Nayara Tented Camp, Costa Rica : The ultimate adventure + Luxury Combo
I'm just going to say it : Nayara Tented Camp is one of those trips that makes everything else feel a little ordinary afterward. And I mean that as the highest possible compliment.
It has been on my bucket list for years. I’ve sent clients and heard countless rave reviews. it is one of my go to costa rica resorts…. and now it was my turn!
if Costa Rica wasn’t already on your radar for your next family trip — the adventure, the nature, the sheer aliveness of it…. hopefully this will convince you.
Nayara Tented Camp is all of that and then layer in world-class luxury and service on top of all of that. Sloths hanging outside your tent. A private hot spring plunge pool on your deck. Your kids losing their minds in the best way possible. Dinner under the jungle canopy with Arenal Volcano in the background. It's a lot. In the very best way.
Here's everything you need to know.
First: The Nayara overview
The Nayara Reserve sits on 4,500 acres of reforested rainforest at the base of Arenal Volcano, and it's actually home to three distinct hotels that share the same grounds — so you get access to all the restaurants, pools, and amenities across the property regardless of where you stay. Here's the quick breakdown:
Nayara Gardens is the original property — 50 gorgeous villas with private gardens and outdoor showers. Beautiful, lush, and perfect for families or couples who want a more traditional villa-style experience.
Nayara Springs is the adults-only sister property, a Relais & Châteaux resort with 35 private villas, each with their own mineral-fed hot spring plunge pool. It is extraordinarily beautiful and the one to file away for your next anniversary trip or girls' trip.
Nayara Tented Camp is the newest addition, and the one that — in my opinion — is the most extraordinary for families. It's a Leading Hotels of the World property, and it sits higher up the hillside than the other two, which means it has the best views of Arenal Volcano on the entire reserve.
This is the one I'm sending you to. Let me tell you why.
The Tents: Not What You're Picturing
I know what you're thinking. Tents. With my kids. In the jungle. Hear me out.
These are spacious luxury safari tents on stilts, perched in the rainforest with views of Arenal Volcano. We are talking gorgeous wooden floors, a four-poster canopy king bed, a luxurious soaking tub, indoor AND outdoor showers (five shower heads between the two, if you're keeping count), and a covered deck with a private sitting area and natural hot spring plunge pool.
And then here's the part that makes this absolutely perfect for a family of four: two full twin-size daybeds right in the tent with you. Not a fold-out cot. Not a squeaky rollaway. Proper, beautiful daybeds that your kids will immediately claim as their own and refuse to leave. No adjoining room gymnastics, no figuring out a suite configuration — your whole family is together in one spectacular space, and everyone actually sleeps. (If you’re a family of 5 or more… they have a family tent with two tents connected via balcony walkway — still works!)
The Hot Springs — And Why They're Included
One of the things that surprised me most about Nayara is that the hot springs access isn't a spa add-on or an extra charge. The hot spring pools tucked throughout the jungle are included with your stay, and they are absolutely magical with kids. Warm, mineral-rich, surrounded by tropical greenery.
The private plunge pool on your tent deck is fed by the same springs. So you're essentially soaking in a natural hot spring every morning with coffee and a volcano view. Which is, objectively, an excellent way to start a day.
The Animal Sanctuary — This Is What Your Kids Will Talk About Forever
OK this part. THIS PART.
When the Nayara founders purchased this land, it had been cleared for agricultural pasture. They made it their mission to restore it — planting thousands of trees, which happen to be a primary food source for sloths — and the wildlife has come back in a genuinely extraordinary way.
The property is now home to resident sloths (two-toed and three-toed), howler monkeys, poison dart + Tree frogs, toucans, butterflies, and more birds than you'll be able to identify. There are naturalist guides who lead morning birdwatching walks and help you spot wildlife along the trails. The resident sloth, Tony, has basically become a celebrity.
My kids were absolutely beside themselves. Walking the bridges and spotting a sloth hanging in the trees above you — that is a core memory. The kind of thing that shapes how a child sees the world. It's so special.
Dining: Actually Great, Kids Included
The food at Nayara is really, really good. Like, better than you expect from a jungle resort, and you already have high expectations. You have access to all the restaurants across the three properties, which means a rotating cast of options — from the outdoor jungle dining at the Tented Camp to the more elevated experiences over at Nayara Springs.
Kids menus exist and they're solid. But honestly my kids were just as happy ordering off the regular menu because the food is approachable and fresh. Breakfast on your deck? Dinner under the jungle canopy with the volcano lit up at dusk? Yes. To all of it.
The Adventure Is Right Outside the Gate
La Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano area is one of the most activity-rich destinations in Central America…
Zip lining through the rainforest canopy — incredible and doable especially kids over 5 yrs! ATV rides through the jungle. Hiking around the base of the volcano. White water rafting on the River. And if you want something slower, the hanging bridges walk through the cloud forest is stunning and very manageable with kids.
i recommend building a mix of big adventure days and slower resort days — because once you're back at the property with those hot springs and the sloth sightings and your gorgeous tent, you're going to want to just be there too. And that's the whole point.
Book Through Me and Here's What You Get 🙌
As a preferred partner with Nayara, when you book your stay through Bern Voyage Travel you receive:
Complimentary daily breakfast
$100 hotel credit to use during your stay (spa, dining, excursions — your call!)
Room upgrade at check-in, subject to availability
These perks and coordinating your stay at Nayara (room choice, dining reservations, tours - you name it) is one of the very real, very tangible benefits of working with a travel advisor — and I love being able to deliver them.
Nayara Tented Camp is the kind of trip that reframes what a family vacation can be.
Not a beach resort (though I love those too, obviously and we love to pair nayara with a beach stay!).
Not a theme park.
Something wilder, more immersive, more memorable. Sleeping in a luxury tent while sloths hang in the trees outside and a volcano glows on the horizon and your kids can't stop talking about everything they saw that day!
That's the trip. And I would send your family there without a second of hesitation.
If Costa Rica is on your list — or if this just put it on your list — I'd love to help you plan it. Hit the button below or send an email. This one's a favorite.
