Destinations Central & South America Costa Rica Chartering a Superyacht Is the Newest — and Most Exclusive — Way to Explore Costa Rica By Chrissie McClatchie Chrissie McClatchie Chrissie McClatchie writes about travel, wine, and yachting from her home on the Côte d’Azur, where she has lived for nearly two decades. Her stories have appeared in Condé Nast Traveler, BBC Travel, CNN Travel, and more. She is also a contributing author to four Lonely Planet guidebooks. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on November 8, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Origen Escapes can arrange catamaran trips in places such as the Papagayo Peninsula. Photo: Courtesy of Origen Escapes Costa Rica is about to become one of the world’s newest frontiers for superyacht charter vacations. “Where else can you can explore lush rainforests, enjoy white-sand beaches, encounter colorful parrots, zip line with monkeys, swim with pods of dolphins, and spot humpback whales — possibly all in the same day?” asks Michael Busacca, the chief operating officer of Fraser, a yachting firm. Substantial superyacht facilities are under construction in places like Golfito, on the southern Pacific coast. But outfitters, including Costa Rica–based Origen Escapes, have already started booking over-the-top itineraries. A jungle waterfall, seen on an Origen Escapes helicopter tour. Courtesy of Origen Escapes “We send spotter skiffs out days in advance to locate dolphin pods so clients can actually swim or Seabob with thousands of them,” says Gemma Cope, Origen’s director of sales and marketing. Yacht guests can helicopter to jungle waterfalls, snorkel after dark in bioluminescent Golfo Dulce, and go scuba diving in Cocos Island National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Moran predicts that Costa Rica will become the top destination for charter vacations in the Americas within the next five years. “This isn’t a destination like the Mediterranean or elsewhere in the Caribbean, where the focus is on the yacht and the water toys,” he notes. “These trips are about getting off the yacht and exploring.”