Costa Rica has a wonderful collection of eco lodges, but the right one depends on the holiday you have in mind. Some are built around rare wildlife and long days in the forest. Others specialize in yoga, healthy meals, swimming pools and the kind of unhurried days that make you forget what your phone sounds like. A few manage to bring several of those experiences together.
If you’re looking for the best eco lodges in Costa Rica for yoga and wellness, start by deciding what matters most: a remote wilderness adventure, a warm yoga community, a beautiful beach, restorative spa treatments or a little of everything. The lodges below offer very different ways to enjoy this remarkable country.
Anamaya Resort belongs on the list because of its unusual combination of Pacific views, rainforest wildlife, a private path to the Montezuma waterfalls and a well-established yoga and wellness program. We’ll also happily tell you when another lodge may fit your interests better. Finding your place is the whole point.
Quick guide to choosing
- For yoga, ocean views, waterfalls and a personal retreat atmosphere: Anamaya, Montezuma.
- For intensive wildlife observation in a remote rainforest: Lapa Rios, Osa Peninsula.
- For a dramatic river adventure and secluded luxury: Pacuare Lodge, Caribbean slope.
- For farming, sustainability education and yoga near Arenal: Rancho Margot.
- For a group retreat or yoga-centered stay near Nosara: Blue Spirit.
- For surf-town energy and creative movement: Danyasa, Dominical.
- For high-end villas, spa experiences and volcano scenery: Nayara Tented Camp, Arenal.
- For rainforest yoga with a Caribbean-coast atmosphere: Samasati, near Puerto Viejo.
What We Looked for in a Costa Rica Eco Lodge
A lovely photograph doesn’t tell the whole story. For this guide, we looked at the relationship between each property and its landscape, the nature experiences available, the actual yoga or wellness offerings, the character of the accommodations and how clearly each place explains its environmental choices.
We also paid attention to logistics. Does a guest need to organize every meal and every outing? Can someone traveling alone settle into a comfortable community? Is the setting so remote that getting there becomes part of the adventure? And does the property feel better suited to energetic exploration or deep rest?
The properties below aren’t ranked by a single invented sustainability score. A farm, a yoga center, an extraordinary forest lodge and a luxury riverside property can all operate with environmental care, but they aren’t interchangeable. We favor specific examples of environmental work over labels such as eco-friendly that could mean almost anything.
Costa Rica’s Tourism Board recognizes several lodging categories and provides information about sustainable tourism certification. A lodge’s location, guest experience and daily operating choices matter too. You can learn more in our eco lodge versus eco resort guide.
1. Anamaya Resort, Montezuma: Yoga, Wildlife, Waterfalls and the Ocean
Anamaya Resort is a yoga and wellness retreat in Montezuma, on the southern tip of Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula. It sits high above the Pacific, overlooking a rainforest-covered gorge, with the famous Montezuma waterfalls right next door. Guests walk down to the falls on Anamaya’s own private path. The view is spectacular, but what people tend to remember is how the place makes them feel at home.
There’s a reason for that. Anamaya was originally founder Geoff McCabe’s house. Geoff and his then-wife Karen designed a home inspired by their travels and love of natural materials, and the property gradually grew into a retreat that began welcoming guests in 2009. Geoff later founded Rancho Delicioso, a nearby eco-village rooted in his interest in ecological building and community life. The original Anamaya story is a lovely piece of local history.
On a typical morning, you might wake to howler monkeys, which guests are almost guaranteed to hear during a week here. Collared aracaris and other birds move through the trees. Yoga takes place on open-air decks above the ocean, and afternoons can be spent at the infinity pool, at the spa, exploring beaches or swimming at the waterfalls. The kitchen is 100% gluten-free and dairy-free, and we use organic ingredients when we can. It’s a particularly comfortable combination for guests who enjoy nature but also value excellent food and warm hospitality.
The international recognition is a nice bonus. National Geographic selected Anamaya for its Best of the World 2026 wellness experiences, noting how its jungle and ocean setting come together in Costa Rica’s Nicoya Blue Zone. It also highlighted an extraordinary 1:1.5 staff-to-guest ratio. Travel + Leisure included Anamaya among its Top 5 Can’t-Miss yoga retreats in a worldwide roundup.
Anamaya also has a real wildlife-protection story. After a monkey was electrocuted on the property’s electrical equipment, the retreat arranged for protective transformer covers and shared guidance with neighbors. Read the original monkey conservation account.
Best for: Solo travelers, couples and friends who want a structured week of wellness without giving up waterfalls, beaches, wildlife and local adventures.
Good to know: Anamaya runs Saturday-to-Saturday retreat weeks rather than working like a conventional hotel with nightly check-ins. Accommodation and three meals a day form the base package, and you choose yoga, spa treatments and excursions to suit your week. See current rates and accommodations.
