I arrived at Nekajui just months after its spring 2025 opening, and what struck me immediately was how fully realized it felt for such a new property. Perched on a clifftop within Peninsula Papagayo’s 1,400-acre protected sanctuary in Guanacaste, this is Central America’s first Ritz-Carlton Reserve—a distinction that matters. This is the perfect stay to combine with the Nayara resorts of Arenal.
Costa Rica’s dry season runs from December through April, when you’ll find the most consistent sunshine and the calmest seas in the Gulf of Papagayo. The property sits roughly 40 minutes from airport in Liberia, which offers direct flights from most major U.S. gateways. The property shares the gated Peninsula Papagayo complex with the Four Seasons and Andaz, but Nekajui has carved out its own distinct personality—more architectural, more contemplative, decidedly more sophisticated in its sensibility.
What I appreciated most was the property’s commitment to locally inspired design. The hacienda-inspired architecture feels organic to the landscape rather than imposed upon it, with locally quarried stone and native hardwoods creating spaces that honor both the region’s cultural heritage and the Ritz-Carlton Reserve’s exacting standards.
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Pools & Beach
The main infinity pool cascades down the hillside in a series of terraces, each level offering increasingly dramatic views of Pochote Bay. The design is sophisticated without being showy—no swim-up bars or artificial grottos, just clean lines and thoughtful proportions.
Nekajui’s Niri Beach Club is accessible via a glass funicular that descends the cliff face. The journey itself feels like an event. Once there, you’ll find a more intimate pool overlooking Playa Pochote, plus direct beach access. There’s no sprawling pool complex with multiple zones, and that’s by design. This isn’t a resort where you’ll find a lazy river or children’s splash pad.
The beach isn’t vast or completely private—tour boats occasionally anchor nearby to visit a coastal cave—but it’s calm and swimmable year-round, a rarity along much of Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. The set up is casual but perfect, and your kids will love trying to catch hermit crabs along the beach when they aren’t swimming. I had a hard time getting my husband out of the water for our sunset swim. It was my best beach experience to date in Costa Rica, a destination, for me, where beach doesn’t top the list of its charms.
Room Selection
Nekajui offers rooms, suites, three unique glamping tents, and residential-style villas. The hotel rooms and suites are what puts this resort at the top in the area for me. They’re gorgeous. For families, the accommodations require thoughtful consideration that we are happy to assist and arrange of various connecting options. Hotel rooms have spacious balconies with lounging areas and, in many cases, private plunge pools.
The two-bedroom Treetop Tents offer something entirely different: glamping luxury with living areas, plunge pools, and outdoor showers, though at 2,300+ square feet, these lean more romantic escape than practical family base.
For those who need true residential amenities, the two- to five-bedroom villas provide full kitchens, butler’s pantries, and generous indoor-outdoor flow. The three-bedroom residences sleep up to eight and offer over 3,000 square feet—ideal for multigenerational travel. What you won’t find are traditional connecting rooms or suites with sleeper sofas tucked into living areas. Nekajui’s design philosophy favors dedicated bedroom space over convertible furniture.
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Kids Club
Camp Nekajui is complimentary for ages 4-12, offering both full-day and half-day programming. The activities lean heavily into environmental education—wildlife tracking, nature-based crafts, cooking classes focused on local ingredients. What it isn’t is a massive facility with elaborate themed play structures or extensive outdoor playgrounds.
For families coming from properties with more robust children’s programming—the Four Seasons’ Kids For All Seasons immediately comes to mind—this will register as more modest in scope.
Nekajui also participates in Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment program, which offers immersive ecological experiences for families. These are separately bookable adventures that go deeper than typical kids’ club activities, exploring the 570 square miles of protected land surrounding the peninsula.
For families, the Four Seasons offers a children’s pool and teen area that Nekajui does not. But their accommodations are uninteresting until booking the canopy villas and higher.
Spa
Nimbu Spa & Wellness is extraordinary—27,000 square feet spread across the hillside, accessible via a dramatic suspended bridge through the canopy. The eight ocean-facing treatment cabanas are essentially individual sanctuaries, each with outdoor elements and views that extend to the Pacific. I experienced the Earth Therapy treatment, a multi-sensory journey incorporating clay pottery and indigenous healing practices, and found it genuinely transporting rather than merely relaxing.
The spa features Latin America’s largest hydrotherapy pool, movement studios for aerial yoga and sound baths, and separate saunas with panoramic ocean views. What impressed me was the philosophical coherence—every element draws from the Nicoya Peninsula’s Blue Zone principles of longevity and the Chorotega people’s connection to natural rhythms.
For younger guests, Nimbu doesn’t offer the typical “mini spa” treatments you’ll find at many family-oriented resorts. This is decidedly an adult wellness sanctuary. Tweens and teens might appreciate the yoga offerings or gentler treatments, but you’ll want to coordinate directly with the spa team about age-appropriate options.
