I have been to a lot of properties. This one stayed with me.
AltaGracia sits at 3,500 feet in Costa Rica’s Talamanca mountain range, overlooking the San Isidro Valley. It opened under Auberge Resorts management in 2021 on the grounds of a former private estate. The private airstrip, horse stables, 180 acres of land, and 50 total rooms are all still intact. So is the feel of arriving somewhere that was never meant for the general public.
Most people skip it. The remoteness throws them off when Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo feels easier to book and easier to explain. That is a mistake.
I visited AltaGracia as part of a broader Costa Rica trip that also included Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo and the newly opened Ritz-Carlton Reserve Nekajui. The more properties I saw, the more AltaGracia stood out. Not because of any single feature, but because of how deliberately every element of the experience is designed.
Getting There
Let me address the logistics directly, because this is the reason most people talk themselves out of it.
You fly into SJO. Set up correctly, you are met at the sky bridge, driven to the FBO, and expedited through customs. From there, it is a 25-to-30-minute small plane ride to the resort’s private airstrip. Round-trip flights are included in the room rate for two guests per room. Children under five fly free.
That is it. It is not complicated. It is, in fact, one of the smoother arrival sequences I have experienced for a mountain property.
If you are pairing AltaGracia with another Costa Rica destination, start here. The fast-track arrival at SJO sets the tone immediately, and you can move south to Papagayo or the coast later in the trip.
The Property
The resort spans 180 acres and sits at an elevation that keeps the energy quiet and the temperature consistently comfortable. There are miles of trails, two pools, a hilltop spa, horse stables, a butterfly garden, and a working garden that supplies the kitchen.
50 rooms. Three categories.
Casitas are the entry-level rooms at 1,200 square feet. No plunge pool. Views vary, most facing the garden. For families with older kids who want proximity without a fully connecting layout, these work well.
Casas are where I stayed, specifically a Casa con Piscina. 1,500 square feet, valley views, private plunge pool. This is the right entry point for couples and for anyone who wants the full expression of the property. There is no sofa bed, but the space accommodates a crib or rollaway without feeling compromised.
Casonas are the largest accommodations on property. Full entry foyer, circular layout, two-bedroom configurations, a kitchenette, and a full dining room table. For multi-generational travel or groups that want genuine house-like space, this is the answer.
One practical note: if the valley view is important to you, go in at the Casa level or above. It is worth it.
The Rooms
The details in the rooms are where AltaGracia reveals its priorities.
Every non-alcoholic beverage is included. The minibar is stocked thoughtfully, including a CBD kombucha in three flavors. The coffee is exceptional, which matters in Costa Rica because not every property gets this right. They pre-measure exactly the right amount of ground coffee each morning alongside a quality French press. Non-dairy milk was ready before the room tour was finished.
The wellness details are intentional without feeling like a checklist. Morning intention cards, yoga mats and books, a foot reflexology roller, bedside and in-shower aromatherapy, and intention-setting journals. None of it is performative. It reads like someone thought about how people actually use a hotel room.
The turndown experience deserves specific mention. Each night, housekeeping fills a hot water bladder and tucks it into the bed so the sheets are warm when you get in. I have stayed at enough properties to know when something genuinely resets what a hotel turndown can be. This did.
The blackout curtains work. Properly. That is rarer than it should be.
Service
Every room comes with a dedicated host, called a Compa, the Spanish word for friend. You communicate via WhatsApp. Response times were fast, carts arrived within minutes of a message, and laundry sent the night before departure came back by 9pm the same evening.
The hospitality goes beyond logistics. I came back from a muddy zipline tour in white tennis shoes, mentioned it at the front desk, and had them returned in better condition than I left them in within 10 minutes, with a handwritten note. That is the standard this property operates at consistently.
Food and Beverage
I am not someone who leads with food when reviewing a property. AltaGracia made me reconsider that habit.
Everything is chef-driven and built around the on-property garden and local sourcing. This is not a traditional all-inclusive. The menu goes well beyond rice and plantains, though those are available. The El Cultivo salad with passionfruit dressing and the nachos were on the table at nearly every meal. I am gluten-free and sensitive to dairy, and I could order from almost the entire menu, every day, without adjustments.