2. Lapa Rios Lodge, Osa Peninsula: A True Rainforest Experience
If wildlife is the main reason for your journey, Lapa Rios deserves serious consideration. The lodge sits on the Osa Peninsula, one of Costa Rica’s most biologically rich regions, with rainforest descending toward the Pacific and nature guiding much of the daily experience.
Lapa Rios is especially appealing to naturalists, photographers and guests who want to spend substantial time exploring with guides. Its setting offers a very different feeling from a coastal wellness retreat. You’ll be more concerned with what you might spot in the forest than which café to visit after breakfast.
There are wellness opportunities, including forest yoga, but the dominant character is that of a high-end rainforest lodge with a deep conservation story.
Best for: Serious wildlife enthusiasts, rainforest explorers and travelers who prioritize forest immersion over a full weekly yoga schedule.
The trade-off: It’s more remote and less focused on yoga community or daily group wellness activities.
3. Pacuare Lodge, Caribbean Slope: River Adventure Meets Luxury
Pacuare Lodge is a beautiful choice for a traveler who wants the journey itself to feel like an adventure. The lodge is reached through a spectacular river landscape, with rafting or overland access depending on conditions and the package selected. Think rainforest, river sounds, carefully designed rooms and days that feel far from ordinary life.
Its attraction is the combination of natural drama and comfortable, often luxurious accommodation. Forest walks, river activities and guided experiences shape the stay. Wellness can be part of the experience, but it isn’t the obvious choice for someone whose first priority is a daily yoga retreat with a consistent group of people.
The setting is on Costa Rica’s Caribbean slope rather than near the Pacific beaches of Montezuma or Nosara. That distinction matters if you’re imagining several days of beach exploration alongside your lodge stay.
Best for: Couples, nature-minded luxury travelers and adventurous guests who love rivers, seclusion and beautifully arranged experiences.
The trade-off: Access takes more planning, and it won’t suit everyone looking for an easy beach-and-wellness week.
4. Rancho Margot, Arenal: Farm Life, Sustainability and Yoga
Rancho Margot, near El Castillo in the Arenal region, offers a different kind of green holiday. Here, the attraction is the relationship between hospitality, farming, learning and the landscape. Guests interested in how food is grown and how sustainable systems work will find plenty to explore beyond the view from their room.
Yoga, gardens, rainforest trails and hands-on experiences are part of the character. Rancho Margot invites guests to look at how things are actually done, which makes it a good match for travelers who enjoy asking questions and discovering ideas they might take home.
The Arenal area also offers an entirely different side of Costa Rica: volcanic scenery, cooler elevations in some areas and lush inland landscapes. It’s a good choice for people who don’t need the Pacific Ocean as part of their holiday.
Best for: Environmentally curious travelers, farm-to-table enthusiasts, families or friends interested in hands-on learning, and people who enjoy yoga in a rural setting.
The trade-off: No oceanfront atmosphere, and the experience is more farm-centered than the polished spa-and-retreat style many travelers seek.
5. Blue Spirit, Nosara: An Established Home for Yoga Retreats
Blue Spirit has helped put Nosara on the international yoga-retreat map. Its ocean and nature setting, retreat facilities and recurring programs make it an appealing destination for guests who want a particular teacher, a meditation-focused experience or the energy of a dedicated practice community.
Much of the experience is organized around workshops and hosted retreats. For some guests, that’s exactly the appeal. Instead of beginning each morning wondering what to do, you arrive with a purpose and share the experience with people drawn to the same program.
Best for: Guests who want to study with a specific retreat teacher, deepen meditation or yoga practice, and experience Nosara’s established wellness culture.
The trade-off: Program content and group size depend heavily on the particular retreat, so the experience can be very different from one week to the next.
6. Danyasa Eco Retreat, Dominical: Creative Yoga and Surf-Town Life
Danyasa is a friendly option for guests who like yoga with a little surf-town character. It’s based in Dominical on the central-to-southern Pacific coast, where the mountains rise behind the beach and life moves between waves, café conversations and warm tropical afternoons.
The property’s accommodation is distinctive: rooms have been created using repurposed shipping containers. Its boutique-hotel atmosphere makes a stay feel less like a conventional resort and more like a creative coastal hideaway. Yoga, movement and hosted retreats sit at the heart of the offering.
Danyasa is especially interesting for people who want to travel with friends, enjoy independent town exploration and dip into yoga or surf experiences. It’s a different setting from Anamaya’s high clifftop, and that difference is useful. One offers a village-centered surf atmosphere; the other offers sweeping ocean views above a forested gorge and an established retreat-week structure.
Best for: Independent travelers, surf-and-yoga enthusiasts, couples and people attracted to a smaller creative retreat community.
The trade-off: Room-only bookings and full hosted retreats are different products, so food, classes and excursions may not all come with a basic room.
7. Nayara Tented Camp, Arenal: A Splurge Worth Understanding
Nayara Tented Camp appeals to a different part of the eco-luxury market. Picture beautifully appointed tented suites, private plunge pools, volcano-region scenery, high-end service and spa experiences that can become an entire holiday in themselves.
