On Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, which can be explored from the comfort of a luxury yacht, wellness retreats, world-class surfing and pitaya-pink sunsets draw travellers to hippy-chic Santa Teresa, laid-back Nosara and glamorous Papagayo.

On the Caribbean coast, hawksbill turtles nest in Tortuguero and palm trees on the beaches of Punta Uva lean longingly towards the ocean as if preparing to dive in. Rainforest extends for miles inland, concealing mangroves, canals and waterfalls, with elusive jaguars stalking the lush jungles of the Corcovado National Park on the southern Osa Peninsula and the Arenal Volcano National Park home to spider monkeys, toucans and three-toed sloths. A&K’s on-the-ground guides know which leaf to lift, which tree to train your binoculars on to see glass frogs and fiery-throated hummingbirds, all but invisible to the untrained eye. Spotting wildlife requires stillness and silence, but there’s plenty of time for letting loose, too. National parks and protected reserves offer thrills for adrenalin junkies: white-water rafting and kayaking on the Pacuare River, zip-lining through the treetop canopy of the Monteverde Extremo Park, diving alongside manta rays and white-tipped reef sharks. A pristine, conservation-first paradise setting the benchmark for ecotourism, nowhere delivers a natural high quite like Costa Rica.