300 meters south of the Rio Montana, Nosara, Costa Rica | (888) 616-5829
Gorgeous mountaintop setting with views of the Pacific and the Ostional National Wildlife Park
Three healthy (mostly vegetarian), gourmet meals included in
room rate
One beach trip per
day included in the room rate
Daily yoga classes held
in a pavilion overlooking the ocean included in the room rate
Two massage areas,
one with sea views the other in the jungle
On-site organic
garden
Free Wi-Fi
Bunk rooms are shared and do not have air-conditioning
Bunk rooms do not have private baths
Getting to Nosara requires a long drive on a bumpy, gravel road
There are two dogs on-site, a problem for those afraid of
dogs
The pool is tiny
Getting around the property requires walking up and down a
steep, gravel road
Meals are communal, not ideal for those seeking privacy or romance
The hotel is isolated, requiring a car to get to town or the beach
No TVs or phones in the rooms (a pro for some)
Costa Rica Yoga Spa is an intimate, all-inclusive, eight-room retreat
set on a breezy mountaintop overlooking the distant Pacific and the protected Ostional
National Wildlife Refuge. Catering to yoga retreats, the hotel offers immaculate,
although basic, bunk rooms with shared baths as well as more sophisticated
suites with private baths and air-conditioning. Wellness is the focus for most
guests, and they tend to spend time meditating, practicing yoga, enjoying massages, or writing
in journals as they sway in the rope hammocks that line the terrace corridor outside
the rooms. While the resort is not located on the beach, the staff provides daily
shuttle service to nearby beaches and can also arrange surf lessons and a variety
of adventure tours.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
An intimate, all-inclusive, wellness-focused, mountaintop yoga retreat with organic gardens, a huge yoga pavilion, and stunning views of the ocean and national park
It's easy to become mesmerized by the views from the Costa
Rica Yoga Spa. In true retreat fashion, the small hotel is perfectly perched on
top of a steep hillside, away from any noise or trace of tourism, gazing upon
the untouched land of Ostional National Wildlife Refuge and the shimmering
Pacific Ocean. Guests check in at the nondescript office-like receptionhouse before climbing the hill to the Jungle Lodge, a rectangular, two-story structure
dripping with trailing bougainvillea that holds the hotel's eight rooms, as
well as massage room, kitchen, and dining area. Adjacent to the lodge is a
small pool, perfect for dipping (although not big enough for swimming) and
lingering while watching sunsets or chatting up other guests about wellness
matters. Trips to the beach, daily yoga sessions, meditation, and
wandering around the hilly property in quiet reflection are key activities at
Costa Rica Yoga Spa, but one's stay is often dependent upon the group that is
occupying the property. The lodge can accommodate up to 24 guests as part of a
retreat or book guests on an individual basis. Travelers may find themselves
sharing rooms and meals with small, organized groups, but are not obligated to
participate in their activities. Meals are served communal-style at a long
table next to the kitchen. The focus is organic and mostly vegetarian, but the
chef can accommodate the dietary needs of individual guests. Fruit smoothies
are made from bananas, pineapples, and mangoes, grown on the property, and meals
incorporate vegetables and herbs grown in the organic garden, located at the top
of the property.Daily yoga classes, included in the room rate, take place in
a huge, teakwood pavilion adjacent to the pool and lodge. Standing under the
palapa roof, overlooking the views of the sea makes it easy to fall into the
laid-back rhythm of daily life at the Yoga Spa. Down time is spent writing in
journals, rocking in hammocks, and enjoying massages. The on-site American owners and hosts are gracious and available to assist guests. They're true advocates for Nosara (which
has a large expat population) and the Costa Rican lifestyle that embraces
"pura vida," which means "pure life."
Location
On the top of a hill, off a dusty gravel road that traverses through Nosara, a 15-minute drive from the Nosara Airport, which connects to the international airport in San Jose via a 40-minute flight
Getting to Nosara, located on the north Pacific coast of Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula, is not easy, but that's part of the
destination's appeal. A long ride along a punishing, bumpy gravel road brings
guests to the tiny, eco-tourist, surfing town known for its consistent
wave, nesting turtles, and abundance of yoga retreats. Costa Rica Yoga Spa,
located about a 15-minute drive from the town center of Nosara, is perched on a
hillside overlooking the Ostinal National Park and the Pacific.- 10-minute drive to Playa Ostional
Rooms
Four bunk rooms with shared bathrooms and four private suites, all with colorful Costa Rican style and terraces with views of the ocean and surrounding hills
The two-story Jungle Lodge is set near the top of the gravel
drive perched on a steep ridge that overlooks nearby farms and the more distant
national park and ocean. The cheery yellow and terra-cotta color building encompasses
eight rooms, four shared bunk rooms on the first floor and four private suites located on the second floor. All of the rooms feature polished concrete floors, teakwood furniture, and two sets of doors, one that opens from the rear (the parking lot side) of the property and the other that opens to the hill side of the property and the views. The bunk rooms are arranged for sharing and accommodating up
to four guests. They include two sets of bunk beds, each with its own reading
light and towel hook, as well as a wall of closets with four locker-stylecompartments stocked with designated towels and blankets. The rooms also feature a small
desk and ceiling fans, which help compensate for the lack of air-conditioning. Two
doors in each room are framed by shuttered windows that can be opened and
closed for privacy and to allow for cross breezes. The rear doors open to a
covered hallway bordered by foliage and trees with a chess table and the front
doors open to an ocean-view corridor with hammocks strung between tree-trunk columns, ideal spots for afternoon
naps, reading, and watching the sunsets.The bunk rooms share two sets of designated bathrooms,
accessed from both sides of the building. The bathrooms are spacious and tidy,
with large wood vanities with raised glass bowl sinks, plenty of sturdy bars to hang
towels, private water closets, and a row of showers finished with decorative
tile and wall-mounted shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. In addition, there
is a row of individual, more private, toilets and showers by the pool at the
north end of the building.The private second-floor suites are each unique,
decorated with specific color themes (tangerine, sky blue, red, and green),
coordinating accent pillows, and Costa Rican pottery and artwork, including signature large paintings
that fill the tall walls beneath the vaulted wood ceilings. The rooms feature
two double beds and one twin, one double and one twin, or one queen bed and one
twin. They also feature armoire-style shuttered closets stocked with
towels and blankets and matching wood side tables with reading lamps, reed diffusers, and small vases with fresh flowers. Glass doors open to sunny covered balconies entangled with bougainvillea vines and equipped with two
rocking chairs, ideal for sitting and taking in the ocean views. Unlike the
bunk rooms, the suites feature air-conditioning and private
bathrooms. Modern and spacious, the bathrooms include large private shower
stalls, private water closets, double vanities with glass bowl sinks, and small floating makeup tables.
Features
Yoga classes, trips to the beach, massage, hiking, meditation areas, and a small pool
The resort features free daily shuttles to local beaches. Playa Guiones is known for its consistent surf break and is the area's most
popular beach; Playa Pelada is ideal for swimming and relaxing in tide pools; and Playa Ostional is a long, dark-sand beach that's popular with experienced
surfers but is best known for being one of Costa Rica’s most important turtle
nesting sites, a place where Olive Ridley turtles arrive by the thousands to
come ashore and lay their eggs. Costa Rica Yoga Spa also offers two places on-site for massages. The room on the second floor of the Jungle Lodge offers breezy views of the ocean while a small hut tucked away among foliage and palm trees offers more privacy.
