Nekajui opened on February 25, 2025, as the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Central or South America, its name taken from the Chorotega for lush garden. It sits on a clifftop within the 1,400-acre Peninsula Papagayo, beside the 250-acre Palmares Preserve, and its 107 rooms and suites include three treetop tents, with a further 36 private residences of two to five bedrooms. A suspension bridge crosses a ravine, and a funicular runs down to the Niri Beach Club. The chapel is decorated with a mosaic of 650,000 tiles, and in 2026 TIME named Nekajui among its World's Greatest Places. Puna, the signature restaurant, is led by chef Diego Muñoz, with Paruro for omakase and Ámbar, a bar set in the treetops. The Naku Spa & Wellness covers 27,000 square feet, and guests can play the Arnold Palmer course on the peninsula. Beyond the estate lies the UNESCO-listed Área de Conservación Guanacaste, with dry tropical forest, volcanoes and beaches where sea turtles nest. Villa Guayacan, the largest residence, has 10 bedrooms, an infinity pool facing the Pacific sunset, more than 50 original works of art, a cinema and two butlers.
- Nearest airport
- Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, Liberia (LIR), 9 Miles / 14 Kilometres
- Rooms
- 107 rooms, suites and treetop tents, plus 36 residences
Insider tip Go beyond the peninsula into the Área de Conservación Guanacaste, for dry forest, volcanoes and turtle-nesting beaches.
Why I choose it A new Reserve on a quiet peninsula, with Guanacaste's forests, volcanoes and turtle beaches beyond the gates.