Tourist and Resident Services Network
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Toucans Preferred Providers Tourist and Resident Services Network |
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Cerro Perezoso: A lovely 2-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom Bali-style house with hanging decks, wrap-around pool, and fabulous views. Just 45 minutes from San José's Juan Santamaria International Airport and 1 hour from the beach. Perfect for a romantic get-away or as a central base to explore Costa Rica or prospect for Central Highlands real estate. |
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Rio Chirripo Retreat Center: Reserve this stunning mountain Retreat Center for yoga and wellness retreats, weddings, mountaineering tours, or holidays with friends. Located on the slope of Cerro Chirripo, Costa Rica's highest mountain, with hot springs, public and private reserves and the funky mountain town of San Gerardo de Rivas within easy reach. Pool, rushing river, yoga platform with a specacular view, and comfortable quarters for groups of up to 20. Rents by the week. |
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Pura Vida Hotel: Our favorite stop-over when flying into or out of San José's Juan Santamaria International Airport, Berni and Nhi's Pura Vida Hotel is a welcoming Hello or Goodbye to Costa Rica. Private casitas are surrounded by lush gardens. Your taxi from the airport is free. Berni can arrange almost anything in the way of tours or travel. Make sure you book ahead for one of Nhi's fabulous Tropical-Asian-French fusion dinners! |
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Cashew Hill Jungle Lodge: Big waves, great music, plenty of sloths and monkeys, and some of Costa Rica's best restaurants - that's Puerto Viejo, the happening place on the southern Caribbean coast. Book a comfortable tropical house minutes from the beach and the center of town, but high enough to catch the breeze off the sea. Gardens, pool, secure parking, a fully-equipped kitchen and friendly, knowledgable hosts - Cashew Hill is a perfect base for exploring Costa Rica's less touristy "other side." |
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Leaves and Lizards: Escape the crowds around Costa Rica's most-visited volcano at Leaves and Lizards, an active high-country farm with a great volcano view, active and knowledgeable hosts, and real home cooking. Steve and Debbie can take you on a horseback adventure, arrange tours to anywhere in the vicinity, and give you some real insight into the perils and joys of building a sustainable farm and business in a new country. |
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Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge: Looking for resplendent quetzals, emerald toucanets and bellbirds? Dantica's huge picture windows open onto the cloud forest canopy, making your well-equipped, contemporary-styled cabin feel like it's part of the outdoors. Well-marked trails lead through virgin forest down to the river, and into the brand-new Quetzals National Park. The Lodge's gallery features a unique collection of Central and South American folk art, with an emphasis on Colombia and the northern Andes. |
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Tropic Illuminations: Costa Rica's northern Pacific coast can seem hopelessly over- developed, but in the sleepy village of Cabuya on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, you'll be far from the crowds. Claudia's two cabins are fully equipped for extended stays, and you'll have the expertise of a long-time resident artist as a bonus. Cabuya boasts a beautiful rocky beach and easy access to Montezuma, Cabo Blanco National Park, and the surfing beaches at Malpais and Santa Teresa. |
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Arco Iris Lodge: Visit the Monteverde and Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserves to admire the ancient, bromeliad-covered trees, wander the hanging-bridges trails with spectacular views over the forest canopy, and spot quetzals, bellbirds, and other high-altitude wildlife. Santa Elena is a bustling mountain town that will remind you of Colorado in the 70's. Susanna's lovely Arco Iris Lodge is right in the middle of Santa Elena, but spacious enough to make you feel like you're in the country. Accomodations range from backpacker's bunks to multi-bedroom houses. For a special treat, book the fabulous honeymoon cabin! |
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Rancho Armadillo Estates: Rancho Armadillo offers an oasis of calm, hospitality, and cool breezes on the crowded and bustling Guanacaste coast, a short drive from the international airport at Liberia and a few minutes from the shopping, dining, port and beach at Playa Los Cocos. The multi-bedroom cabins are perfect for families or groups, while more secluded suites farther up the hill are great for couples. Go fishing, and grill your catch at Rick's huge full-restaurant outdoor kitchen, and feast in the palapa with the best view around. Maybe you'll prefer some golf and relaxing by the pool, or wandering the gardens with an eye out for the birds, monkeys and occasional deer. |
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Finca los Caballos: The old fishing village of Montezuma has become one of the most charming towns on the Nicoya coast, with a pleasant little harbor surrounded by beaches and rocky outcroppings, backed by forested mountains. Finca los Caballos looks out over Montezuma from above, a great base for hiking, horse-back exploring, or just hanging out by the pool and watching the local birds and critters. Montezuma is just down the hill, and Cabo Blanco National Park is only 30 minutes away. |