For guests who put luxury accommodation and privacy first, it’s an exciting option. A couple planning a significant anniversary or honeymoon may care more about the room, dining, private experiences and spa than about joining a group yoga class each morning.
Nayara also describes reforestation and wildlife-conservation efforts, which add substance to its environmental positioning. It’s a luxury resort experience rather than a forest cabin, so decide whether that’s the style of trip you want.
Best for: Honeymoons, special celebrations, upscale couples’ escapes and travelers who want private wellness and volcano scenery.
The trade-off: It sits at the premium end, and its room-and-spa model is a different thing from an intimate, community-oriented yoga retreat.
8. Samasati, Caribbean Coast: Yoga in the Forest
Samasati, near Puerto Viejo, offers the chance to see a different side of Costa Rica altogether. The Caribbean coast has its own rhythms, vegetation, foods and cultural influences, and staying among forested hills makes it easy to appreciate that distinction.
Samasati has long been associated with yoga, retreat groups and a quieter connection with the surrounding environment. Guests drawn to reflection, practice and nature may enjoy its forest atmosphere, especially if they want to combine a retreat with time exploring the southern Caribbean.
This side of the country doesn’t follow the same seasonal patterns as the southern Nicoya Peninsula. It can be an excellent complement to a Pacific trip, but it deserves its own weather planning.
Best for: Yoga groups and nature lovers interested in the Caribbean coast and a quieter forest experience.
The trade-off: It’s not a Pacific-ocean destination, and packages differ quite a bit depending on whether you join a group retreat or book independently.
How to Compare What’s Included
Lodges and retreats package their stays in very different ways. Some price seven nights per person, others one room per night for two people, and others a teacher-led retreat with workshops and meals. A headline number tells you very little until you know what sits behind it.
When comparing, ask four questions: Is the price per person or per room? How many nights does it cover? Are meals included? What will you actually do each day, and which activities are extra? A lower room price can be a bargain or a very different vacation.
For Anamaya, the rates page sets out accommodation and meals clearly, and the retreat calendar shows the available weeks and programming.
Which Part of Costa Rica Should You Choose?
Montezuma and the southern Nicoya Peninsula: A particularly appealing choice if you want both dramatic Pacific views and close contact with the jungle. Beaches, Montezuma Falls, Cabo Blanco and Curú create a varied nature itinerary. Read our guide to nature day trips from Montezuma.
Nosara: Famous for its yoga culture, surf and established wellness community. It’s a good destination if practicing with a particular teacher or being part of a recognized yoga scene is central to your plans.
Dominical: A lively Pacific surf town with a wild, green mountain backdrop. It suits travelers who enjoy casual cafés, movement, beach time and creative retreat spaces.
Arenal: Inland forests, volcanic scenery, thermal waters and farms. A good fit for travelers who like nature, comfort and exploring the countryside without making the beach their priority.
Osa Peninsula: A wonderful choice for wildlife enthusiasts and visitors who want to spend most of their vacation in a very rich rainforest ecosystem.
Caribbean coast: A distinct cultural and natural region with its own beaches, forest experiences and weather rhythm.
For a closer coastal comparison, read our guide to eco lodges on the Nicoya Peninsula. If you’re more concerned with accommodations and amenities, start with luxury eco lodges in Costa Rica.
What Makes a Lodge Feel Truly Personal?
This is the part that rarely fits inside a booking comparison table. Two places may have similar pools, similar views and similar room photos, yet one feels like a hotel and the other feels like you’ve been welcomed into someone’s extraordinary home.
At Anamaya, that history is literal. The retreat grew from Geoff McCabe’s home, built on a hillside he loved, into a place where guests share meals, yoga, adventures and conversations. Its friendly atmosphere wasn’t assembled from a hotel-brand checklist. It’s part of the history of the place.
That home-grown character also shows up in practical environmental choices. Anamaya chooses eco-friendly materials and supplies where it can, hires locally whenever possible and has taken concrete steps to protect monkeys from electrical infrastructure. You’ll find the details in How Sustainable Is Anamaya?.
And if animals matter to you, our wildlife guide to Montezuma explains which species you’re likely to encounter. It’s more helpful to know you’ll probably hear howler monkeys every morning than to be promised a glimpse of an elusive wild cat.
Plan Around the Experience, Not Just the Map
One final thought: there’s no prize for cramming every famous Costa Rica destination into a single week. You could spend seven days visiting one park after another and come home more tired than when you left. Or you could find a base that feels right, get to know the surrounding landscape and let your days unfold at a gentler pace.
If your dream vacation includes waking to monkeys, practicing yoga above the Pacific, swimming in an infinity pool, enjoying delicious gluten-free and dairy-free meals, and wandering down a private path to the waterfalls when the mood strikes, Anamaya may be exactly what you’re looking for. Explore our full eco lodge yoga retreat guide or look at upcoming retreat weeks.
