Stay 1 - Origins Luxury Lodge
After a beautiful wedding in Salinas Bay, Guanacaste, the newly married Mr. & Mrs. Hill headed inland to the lush, tropical region of Bijuana, Upala. We chose Origin Luxury Lodge as the first stop in our honeymoon for an ultimate rainforest escape. Our private lodge had 180-degree panoramic views of the valley and Lake Nicaragua, a wood-burning hot tub, and a hand-woven canopy bed with a sun light. It was the perfect place to celebrate our marriage and an amazing wedding weekend.
It has now since become my favorite place I have ever been to. There’s romance, serenity, peace, wander, adventure, good views and gooood food. There’s few times in my life I’ve felt such tranquility (those being on a glacier in Iceland, sleeping under the stars at Lake Powell, etc.).
Origins consists of 111 acres available to explore with guided experts. The experts and staff are some of the nicest people we have ever met – we actually still follow some of them on Instagram. They took such good care of us and ensured we had an amazing first half of our Honeymoon.
Here are the first 3 days of our Honeymoon:
Day 1 - Sunday
Immediately upon arriving at Origins Luxury Lodge, we were treated like royalty. Congratulations, welcome drinks, and lunch were awaiting us in the main lobby – which is also the restaurant and bar. All areas here are open, so we immediately saw the panoramic view of the valley and Lake Nicaragua. Holy s***! What a view! We even saw a Toucan while eating lunch!
Gaspar, the hospitality manager, drove us to our lodge via golf cart and gave us a tour of our stay for the next 3 days. This was the most unique, stunning, and magical place I have ever stayed. We crossed a wooden-bridge leading to our villa, where a wood-burning hot tub and large day bed filled the large patio. Inside was a huge canopy-bed under a sun light. The bathroom was the main reveal – stone floor-to-wall, with a clear room and open-shower right in the middle.
We settled into our treehouse, Neblina, and headed to the Laka-Tii spa for our couples massage at 6pm. This was the first time we fully decompressed from the constant movement of the weekend, and the backdrop of the rainforest made us both fall asleep.
Dinner was the first time we experienced the incredible Michelin-star cuisine from chef Jean‑Luc L’Hourre and his team. Getting this level of quality of food in the rainforest felt unreal. And then a frog jumped on Evan and we were brought back to reality, lol. We ended our night soaking in our private hot tub under the stars overlooking a quiet jungle.
Day 2 - Monday
We woke up to the sounds of tropical birds and howler monkeys in the distance. First things first was sunrise yoga in the open-air Koora deck. It was the perfect way to start our adventurous day. I still dream about the breakfast we had every day, full of fruit, pastries, cheese and meats. After relaxing in our hot tub again (just assume every other hour we’re in there), we set off for our excursions of the day:
Waterfall Hike
Orlo Waterfall is on Origin's property, so with an expert guide, we set off into the jungle to chase the waterfall. We hiked through the beautiful forest, seeing all kinds of plants and wildlife, like a strawberry dart frog. Once we got to the waterfall, it was a rush to stand under.
Horseback Ride
Waiting for us after waterfall were our horses, Pinto and Gato, ready to go., My horse, Gato, confidently took the lead on our ride, clearly on a mission of his own. We ended the ride at the farm, where we got to say hello to the other horses.
Medicinal Tour
With a flora and fauna expert, we walked through the estate and learned about magical herbs, leaves and plants that have been healing for centuries. We toured the garden and greenhouse, housing the organic infusions for the restaurant. We saw a baby sloth on this tour!
One of the many reasons I love Origins is how thoughtfully they care for their guests. Without us even asking, Gaspar surprised Evan and me with a secluded private dinner to celebrate our honeymoon. It was completely unexpected and ended up being one of my favorite memories from the entire trip!
Day 3 - Tuesday
We woke up bright and early for our adventure to Tenorio Volcano National Park! Our tour guide, and now friend, Carlos picked us up at 7:30 a.m., and we headed straight to the trailhead for the Río Celeste Waterfall. The path was relatively flat, and along the way we spotted an adult sloth swaying in the trees, vibrant orchids, “monkey trees,” and even a venomous pit viper (ah!).
To reach the waterfall, we descended 250 stairs to the base, where the most striking, iridescent blue water was waiting for us. It was honestly the bluest water I’ve ever seen, like a living gemstone. But, as Carlos explained, it’s actually an optical illusion caused by a chemical reaction where two rivers meet. Consider me shocked! We lingered as long as we could before climbing back up the stairs, then continued our hike, catching sight of howler monkeys swinging and snacking high above us.
Since swimming isn’t allowed near the waterfall itself, Carlos brought us to a quieter spot farther down the river where we could swim in the Río Celeste. The current was strong, but the experience was absolutely magical. We treated Carlos to lunch in the nearby village after, then returned to our rainforest haven.
We had a few hours to kill before our cocktail class with Sergio, Origins manager, so Ev took a nap while I read with the best reading view in the entire world. I never wanted to leave that spot, but alas, it was 5:30 somewhere! (3:30 really lol)
We met Carlos at the bar, and didn’t leave for the next 4 hours. Again, the staff here was next-level. While Carlos showed us how to make pineapple margaritas and guava martinis, he gave us a lesson in all things Nicaragua and Costa Rica. That convo with him still reigns as one of the most educational conversations I’ve ever had, all the while we were sipping’ on chili guaros (Costa Rica’s speciality shot) and a toucan was eyeing us down.