Grano is the main restaurant for breakfast and dinner. Outdoor patio, a bar and lounge, firepits for sunset. The menu rotates and includes themed evenings that keep a longer stay from feeling repetitive.
Las Brisas is the adults-only poolside lunch option. It runs the same menu as Picoteo, the family-friendly poolside alternative. Having both available is one of the more thoughtful structural decisions on property.
El Cultivo dinners are held in the on-property garden. Reserve before you arrive. They fill quickly. The seven-course vegetarian menu is paired with instruction on traditional cooking methods and the history behind them. Even if you are not a vegetarian, go.
Rodeo Cookouts happen every Thursday during peak season, down at the stables. Open firepits, outdoor dining overlooking an arena, and gaucho riders competing in gymkhana events during dinner. It is one of the more distinctive resort experiences I have seen programmed anywhere, and seats are limited.
Mercado handles grab-and-go, coffee service, and a pastry selection that includes solid gluten-free options. The coffee classes are run from here.
The Spa
Get there early and plan to stay longer than you think you will.
The spa sits on a hilltop and functions as a destination within the property. The indoor pool, mud and clay bathing pods, heated relaxation area, and infrared saunas are all accessible without a booked treatment. The facility is worth a half day on its own.
If you book a treatment, request an infrared sauna for post-session when you first arrive. They take time to heat up and are worth planning ahead for.
The treatment selection includes cupping, hot stones, dry brushing, and lymphatic drainage, among others. The experience felt grounding and genuinely restorative. On arrival, you choose from three different robe styles. That is a small detail. It is also the kind of detail that signals what the rest of the experience will look like.
Activities
There is enough here to fill a week without leaving the property.
On-property highlights include the butterfly garden and koi pond with free guided tours, river bathing, sound bathing, forest walks, aerial yoga, nighttime critter walks, and a kids club that is hands-on and outdoor-focused, with tortilla-making, bird watching, and a mini adventure park for younger children.
Off-property, the ultralight plane excursion is exceptional. Open-air, just you and the pilot, flying through mountain ranges and along rivers. The fly-to-coast day trip delivers beach time for those who want it. The sugarcane farm tour, about ten minutes from the property, is one of the more grounded experiences available. You meet the family who runs it, make caramel, spend time with the farm animals, and share a home-cooked meal. That contrast against resort programming is what makes it stay with you.
The $1,500 experience credit available with the current seasonal offer applies to most of the above. It does not extend to third-party activities.
A Practical Note on Wildlife
Set the right expectations here: the elevation keeps most of the Costa Rican wildlife away. Birds are everywhere and extraordinary, butterflies are constant, and I saw an anteater one evening. Monkeys, however, live at lower elevations. I did not see them until I traveled down to the Papagayo area later in the trip.
If the primary draw is dense jungle wildlife, this is not the right property for that experience. If the primary draw is a private mountain setting with world-class service, food, and programming in a property that does not feel like anything else in Costa Rica, this is exactly the right property.
Who This Property Is For
AltaGracia works for couples, families, and groups who want privacy, a genuine sense of place, and a level of programming that makes a longer stay feel earned rather than forced.
The elevation means you are not sweating through a traditional Costa Rican jungle experience. The layout, 50 rooms spread across 180 acres, means the property never feels crowded even at full occupancy. The all-inclusive model means you are not tracking spend throughout the day, which changes the rhythm of a stay in ways that are hard to quantify and easy to feel.
Minimum stay: Four nights. Three would feel rushed. A week is easy to fill and comfortable to extend.
I visited Papagayo properties before and after this stay. The more I saw of Costa Rica, the more I thought about AltaGracia.
Current Availability
There is an active seasonal offer that includes a fourth night complimentary and a $1,500 experience credit. We also have a direct contact at the property managing upgrades at time of booking, subject to availability.
If AltaGracia is on your radar for this season, now is a good time to look at dates.
Send me where you are considering going. I will let you know if this is the right fit and what we can put in place for your stay.
