Three Days at Nayara Tented Camp: Our Stay in Casa Dana

A few years before this trip, I’d started looking into Nayara for a visit to La Fortuna. I initially ruled it out because I was looking at Nayara Springs, which is adults-only, and we were traveling with our young son. Later, I learned about Nayara Gardens and Nayara Tented Camp. My wife loved the look of Tented Camp, and we added it to our itinerary.

We spent the previous four days at Arenal Manoa, less than a kilometer from Nayara’s main entrance. Because we had booked Manoa’s Chato Suite, the hotel provided a complimentary transfer to Nayara.

Arriving at Nayara Tented Camp

The Nayara hotels share the same general property, but Tented Camp has its own arrival process. Our driver dropped us at the welcome entrance, where a staff member met us. From there, a golf cart took us to reception while the team handled our luggage.

Reception is open-air, with a design that fits the camp setting. We sat on comfortable couches while a staff member explained the property, dining options, and other details of our stay. We were also offered a cold welcome drink, with the option to add liquor. I chose to try it, and it was especially refreshing in San Carlos’s humid weather.

We arrived at around 1 p.m. Casa Dana wasn’t ready yet, but we received it at about 2 p.m., an hour before the stated 3 p.m. check-in time.

Our stay in Casa Dana

We booked Casa Dana, a two-bedroom villa in the Grand Tent category, for $6,585 for two nights. It accommodates four people and has a fully equipped kitchen, a main bedroom with a Jacuzzi, a second bedroom with two twin beds, a large deck, and a private outdoor pool fed by thermal water.

The entrance immediately caught my attention. Small water features on either side give it a calm, elegant feel. Inside, the villa opens into a kitchen, dining area, and TV lounge. The couches were among the most comfortable I’ve sat on; I could easily have fallen asleep there.

Outside, we had plenty of space to relax, along with the Jacuzzi and thermal pool. The hot water did not have the sulfur smell I usually associate with hot springs.

Food and breakfast

Food matters a lot to me when I choose a hotel, so I was glad breakfast was included. At a property like this, buying breakfast separately can be expensive.

We could eat at a restaurant or have breakfast delivered to Casa Dana. For delivery, we filled out a menu and left it at the entrance to the villa. Staff picked it up in the afternoon and brought breakfast at our chosen time the next morning. They provided a new menu each day.

Lunch generally cost us around $70 to $100 per person, depending on what we ordered. I had a filet mignon that cost about $80. I usually skip dinner, but my wife and son ate in the evening; a burger with fries was around $40, while an adult chicken quesadilla could cost more.

Over our three-day, two-night stay, we spent approximately $500 on food.

The hot springs were lovely but not my favorite

I paid for this stay myself, so I want to be straightforward about the part that disappointed me. The hot spring pools at Nayara Tented Camp are attractive, but I’ve enjoyed other hot springs in the Arenal area more, particularly those at The Springs Resort & Spa.

The water in Nayara’s shared pools looked clear. I had expected the darker blue appearance I’d seen at other hot springs, so the experience felt different from what I had pictured. That’s a personal preference, rather than a question of whether the pools use thermal water.

I also wanted more privacy around the shared pools. For me, the private pool at Casa Dana was a much stronger part of the stay.

Was Nayara Tented Camp worth the cost

For our stay, Casa Dana cost $6,585 for two nights, or about $3,293 per night. Food added roughly $500. It was an expensive trip, and I wouldn’t choose it primarily for the shared hot springs.

What made the stay worthwhile for us was Casa Dana itself: the space, the private pool, and the chance to enjoy it together as a family. If those are the parts of the experience you value most, I can see the appeal. If hot springs are your main reason for visiting La Fortuna, I’d compare a few properties before booking.