Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica is set to welcome yet another luxury resort: Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. Set above coastal cliffs with views of the Pacific Ocean, the property will open its doors on March 1, 2025.
Upon opening Nekajui will become the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Central and South America and eighth overall in the brand portfolio. Situated within Peninsula Papagayo’s 1,400-acre dry tropical forest with the view of Pochote Bay, the resort will have an ocean-facing collection of 107 rooms, suites and three luxury treetop tents.
Accommodations include guestrooms, starting at 872 square feet, each with either terraces or balconies. Guests can also choose from one- and two-bedroom suites or the four-bedroom Nekajui Grand Villa. Additionally, the resort offers 36 private residences, ranging in design from two to five bedrooms, as well as Villa Guayacan, a 10-bedroom home. Design specs in the accommodations include floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, outdoor shower gardens, plunge pools and deep-soaking tubs.
Nekajui’s dining experiences include signature restaurant Puna, conceptualized by Chef Diego Muñoz. It will serve modern Peruvian cuisine and an exclusive, six-seat Japanese Peruvian omakase adventure. Other options include a hidden speakeasy, an artisan café and market celebrating Costa Rica’s coffee and cacao heritage, and a suspended treetop bar serving botanical-inspired cocktails infused with local fruits and herbs. The resort’s secluded beach club, accessible by a funicular, offers a wood-fired oven and toes-in-the-sand dining by day and night. It is situated steps away from beaches, tide pools and sea caves.
At the heart of the resort is the 27,000-square-foot Nimbu Spa and Wellness, home to Latin America’s largest hydrotherapy pool. Accessible by a suspended walking bridge and multiple garden paths, the spa’s treatments and holistic therapies foster "slow well-being, rejuvenation and spiritual renewal." The space also houses individual treatment cabanas suspended in the treetops, private spa suites, and his and hers saunas with panoramic water views.
Good to know: Guests will have access to Palmares Preserve, a 250-acre jungle haven surrounding Nekajui. These protected wildlands span three distinct ecosystems within less than a square mile, offering aerial adventures (including ziplining), guided exotic wildlife hikes and gliding through mangroves in an outrigger canoe. Surfers will find their pura vida accompanied by SurfX pros at Witch’s Rock and Ollie’s Point in nearby Santa Rosa National Park. Additional water sports, such as windsurfing, paddleboarding, scuba, snorkeling and sailing, are available right off Nekajui’s beachfront. Golfers can tee off at Peninsula Papagayo’s private 18-hole, par-72 Arnold Palmer Signature course, winding through 125 acres of forest, valleys and sea cliffs, offering wide fairways and dramatic vistas. The clubhouse and Racquet Center are situated directly across from Nekajui.
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