Do you like complimentary hotel perks? This is a resort where we can pass along VIP amenities for your stay including daily breakfast, a resort credit, and priority for a room upgrade when you book through Luxe Recess. Learn more.
Dining
Nekajui’s nine dining outlets represent genuine variety, though consistency was occasionally uneven during my visit—understandable for a property still finding its rhythm. Puna, the signature Peruvian restaurant from chef Diego Muñoz, delivered the most memorable meals. The corn risotto and scallop tiradito showcased the kitchen’s technical precision, and the space transforms beautifully from breakfast venue to evening destination.
Niri Beach Club offered Mediterranean-influenced plates with Portuguese and Spanish inflections—the grilled octopus and natural wine selection were standouts. Café Rincón became my daily ritual for its roasted-to-order coffee and house-made pastries, while Cooper’s, the hidden speakeasy behind Puna’s check-in desk, served expertly crafted cocktails in an intimate setting.
The practical reality for families is that advance reservations are essential, particularly during slower seasons when some venues operate on limited schedules. Every restaurant accommodates children with dedicated menus and will prepare age-appropriate purées upon request. What you won’t find is the casual, no-reservation-needed flexibility that some families prefer. This is intentional dining, and planning accordingly will enhance the experience.
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Local Activities
Beyond Nekajui’s boundaries, Peninsula Papagayo offers The Explorers program—professionally guided adventures ranging from zip-lining and mountain biking through the 250-acre Palmares Preserve to kayaking, snorkeling, and wildlife observation. The Arnold Palmer-designed championship golf course is available to resort guests, and racquet sports enthusiasts will appreciate access to tennis, pickleball, and padel courts at the newly opened Papagayo Park.
For families wanting to venture further, day trips to Rincón de la Vieja National Park combine hiking through volcanic landscapes with natural hot springs and waterfall swimming. Mangrove kayaking tours along the Tempisque River offer wildlife encounters—crocodiles, monkeys, and extensive birdlife. The nearby town of Guaitil is worth visiting for its pre-Columbian Chorotega pottery traditions.
What I appreciated was that Nekajui’s concierge team curated experiences thoughtfully rather than overwhelming guests with endless options. Boat tours around the Gulf of Papagayo provide snorkeling, sunset viewing, and occasional dolphin encounters. The property’s location within the Área de Conservación Guanacaste—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—means you’re genuinely surrounded by protected biodiversity.
The honest assessment is that while Nekajui provides a stunning base, you’ll want to incorporate off-property adventures to fully experience Costa Rica’s natural offerings. This is particularly true for active families who will quickly exhaust the on-site activity options. The property excels as a sophisticated sanctuary between adventures rather than an all-encompassing resort where you’ll never want to leave the grounds.
Final Thoughts on Nekajui, A Ritz Carlton Reserve
What makes Nekajui compelling isn’t that it elevates luxury hotels in Costa Rica—it’s that the property demonstrates such clear vision about what it wants to be. This is sophisticated, design-conscious hospitality for travelers who appreciate restraint as much as opulence. The architecture alone justifies the visit, and Nimbu Spa represents genuinely world-class wellness in a region where “spa” often means a few massage rooms near the pool. This should not have surprised me given my adoration for the incomparable spa at the Ritz Carlton Reserve at Dorado Beach.
I left thinking about those mornings on the infinity pool terrace, the way the light shifted across Pochote Bay, the surprising depth of flavor in that Peruvian corn risotto. These aren’t manufactured moments—they’re the result of a property that trusts its location, its design language, and its commitment to Central American authenticity rather than generic tropical luxury.
The reality is that Nekajui works best for specific travelers: couples seeking an adult sanctuary, multigenerational families who can occupy one of the sprawling villas, or families who don’t require kids’ pools. We had one of the most memorable adult-only pool days at their spa pool, its hydrotherapy stations, and those views.
Here’s what I know from years of covering luxury properties: access matters enormously at this caliber of resort. Working with a travel advisor who holds preferred partnerships with Ritz-Carlton Reserve means securing the perks that transform a beautiful stay into an exceptional one—complimentary room upgrades when available, daily breakfast credits, spa treatments, and early check-in or late checkout based on availability. More critically, advisors with established relationships can navigate the nuances of room selection and pre-arrange the residential villa configurations that make family travel seamless.
Nekajui is genuinely special, but it’s not for everyone—and that’s precisely what makes it worth considering.
This property is one of our preferred partner hotels with exclusive travel advisor rates (and we’re a Virtuoso agency in addition to publishing this magazine). Our clients get complimentary daily breakfasts, resort credits, and—based on availability—upgrades, early check-in, and late check-out. Don’t leave vacation money on the table!
If you would like to book this property with these VIP amenities at no cost to you, we invite you to become a Luxe Recess Insider and have access to our hotel booking tool.