Costa Rica For Couples

Ten days of luxury, adventure, hot springs and romance.

WHEN: May 2021

TRIP: Honeymoon

LENGTH: 10 days

TRAVEL STYLE: Luxury + adventure

DESTINATIONS: La Fortuna area + Playa Conchal

FAVORITE STAY: The Springs Resort & Spa

BEST ACTIVITY: Waterfall rappelling

WOULD WE GO BACK? Absolutely.

We chose Costa Rica for our honeymoon because we wanted something more than a beautiful hotel and a beach.

We wanted adventure.

And Costa Rica delivered.

We spent part of our trip in the jungle near Arenal Volcano, then finished at an all-inclusive beach resort on the Pacific coast. Both were beautiful in their own ways, but they gave us two very different vacations.

One made us want to return immediately.

The other made us realize that, as much as we enjoy relaxing, we're not really sit-by-the-pool-for-five-days people.

Here's what we'd repeat, what we'd skip, and what made Costa Rica such a memorable place to begin our marriage.

THE QUICK TAKE

BEST PLACE TO STAY The Springs Resort & Spa

BEST ACTIVITY Waterfall rappelling

BEST ADVENTURE White-water rafting

BEST RELAXATION Private hot springs overlooking Arenal Volcano

BEST MEAL SETTING Sushi at the swim-up bar with a volcano view

BEST WAY TO GET AROUND Private shuttle for the long transfer

MOST SURPRISING How different the jungle and beach portions felt

WOULD WE DO AN ALL-INCLUSIVE AGAIN? Yes, but probably for fewer days

BIGGEST PACKING MISTAKE My husband brought one pair of boxers.

WOULD WE RETURN? To The Springs? In a heartbeat.

01 | THE SPRINGS RESORT & SPA

★★★★★

If I could recommend only one place from our honeymoon, it would be The Springs Resort & Spa.

We stayed in the honeymoon suite, and it was genuinely one of the most beautiful places we've ever stayed.

Our room overlooked Arenal Volcano.

We had a private hot-springs hot tub.

And throughout the property, there were numerous hot-springs pools tucked into the landscape.

It felt luxurious without being boring.

You could spend the morning relaxing in warm mineral water, the afternoon doing something adventurous, and the evening having dinner overlooking the jungle.

That combination is exactly what we wanted from our honeymoon.

02 | THE HONEYMOON SUITE

★★★★★

The view alone was worth remembering.

We could look out toward the volcano from our room, and having our own private hot-springs tub made the suite feel especially romantic.

We were greeted with a welcome cocktail when we arrived, which was such a nice way to begin the stay after a long travel day.

The entire experience felt thoughtful and polished.

VERDICT: WORTH THE SPLURGE ✓

For a honeymoon, anniversary or special couples trip, this is where I'd personally put more of the budget.

03 | HOT SPRINGS IN THE JUNGLE

★★★★★

The Springs has hot-springs pools throughout the property, including areas surrounded by jungle.

One of my favorite memories is sitting in the hot springs and hearing howler monkeys in the woods.

If you've never heard a howler monkey before, the sound is a little intimidating.

It was also incredibly cool.

There's something about being surrounded by jungle, listening to wildlife and sitting in warm water that feels completely different from relaxing at a traditional beach resort.

VERDICT: DON'T SKIP THE HOT SPRINGS ✓

04 | THE SWIM-UP BAR

★★★★★

We had sushi at the swim-up bar overlooking the volcano.

I don't know that I need to sell that experience much harder than that.

Sushi. Hot springs. Volcano. Honeymoon.

It was one of those moments where we looked around and thought, this is pretty incredible.

05 | THE WILDLIFE

★★★★★

Costa Rica was especially memorable because of how much wildlife we encountered.

We saw:

Sloths

Toucans

Howler monkeys

Iguanas

The Springs also had an on-site wildlife rescue area, which gave us another opportunity to see animals.

We did a jungle tour that included cacao, sugar cane and drip coffee experiences.

It was a great way to experience more of the country beyond the resort itself.

VERDICT: MAKE TIME FOR WILDLIFE ✓

06 | WATERFALL RAPPELLING

★★★★★

My favorite activity of the entire trip.

