• Escape the cold North American winter for 7 nights of Costa Rican summer fun.
• Winter in the U.S. and Canada is Costa Rica’s summertime — the perfect time for adventure seekers, foodies and lovers to get away to this natural oasis.

New York – November 30, 2017 – Small Distinctive Hotels, an association of nine of Costa Rica’s most unique properties, offers visitors the opportunity to visit a diverse combination of this verdant country’s natural landscapes in a sustainable model of operation.

Each of the association’s member hotels is located in a prominent tourist area of ​​Costa Rica and all offer unique experiences to clients who are looking for the vacation spot of their dreams, whether that means sun-and-sand, adventure or romance. Is your client a foodie? Not a problem; all of the nine properties also boast exquisite local and international gastronomy.

With direct flights continuing to operate throughout the season from Boston, Chicago, Denver, Orlando, New York, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami and other U.S. and Canadian gateway airports, the winter is also a perfect time of year for family vacations, adventure travel and romantic getaways from every corner of North America.  

We would like to suggest three recommended routes to best explore Costa Rica:

Gastronomy Route

• It’s best to land at Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in San Jose, capital of Costa Rica, and check into the most beautiful urban boutique hotel in the city: Grano de Oro. The hotel restaurant is one of the best in the country. There, Executive Chef Francis Canal, a native of France, has managed to fuse native ingredients such as pejibaye — the fruit of the peach palm — with the demand of a world palate. Here, you can taste both a Bordelaise sauce and sample a Bordeaux from one of the best wine cellars in the world.
• From there, you can head for La Paz Waterfall Gardens and stay at the romantic Peace Lodge mountain hotel, which is very close to Poas Volcano.  (The protected Poas Volcano National Park is home to a crater that is a spectacle itself.) There, delight in a tasty morning in the mountains by indulging in a typical Costa Rican breakfast.
• Then, you can easily travel by car to Monteverde, where the most important cloud forest in the world is located. Luxury property Hotel Belmar boasts its own brand of craft beer and your clients will enjoy breakfasts featuring local farm-to-table cuisine.
• Very close to Hotel Belmar lies the newest member of Small Distinctive Hotels: Alma del Pacifico. The restaurant at this beautiful beach hotel, Mosaic, features a main dish based on traditional Peruvian seafood cuisine.

Starting rate from U.S.: $2,297.29 — 2 pax for 7 days (airfare not included).
 
Adventure Route

• Clients fly into Daniel Oduber Quiros Airport (LIR) in Liberia, capital of Guanacaste province.
• They’ll enjoy the beach and sun of Tamarindo Beach, at the Capitan Suizo Hotel.
• In Guanacaste, clients can surf, rappel, tour the jungle canopy, ride horses on the beach or visit hot springs in a volcanic zone.
• Then, direct clients to Turrialba, in Cartago province, for a stay at Casa Turire. We recommend flying to San Jose with a domestic carrier such as NatureAir or SANSA. Nearby attractions include the ideal rafting area on the Pacuare River, ranked among the best in the world for  this adventure sport, according to National Geographic magazine.
• Clients finish their adventure at Nicuesa Lodge, a true eco-oasis in the Pacific South of Costa Rica. This location can reached via a local flight or by a small boat, which provides visitors with the opportunity to see dolphins in the wild.
• Travelers can then return to the U.S. from Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose.

Starting rate from U.S.: $2,931.95 — 2 pax for 7 days (airfare not included).
 
Romantic Route

• Clients arrive by air in San Jose (SJO) and transfer by car (1.5 hours) to the Peace Lodge, a peaceful retreat that’s ideal for romance and couples getaways. Each room features a Jacuzzi that faces the cloud forest and overlooks the Poas Volcano.
• Travelers can then exchange mountain and waterfalls views for a calm seaside landscape at the nearby Villa Caletas Hotel. An architectural highlight of the property is an outstanding amphitheater, with beautiful ocean and sunset views. Catering to couples looking for privacy, Villa Caletas boasts romantic “corners” for private dinners with 360-degree views of sea and forest where, with luck, clients will spot see scarlet macaws flying in their natural habitat.
• Then travelers can take a boat or ferry through the Gulf of Nicoya and head for the Florblanca Hotel in Santa Teresa, world-famous for its charm and natural landscapes.

Starting rate from U.S.: $4,175.35 — 2 pax for 7 days (airfare not included).