This 20-bedroom wilderness camp is only accessible by raft or, even more adventurously, in a cage alongside the luggage, which is hoisted across the river on a hand pulley. Pacuare is right up there as one of the most scenic white-water rafting rivers in the world. Steep canyons alternate with swathes of lush tropical forest, where toucans and oropendolas weave in and out of the green, providing a palpable spectacle from the comfort of the verandas. These low-impact lodges of tight thatch woven by the Indigenous Cabécar people are candlelit at night and air-conditioning-free. To up the romantic ante, some include spring-fed pools on the decks, and the best suite has a suspension bridge across the gorge for an entrance.
Sitting in the heart of 2,500 acres of primary rainforest, water is a constant soundtrack, whether the roar of the river or fat raindrops drumming on the roof. Guided activities allow for full jungle immersion, from ziplining above the canopy, rappelling into waterfalls, or swimming in clear rock pools where blue morpho butterflies flutter like handkerchiefs and emerald hummingbirds cluster around hibiscus nectar. Since starting life two decades ago as a handful of tents in a clearing, Pacuare Lodge has garnered an impressive collection of awards for sustainable luxury. The shoreline spa uses native herbs and wraps for healing and detoxification treatments; the restaurant brews its own beer and harvests vegetables from a garden on the side of a volcano; and the infinity pool is eco-tiled and chlorine-free. Suspended above the rapids like a floating pontoon, it is the most sensational man-made feature in a natural Eden. —Catherine Fairweather