I love being physically active, and waterfall rappelling was exactly the kind of adventure I was hoping for.

It's exciting, a little intimidating and completely different from anything we'd do on a typical beach vacation.

If you're a couple who enjoys trying something new together, this is the kind of experience I'd prioritize.

WOULD DO AGAIN IMMEDIATELY ✓

07 | WHITE-WATER RAFTING

★★★★★

We also went white-water rafting.

And I fell out.

My husband was more scared than I was.

Which, looking back, is probably one of the reasons this trip was so much fun.

We weren't just sitting next to each other at a resort.

We were doing things together that were exciting, unpredictable and occasionally a little scary.

VERDICT: WORTH IT FOR ADVENTUROUS COUPLES ✓

08 | THE JUNGLE TOUR

★★★★☆

We did a jungle experience that included cacao, sugar cane and drip coffee, along with opportunities to see wildlife.

I loved that Costa Rica offered so many different kinds of experiences in one destination.

You could be relaxing in a luxury resort one minute and learning about local agriculture or exploring the jungle the next.

That variety is a huge part of the appeal.

09 | GETTING TO THE JUNGLE

PRIVATE SHUTTLE: ★★★★★

We arranged a van shuttle from the airport to The Springs.

The drive was roughly four hours, and the roads were bumpy.

It was a long travel day.

But I was very glad we weren't responsible for navigating it ourselves.

For our honeymoon, having someone else handle the driving was worth it.

VERDICT: PRIVATE TRANSFER ✓

Especially if you're arriving after a long flight and heading into the interior of the country.

10 | THE WESTIN PLAYA CONCHAL

★★★☆☆

After the jungle portion of our trip, we headed to The Westin Reserva Conchal, an all-inclusive resort on the Pacific coast.

It was a completely different experience.

Beach.

Pool.

Restaurants.

Relaxation.

And while it was nice, it didn't leave the same impression on us as The Springs.

We discovered that after a while, we got bored with the routine of eating, hanging out by the pool and repeating.

That's not necessarily a criticism of the resort.

It's more that we learned something about how we like to travel as a couple.

11 | THE BEACH

★★★☆☆

The beach was nice, but it wasn't the soft white-sandy Caribbean-style beach that some people might picture when they imagine a tropical honeymoon.

It was a Pacific-coast beach with its own character.

We enjoyed it, but it wasn't the highlight of our trip.

VERDICT: If your dream honeymoon is primarily about spectacular beach scenery, research the specific beach and coast carefully rather than assuming all Costa Rican beaches look alike.

12 | ATV RIDING

★★★★★

This was one of the highlights of our beach portion.

We went ATV riding through the surrounding area, including along the beach.

It was so much fun.

And it gave us the kind of active experience we were missing after several days of mostly relaxing.

VERDICT: DO IT ✓

13 | THE ALL-INCLUSIVE EXPERIENCE

★★★☆☆

The Westin had a variety of restaurant options, but several were closed during our stay.

We traveled in May 2021, so COVID-era restrictions may have contributed, although I can't say for certain.

The air conditioning in our room also wasn't working particularly well, which made the humidity more noticeable.

Those things affected our experience.

I wouldn't assume they're representative of the resort today.

But for us, the beach portion was less memorable than the jungle.

WOULD I STAY AT AN ALL-INCLUSIVE AGAIN?

Yes.

I just probably wouldn't devote as much of a Costa Rica trip to it.

14 | PROFESSIONAL HONEYMOON PHOTOS

★★★★★

One thing I really appreciated at the Westin was the opportunity to have professional photos taken.

A photographer followed us around and captured romantic pictures of the two of us.

I'm so glad we did that.

When you're on your honeymoon, it's easy to come home with a camera roll full of scenery and approximately four decent photos together.

Having someone else take the pictures was worth it.

VERDICT: BOOK THE PHOTOS ✓

Especially for a honeymoon or anniversary.

15 | THE FOOD

★★★★☆

We ate mostly at the resorts.

There was plenty of chicken, rice and beans, along with more elevated resort dining.

The meal I remember most clearly wasn't necessarily because of the food alone.

