Nayara Tented Camp
Luxury safari tents in the Costa Rican rainforest, with a volcano watching you sleep.
Location: Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Brand: Nayara (Leading Hotels of the World · Virtuoso)
Best For: Couples · Families · Honeymoons · Wellness
Ideal Stay: 3-4 nights
Published: February 27, 2026
60-Second Summary
Rainforest glamping at the highest level Central America has produced. ~37 safari-style tents on stilts in a reforested jungle hillside facing Arenal Volcano. Every tent has a private plunge pool fed by volcanic mineral hot springs. Part of the broader Nayara Reserve (4,500 acres, three sister properties), which means access to six restaurants, multiple pools, a spa, and adults-only facilities. Opened 2019 with a major expansion in 2022. Net zero property built on a former cattle ranch. ~2.5 hours from San Jose (SJO), ~2 hours from Liberia (LIR).
Couples: Nayara Tent (standalone, higher on the hillside for privacy and volcano views), 3-4 nights.
Families / Groups: Family Tent or Residence (Casa Paloma or Casa Dana, up to 12 guests with personal concierge).
The Verdict
Nayara Tented Camp is the rare property that makes you feel genuinely immersed in nature without giving up a single creature comfort. You sleep in a canvas tent on stilts above the rainforest canopy, sloths live in the trees around you, and your private plunge pool is heated by the same volcano you're staring at. But the linens are impeccable, the cocktails are serious, breakfast arrives on your terrace each morning, and the staff operates with the kind of seamless, name-remembering attentiveness you'd expect from a property twice the price.
The tradeoff is access. Arenal is 2.5-3 hours from San Jose by car, and the property itself is built on a steep hillside that requires golf cart shuttles to navigate. This is not a beach trip and it's not a city break. It's a jungle immersion with world-class infrastructure around it. For clients who want Costa Rica's rainforest, wildlife, and volcano landscape delivered at a luxury level, nothing in Central America competes.
Is this actually a tent?
Technically yes. The walls are canvas (developed by Ferrari, no less), the structure sits on stilts, and you can hear the rainforest through the fabric. In practice, each tent is 1,700 square feet with a king bed, full bathroom, standalone bathtub, indoor and outdoor shower, air conditioning, and a private terrace with hot springs plunge pool. Two daybeds on either side of the room can sleep children. This is not camping. This is a luxury suite that happens to be wrapped in canvas.
The tent concept isn't a gimmick. It genuinely changes how the room feels. You hear rain differently, sleep differently, and wake up closer to the jungle than any hardwall room could get you.
Which tent should I book?
Nayara Tent: The standard, and it's excellent. King bed, two daybeds, private hot springs pool, 1,700 sq ft. The standalone tents higher on the hillside offer more privacy and better volcano views. I'd request a high-positioned tent with clear Arenal sightlines.
Family Tent: Two connected tents (king in one, two queens in the other) sharing an outdoor terrace and oversized plunge pool. ~2,860 sq ft. Sleeps up to 6. The tents are freestanding and connected by a covered walkway, so younger kids need to stay in the primary tent.
Grand Tent: A step up from the Family Tent. Primary tent plus a ground-level room with two queens, full kitchen, dining and living areas, oversized infinity pool with volcano views. Sleeps up to 6 (4 adults + 2 children).
Residences (Casa Paloma & Casa Dana): Two Family Tents sharing a full villa with kitchen, living/dining area, fire pit, and oversized hot springs infinity pool. Each residence has 2 kings and 4 queens. Up to 12 guests. Personal concierge for the duration. These are the play for a multi-gen family trip.
What about families or a group trip?
This is one of the best family properties in Latin America. The tent format is inherently exciting for kids (they will not stop talking about it), the wildlife is everywhere and real (sloths, toucans, howler monkeys), and the adventure programming in the Arenal area is deep: zip-lining, hanging bridges, canyoning, waterfall hikes, chocolate farm tours, night walks for frogs. Naturalist guides on staff run complimentary birdwatching, sloth-spotting, and botanical walks.
The Residences are purpose-built for groups. Two families sharing Casa Paloma or Casa Dana get separate sleeping tents, a shared villa with a full kitchen, and a personal concierge who handles logistics. The Family Tent works well for a single family with kids who are comfortable in connected but separate spaces.
One note: the Amor Loco restaurant at sister property Nayara Springs is adults-only (16+), as is the Springs property itself. Families have access to everything else across all three Nayara properties.
How is the food?
