The 7 Best Wellness Retreats in Costa Rica

Costa Rica, found on the western coast of Central America, is lush with jungle, beaches and a healthy tropical lifestyle. Combine that with some of the best resorts in the Americas, either hidden away in dense tropical jungle or sitting on white sands and looking over the turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean, and you’ve got yourself a winner of a holiday.

For those who want to better themselves while learning about healthy living, a wellness retreat is the way forward – and where better to experience the pinnacle of a healthy holiday than in Costa Rica? These are the 7 best wellness retreats in Costa Rica.

7 Costa Rican Wellness Escapes For Your Mind, Body and Soul

1. The Retreat Costa Rica

When a wellness resort advertises itself as ‘Costa Rica’s Leading Luxury Wellness Hotel’ and has won over 25 international awards, you know that we’re off to a strong start.

Simply called The Retreat, luxury meets wellness in this incredible resort, located at the peak of a crystal-quartz mountain with magnificent views of both the dense Costa Rican jungle and the deep blues of the Pacific Ocean.

There are only 25 rooms at the resort, meaning that your stay will be a quiet one, and you can expect a top level of personalised service. As for activities, you can expect daily yoga classes, jungle trails for hiking or running, saltwater therapy in the resort’s very own saltwater pools, massages, a brand-new spa and a focus on farm-to-table dining with an exclusive anti-inflammatory menu, so you don’t need to worry about getting ill abroad.

Combine all of this with the slow pace of living in the Costa Rican wilderness, and you’ve got one of the best wellness resorts not just in Costa Rica, but arguably in the world.

2. Pura Vida Retreat & Spa

Found just 25 minutes away from San José Airport, Pura Vida Retreat & Spa will have you forgetting that you were in the airport less than an hour ago once you step foot through the doors of the retreat hidden away in the Costa Rican jungle.

Found on a mountain top in Costa Rica’s Central Valley with panoramic views over the nearby villages and jungle landscape below, Pura Vida Retreat & Spa is an excellent wellness retreat.

Start your morning off with a freshly squeezed fruit juice – sourced from the nearby jungle, of course – while you take a dip in your own private pool attached to your villa.

Spend the afternoon partaking in yoga classes or a healthy cooking class under the supervision of some of Costa Rica’s finest chefs, and end your day with a massage overlooking the Central Valley, easily one of the most Instagrammable views in the country.

3. Anamaya

The name of the resort takes inspiration from the ancient Sanskrit language, and it means ‘freedom from disease’, which is the perfect name for a wellness resort.

Set above Montezuma Beach on the western shores of Costa Rica, Anamaya is the perfect place for a wellness-themed break.

What sets Anamaya apart from other resorts is that it offers extra teacher training for already-qualified yoga teachers, meaning that if you’re already familiar with yoga teaching, you can expand on your knowledge and gain some extra qualifications from some of the leaders in the industry.

There are also several themed retreats on offer at Anamaya, including vibrant living detoxes and how to adopt perfectly healthy habits once you’re back home.

This is a great resort to visit if you’re already familiar with how a wellness resort works and if you want to learn even more about healthy living.

4. Peace Retreat

Offering an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, expect your screen time to drastically reduce while you’re at Peace Retreat, as there is a strong emphasis on connecting with nature rather than mindlessly scrolling social media.

And due to its idyllic location on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, how could you not feel inspired to connect to nature and ditch the smartphones?

Designed with personal growth in mind, Peace Retreat is the perfect escape for those who find that everyday life to be too chaotic at times and want to sit back and enjoy connecting to nature instead.

Their approach to dining is ‘food as medicine’, and only the healthiest, locally-sourced, organic ingredients are used in their cooking, from fresh fruits to animal products that support local Costa Rican farmers through their fair trading scheme.

5. Surf & Shanti

This women-only holistic and yoga retreat is an excellent wellness resort in Costa Rica.

Found in Santa Teresa, on the western coast of the country, the resort offers women a chance to connect deeply with themselves, other like-minded individuals, and the ocean.

With a huge emphasis on the wellness of each other and group wellness, this is an ideal place to visit if you’re passionate about helping others as well as yourself.

From a food perspective, all of the meals served are sourced from local farmers, and the resort is also known for being sustainable, with organic food waste being sent back to local farmers to use as animal feed.

With classes ranging from gym sessions to sunset beach yoga, watching the golden sun sink below the Pacific, there’s so much to do here that you simply won’t want to leave.

6. Hacienda Del Sol

Set in the coastal jungle of Guanacaste, Hacienda Del Sol, which means ‘Sun Ranch’ in English, is another brilliant wellness resort in Costa Rica.

Based on improving physical and mental wellbeing, a stay at Hacienda Del Sol is perfect for solo travellers, couples or even larger groups, all of which can be accommodated, as guests can book group or individual classes when they stay here.

They also have a range of wellness stays curated to each guests’ needs, and they can take the quiz on their website prior to arrival to tailor their stay to their exact needs, from a mental health focussed-stay to how to improve your own nutrition – all while being set in the magical Costa Rican jungle, surrounded by nature and lush green canopy.

All of the meals available are curated by award-winning chefs whose work focuses on clean meals, while daily movement classes are on throughout the day to get the blood pumping. 

After a day of exercise and yoga, see out your day with some full-body therapeutic treatment or a massage under the setting sun.

7. El Silencio Lodge & Spa

We may just have saved the best until last: El Silencio Lodge & Spa.

You don’t have to be a linguist to work out what the name translates to in English, but your stay here will be anything but boring, even if it is quiet.

Set in a 500-acre natural reserve, surrounded by five protected wildlife areas deep in the Costa Rican cloud forest, a stay at El Silencio Lodge & Spa is worth it for the scenery alone.

When you’re here, you can focus on both physical and mental wellbeing, undertaking exercises like yoga, journaling and more.

However, for those wanting to do something more physical, there is the option of mystic jungle hikes, under the guidance of Costa Rican locals, through the dense cloud forest, where you can come across exotic wildlife such as howler monkeys, sloths, toucans and more.

End your day with a swim under the stars in a freshwater pool, or join a meditation class while you listen to nature’s soundtrack in the neighbouring jungle.

If you’re looking to combine luxury and the serenity of nature, El Silencio Lodge & Spa is the place to be.