San José usually plays a supporting role on a Costa Rica honeymoon — a night at the start or end of a trip near the airport — but Xandari Resort & Spa turns that into more than a layover. Set in the hills above Alajuela, a few minutes from Juan Santamaría International Airport, it’s built as a series of individually designed villas across a coffee and fruit plantation, each with its own terrace and garden, rather than a standard hotel block.
The property looks toward the Central Valley from its hillside pools, and the spa runs treatments using ingredients grown on-site. A short walk on the plantation’s own trails leads past two waterfalls, which is more than most travelers expect from a stop this close to the airport. It works equally well as a first night to ease into the time change or a last night to decompress before a flight home.
One or two nights is the usual length here — enough to enjoy the property and the spa without cutting into time at the coast or in the rainforest.