The four hours flew fast, and soon the sun was setting and we were getting sat for dinner. The sunset we saw that night was one of the most beautiful I have seen in my life. It was the cherry on top of a perfect day.
Stay 2 - Casa Chameleon
Stay #2 brought us to the beautiful, Mediterranean-inspired town of Las Catalinas. After our rainforest adventure, it was time to unwind. We stayed at the adults-only Casa Chameleon, perched atop a stunning hillside overlooking both Las Catalinas and the Pacific Ocean. Our villa came with a private plunge pool and breathtaking ocean views – pure relaxation.
When we weren’t soaking up the sun by Casa’s pool (everyday), we were off exploring Las Catalinas and its beaches, enjoying a private sunset catamaran cruise, and relaxing in our own plunge pool. My absolute favorite part of this stay was everyday at 5pm, they dropped off tea and cookies for sunset. We looked forward to our tea time on our private patio everyday.
This was the perfect second stop on our already dreamy honeymoon. Here’s how we spent our time in this car-free and care free coastal escape…
Day 4 - Wednesday
It was time to say goodbye to our favorite place in the world and head to our next stop, but not before we completed all we wanted to do. We woke up bright and early to head down to the farm where we saw our friends Pinto & Gato, and helped turn cows milk into cheese! It was so cool seeing the process up close. We also saw how pure simply syrup is made from cane sugar, and even got to add it to our coffee. After packing up and one last hot tub sesh, we said goodbye to our friends Sergio, Gaspar, and Carlos, and headed off to Las Catalinas!
The drive from Origins to Casa Chameleon took about two and a half hours, so we arrived around midday. We were greeted with fresh coconuts that said “Happy Honeymoon” (so cute!) and guided to our villa. The views on this trip just kept getting better. We went from a lush tropical rainforest valley to sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, visible from just about everywhere.
Naturally, our first stop was the pool, where we ended up spending most of our time. It was an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, and honestly, it was always so hard to leave.
We returned to our room just in time for sunset, where chocolate-covered strawberries, a bottle of champagne, and a kettle of tea were waiting for us! We popped the champagne, brought the strawberries out to the patio, and lounged as the sun dipped below the Pacific Ocean and the coastal rain fell.
After sunset, we had dinner at Casa Chameleon’s restaurant, Sentido Norte- an intimate spot with incredible views and even better food. Full and happy, we headed to bed, wrapping up a perfect first day in Las Catalinas.
Day 5 - Thursday
We woke up ready to explore Las Catalinas – but first, a couples massage in our room! We had to honeymoon the right way. Since Las Catalinas is a car-free town, we had a golf cart take us into the town, where they dropped us off on the outskirts. I felt like we were picked up in Costa Rica and dropped off in the Mediterranean. We strolled through colorful buildings, bold tilework, and cobblestone streets, totally in awe of how stunning the architecture was.
We grabbed cocktails and lunch by the beach, then set up camp on Playa Danta. Not only 30 minutes later, it started to rain ): It is the wet season, so we couldn’t be mad. We headed back, curled up under an umbrella by the pool with our books, and waited until the skies cleared, and didn’t leave until the sun started to set. Then it was our favorite time – tea time! We sat on our patio watching lightning strike over the pacific while devouring our tea and cookies.
For dinner, we ventured back into town to see what Las Catalinas was like at night. We dined at Poinciana, the restaurant at the only other hotel in town, and had a lovely, laid-back meal – complete with a visit from the town’s friendly local cat. It was the perfect way to wind down another magical day.
Day 6 - Friday
Catamaran Day! We had been looking forward to this all week. With a 1:30 p.m. departure, we enjoyed a slow, easy morning—sleeping in, sipping coffee, and soaking up the peaceful vibe. In the afternoon, a driver picked us up and brought us to the marina, where our private catamaran was waiting for us.
The boat was fully stocked with everything we could want—drinks, snacks, and even water toys. For the next four hours, we cruised through the Pacific, swimming to hidden beaches, jumping off the boat into crystal-clear water, and spotting wildlife like whales and pufferfish along the way. It was pure magic.
As the sun began to set, the sky lit up in the most unreal red and orange colors over the horizon. —just us, the ocean, and the horizon. It was one of my absolute favorite memories from the entire honeymoon.
We came home salty, sun-kissed, and exhausted – but not too tired for our nightly tea and cookie ritual before drifting off to sleep before our last day.
Day 7 - Saturday
By this point, it felt like we lived in Costa Rica. Including our wedding, we had been there for 11 days—and we were still loving every moment of it. We spent our final day doing exactly what we wanted: relaxing. We explored more of Las Catalinas, soaked up the sun by the pool, and just savored the slow pace.
That evening, we had a private dinner arranged overlooking the bay – a quiet, intimate way to end our trip. As the sun set, we reflected on what had truly been the best days of our lives. It was the perfect close to a honeymoon we’ll never forget.
Lexie Hill