It was the sushi at The Springs' swim-up bar with the volcano in the background.

Sometimes the setting is what makes a meal unforgettable.

16 | THE WEATHER

HOT + HUMID

We visited in May.

It was warm and humid, and there were plenty of cicadas.

The jungle environment was beautiful, but it's worth remembering that tropical luxury doesn't mean you'll be completely removed from tropical weather.

Pack accordingly.

And if humidity bothers you, make sure your accommodations have reliable air conditioning.

17 | THE PACKING MISTAKE

My husband packed one pair of boxers.

For a 10-day honeymoon.

So he spent a significant portion of the trip washing and re-washing the same pair.

I don't know what the lesson is here other than:

PACK MORE THAN ONE PAIR OF UNDERWEAR.

You're welcome.

18 | WHAT MADE THIS TRIP SO GOOD FOR US

Costa Rica gave us a very unique way to bond as a couple.

We weren't just relaxing together.

We were trying new things together.

Rappelling down waterfalls.

White-water rafting.

Exploring the jungle.

Seeing wildlife.

Then coming back to a beautiful resort, sitting in the hot springs and having dinner overlooking a volcano.

It was the perfect combination of adventure and luxury for us.

And I think that's what makes Costa Rica such a strong couples destination.

You can make it what you want.

If you want relaxation, you can have that.

If you want adventure, you can have that too.

If you want both?

Even better.

WHAT I'D DO AGAIN

✓ Stay at The Springs Resort & Spa

✓ Book a room with a volcano view

✓ Spend time in the hot springs

✓ Go waterfall rappelling

✓ Go white-water rafting

✓ Take a wildlife/jungle tour

✓ Eat sushi at the swim-up bar

✓ Use a private shuttle for the long transfer

✓ Go ATV riding

✓ Have professional couples photos taken

WHAT I'D DO DIFFERENTLY

✕ Spend quite as much time at an all-inclusive beach resort

✕ Assume every Costa Rican beach will look like a Caribbean postcard

✕ Pack only one pair of underwear

I'd also research the current restaurant availability and room conditions before booking any resort, especially because our experience was during the COVID era.

WHERE I'D SPEND THE MONEY

If I were planning this honeymoon again, I'd prioritize:

1. A beautiful room at The Springs

2. Adventure experiences

3. Comfortable transportation between destinations

4. A few memorable meals

5. Professional photos

I'd be less inclined to spend a large portion of the budget on several days of all-inclusive relaxation if I knew we were the kind of couple who would eventually get bored.

WHO I'D RECOMMEND COSTA RICA TO

ADVENTUROUS COUPLES★★★★★

HONEYMOONERS★★★★★

ANNIVERSARY TRIPS★★★★★

COUPLES WHO WANT LUXURY + ACTIVITIES★★★★★

COUPLES WHO ONLY WANT A BEACH + POOL★★★☆☆

Not because Costa Rica can't offer a relaxing beach vacation.

But because, in my opinion, the adventure is what makes it special.

THE SHORT LIST

BEST RESORT The Springs Resort & Spa

BEST ROOM FEATURE Private hot springs + volcano view

BEST ACTIVITY Waterfall rappelling

BEST ADVENTURE STORY Falling out of the raft

BEST RELAXATION Hot springs in the jungle

BEST BEACH-SIDE ACTIVITY ATV riding

BEST MEAL SETTING Sushi overlooking Arenal Volcano

BEST TRANSPORTATION DECISION Private shuttle

MOST OVERRATED PART OF OUR ITINERARY Too many days of all-inclusive relaxation

WOULD WE GO BACK? Absolutely.

WHERE FIRST? The Springs.

WOULD I RECOMMEND COSTA RICA FOR A HONEYMOON?

Without hesitation.

Our honeymoon wasn't just beautiful.

It was fun.

It was adventurous.

It gave us opportunities to try things we'd never done before and experience a completely different environment together.

And then, at the end of the day, we could come back to a gorgeous room, sit in our private hot springs and look out at a volcano.

That's my kind of honeymoon.

THE FAMILY FIELD GUIDE

Real experience. Honest recommendations. Just the useful parts.

Last updated: September 2026