Better than you'd expect for a rainforest lodge, and the variety across the three Nayara properties means you won't repeat a restaurant in a 4-night stay.
Ayla is the Tented Camp's own restaurant: Mediterranean with Middle Eastern influences, wood-fired oven, volcano views. Falafel and dips are standouts. Live music some evenings. Asia Luna (at Nayara Gardens) does Asian-Latin fusion with a sushi bar. Amor Loco (adults-only at Nayara Springs) is the fine dining option: Relais & Châteaux level, creative plating, intimate atmosphere. Mis Amores serves wood-fired pizza and Italian. La Terraza is open-air Latin American.
Breakfast is included and served on your private terrace each morning. The coffee, roasted on-site from locally grown beans, is genuinely excellent. Complimentary minibar (non-alcoholic) restocked daily.
For a jungle property with no town nearby, the dining depth is remarkable. Six restaurants across the three properties, and Ayla alone would hold its own in any city.
When should I go?
Costa Rica is a year-round destination, and Nayara operates 365 days.
December through April: Dry season. Clearest volcano views. Brightest mornings. Peak demand. Book 2-3 months ahead.
May through November: Green season. Afternoon showers are near-daily but typically short. The jungle is at its most lush, wildlife is active, and the property is quieter. Some guests actually prefer this. You'll still get sunny mornings and clear moments, but Arenal hides behind clouds more often.
The honest take: Arenal Volcano is famously shy. Even in dry season, clouds can obscure it for days. Green season amplifies that. If volcano views are your top priority, dry season improves your odds. If you care more about the overall experience (rainforest, wildlife, hot springs, privacy), green season delivers that with fewer people around you.
How does it compare to Tabacon, Four Seasons Papagayo, and Nayara Springs?
Tabacon Thermal Resort (Arenal): Same volcano, different proposition. Tabacon's hot springs are the most elaborate in Costa Rica: cascading rivers, waterfall pools, landscaped jungle channels. The hotel itself is fine but a clear tier below Tented Camp on room quality and service. I'd visit Tabacon's hot springs as a day trip, not a stay.
Four Seasons Papagayo (Guanacaste coast): Beach resort, completely different trip. If the client wants ocean, surf, and poolside, that's Papagayo. If they want jungle, volcano, and wildlife, that's Nayara. Many of my Costa Rica itineraries pair both: 3 nights Arenal + 3-4 nights coast.
Nayara Springs (sister property): Adults-only, Relais & Châteaux, equally strong service. The villas are more traditional (hardwall, octagonal) and the setting is lower on the hillside with less dramatic views. Tented Camp is the better product: higher elevation, better views, more immersive design. Springs makes sense for couples who prefer a conventional room and want guaranteed adults-only quiet.
I build most Costa Rica trips as Arenal + coast. Nayara Tented Camp for 3-4 nights, then Four Seasons Papagayo or Andaz for 3-4 on the beach. That's the complete trip.
Is 3 nights enough?
Three nights is the sweet spot. You get one full day on property (pool, spa, hot springs, sloth-spotting), one day of off-property adventures (hanging bridges, La Fortuna waterfall, zip-lining or canyoning), and breathing room around the edges. Four nights lets you add a second adventure day or a true rest day with no agenda. More than four starts to feel long unless you're deeply into the daily naturalist programming or wellness.
What's the wellness situation?
The spa opened in 2023 and sits in the rainforest with open-air treatment rooms. Volcanic mud and cacao-based treatments feel specific to the place. Complimentary yoga and meditation sessions run daily in an elevated pavilion above the canopy. The private hot springs pool in every tent is, practically speaking, a wellness facility on its own: mineral-rich, volcanically heated, and available at 2am if you want it. It's not a clinical longevity program. It's rest and nature, done at a very high level.
What does booking through Compound unlock?
Nayara Tented Camp is a Virtuoso property. I can add a food and beverage credit, daily breakfast (already included), upgrade on arrival (subject to availability), and early check-in/late checkout. For a property this remote, I also coordinate private transfers from SJO or LIR and build the Arenal stay into a broader Costa Rica itinerary.
If this is you, book with me
If you're considering Nayara Tented Camp, you can book with me (complimentary). I'll secure the right tent position, add Virtuoso benefits, and build the Arenal stay into a full Costa Rica itinerary with the right beach pairing.
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If not this, reach out
If you love the idea of rainforest and adventure but want a beach component too, or if Costa Rica isn't the right fit and you're thinking East Africa or Southeast Asia instead, reach out and I'll point you to the right property.