Have an Unbelievable Tropical Honeymoon at This Costa Rican Resort
Each villa at Casa Chameleon has its own infinity-edge plunge pool.
Costa Rica’s Casa Chameleon’s villas and public spaces / Photograph courtesy of Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas
Settle in at Las Catalinas, a car-free town about one hour from the Liberia airport, on the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Casa Chameleon (rooms from $591) boasts 21 villas, each with an infinity-edge plunge pool and panoramic ocean views. (You’ll be spending a lot of time wowing over both.) More reason to not leave your private oasis: Some spa treatments, like massages and facials, can be done in-room.
The infinity pool at Casa Chameleon in Costa Rica / Photograph courtesy of Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas
When you’re ready to reenter your surroundings, catch a meal at one of the hotel’s three restaurants. The crown jewel, Sentido Norte, offers elevated Costa Rican cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner — plus fun cocktails and an extensive wine list — in an open-air, relaxed-yet-romantic setting. There’s also La Pampa Grill, serving open-fire barbecue, and the 12-seat wine cellar Grotto 12.
Heading into town is a must. Las Catalinas is home to more than 25 miles of hiking and biking trails, which you can explore with Pura Vida Ride, a sports shop with rentable bikes and guided tours. Get in some extra pumps at CORE by CHAKfitness, an outdoor gym with equipment made from local wood and organic materials, and play pickleball or go horseback riding at the Finca La Estancia sustainable farm.
For slowing down, visit Center of Joy for yoga, sound therapy, and acupuncture, and don’t sleep on WAKE, a day spa boasting massages, facials, body scrubs and wraps, waxing, and nail services. Then raise a glass to a day well spent at Papagayo BrewHouse, which pours handmade craft beer beachside.
Horseback riding on the beach near Casa Chameleon / Photograph courtesy of Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas
For water adventures — this is Costa Rica, after all — the hotel can book you excursions for surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, paddleboarding, whitewater rafting, and catamaran sailing. Casa Chameleon also runs a sea-to-table fishing experience, where you’ll reel in your own catch of the day with a Sentido Norte chef before learning how to prepare it and, of course, enjoying it. (The property can schedule land fun too, like ziplining, coffee and ATV tours, and visits to waterfalls and hot springs.)
But perhaps the most authentic way you’ll discover pura vida is also the simplest: pausing to watch the sunset from your cliffside getaway, with your partner by your side.
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Published as “For a Tropical Trip: Costa Rica” in the summer/fall 2025 issue of Philadelphia Wedding.
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