walks and a reforestation tour to plant a seedling of your own. The Golfo Dulce beyond the ridge is perfect for surfing, kayaking and, from roughly July to November, migrating humpback whales offshore.