Rio Perdido Hotel

Costa Rica

Rio Perdido feels like a place time forgot — and in a way, it was. For years, even locals in Bagaces County didn’t know this canyon was here; the bridge that once connected it to the main towns collapsed and was never rebuilt, leaving the area to slip quietly out of reach. Arriving now, with the breeze coming off the dwarf forest and the gorge opening below, it’s hard not to feel that sense of rediscovery yourself.

The hotel’s 38 bungalows sit lightly on the landscape, elevated on stilts to preserve the canyon’s fragile ecology. Interiors are understated but warm, with decks that look directly into the forest canopy, where monkeys and tropical birds often pass at eye level. Days centre on the thermal river — a mile-long ribbon of naturally heated, mineral-rich pools — while the cliffside yoga pods, serene spa and open-air restaurant create a rhythm of calm between more energetic pursuits like hiking, tubing and zip-lining.

Words by Rod Mackenzie. Photos by Small Luxury Hotels. Doubles from £410, including breakfast.