Santa Lucía Jungle Hacienda, Autograph Collection

Santa Lucía Jungle Hacienda, on the riverbanks at the edge of Carara National Park

Santa Lucía Jungle Hacienda sits along the riverbanks at the threshold of Carara National Park, near Tárcoles on the Central Pacific. It was laid out like an old hacienda with its own colonial village, with bridges, terraces, a small chapel and a central plaza. It is the former Villa Lapas, now part of Marriott's Autograph Collection.

It suits families who want the rainforest close to the beaches, birders who want Carara on the doorstep, and couples who like a big pool and a massage after a morning on the trails.

Why we choose it

• Carara on the doorstep. The hotel sits at the threshold of the park, and scarlet macaws and capuchin monkeys turn up on the grounds themselves.
• Built for families. The Kids & Teens Club runs every day from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, there is a children's pool next to the main infinity pool, and the Adventure Center plans the rest of the day.
• An easy first stop. San José airport is 65.4 km away, so it works as the first night of a Central Pacific trip, before Manuel Antonio or the beaches further south.

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Rooms and views

Every room looks out to the mountains, with a private balcony, air conditioning and a coffee maker. Most rooms are Deluxe King or Deluxe Double. The Junior Suites add a sitting area, and the Deluxe River Bliss rooms put the balcony by the river, for couples who want to hear the water at night. The Honeymoon Suite is at the heart of the hacienda.

On the property

Casa del Rio is the main restaurant, cooking Costa Rican dishes over wood with native corn, cacao and plantain, for breakfast and dinner. Bambu Grill does grilled plates and snacks from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. In the evening, La Cantina recreates a traditional Costa Rican cantina inside the village, and La Chicha in the lobby mixes cocktails until 11:00 pm.

Sukia Wellness has massages, facials and body treatments, some of them in open-air rooms among the trees. A trail and a waterfall run through the grounds, and there is a 24-hour gym, a gift shop and wedding venues indoors and out.

Location and getting there

The hotel is about 3 km south of Carara National Park, on the way from San José to the Central Pacific beaches. There is no hotel airport shuttle, so we meet you at arrivals with a private transfer. Check-in is from 3:00 pm and check-out by 12:00 pm. Read more about Carara National Park.

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