14-Day Yoga and Holistic Awareness Retreat in El Castillo, Costa Rica

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Overview Program Accommodation Food Location Instructors What's included Cancellations

Basubu says

Whether you’re a seasoned yogi or a complete newbie, there’s no better place to elevate your practice and uncover healing than the wild Costa Rican rainforest. Overlooking the treetops in the small village of El Castillo, this 14-day retreat offers an authentic yoga and wellness experience in the middle of nature. Here, practitioners of all levels can enjoy mindful yoga and rejuvenating spa treatments with views of the Arenal volcano. A trip to the local cacao farm also promises to be a sweet treat!

Hatha Yoga

Suitable for beginner, advanced, and intermediate practitioners

Daily 75-minute yoga session

Enjoy Temazcal sweat lodge ceremony and body detox mud wrap

3 daily healthy vegetarian meals

Permaculture farm tour and chocolate-making workshop

Be pampered with Thai and deep tissue massage sessions

Instruction in English

Organiser also speaks German and Spanish

Essence Arenal Wellness Center designed the Rainforest yoga retreat to create an inclusive atmosphere that is truly for all levels of yoga practitioners, from the brand new yogi to the seasoned veteran. The unique customization will provide you with the opportunity to explore what is best for you. This retreat is a lovely mix of yoga, adventure, alone time, and relaxation to revitalize and restore your inner balance through a practice that will enhance the mind, nourish the soul, and give you every reason you need to celebrate life.

Please note this is not a group retreat.

The price is based on a 14-day, 13-night stay. Different lengths of stay are also available. Please enquire for more details

People

Double Room

Private room | Private bathroom

$1,986

Program

The itinerary will be independently developed according to your specific needs. To give you the time and space to heal and connect with the beautiful surroundings, deepen your yoga practice, and transform your eating habits and perception of life. To be more mindful, relaxed, and live in the present moment.

Sample schedule

07:00 Morning yoga practice
09:00 Breakfast
10:00 Massage
11:30 Sound healing session
12:30 Lunch
13:00 Free time - connect with nature, explore the permaculture farm, hike in the rainforest or book a treatment in the jungle spa
19:00 Dinner
20:00 Evening meditation
21:00 Early to bed (recommended)

Excursions

Permaculture farm tour and harvest
Cacao farm tour and chocolate making workshop

Optional activities

There are a wide variety of activities and tours available in the area:

Canopy tour
Rafting
Canyoneering
Kayak and boating on Lake Arenal
ATV Tour
Hanging bridges
Waterfall hike
Arenal Volcano National Park
Horseback riding
Butterfly observatory
Thermal hot springs

Accommodation

Caters for vegan, organic, vegetarian, gluten-free, and lactose-free diets

Hot spring

Spa

Temazcal

Environmentally friendly

Luggage room / storage

Restaurant

Yoga deck

Free Wi-Fi

Parking lot

Hot tub / Jacuzzi

Swimming pool (outdoor)

Café

Garden

Multilingual staff

Terrace

Free parking

Laundry

Tour assistance

Check-in

13:00

Check-out

11:00

During this retreat, you will be staying in a private room with a private bathroom (and hot water) in Essence Arenal Boutique Hostel. All beds have orthopaedic mattresses and anti-allergic pillows. The eco-hostel has majestic views of the Arenal Volcano, the Arenal Lake, and the El Castillo Valley. We offer wifi, free parking and a laundry service (at additional cost).

During your stay, you have unlimited access to the jacuzzi, swimming pool, rainforest trails, volleyball court and yoga/exercise deck. Our on-site restaurant is open daily to serve healthy, organic vegetarian/vegan meals from locally sourced produce and from our farm. Enjoy a range of treatments and therapies in our jungle spa with Temazcal sweat lodge, or a consultation with our on-site naturopathic doctor.

Double Room

Private room | Private bathroom | $1,986

Food

During this retreat, you will be served three daily vegetarian meals at our on-site restaurant, with natural drinks and naturopathic teas depending on your detox needs.

At Essence, they take pride in our farm-to-table kitchen. They encourage thoughtful, healthy meals that come from the earth. Essence Arenal Wellness Center features an organic, vegetarian, and vegan kitchen from conscious, locally sourced food that supports their dedication to the planet and your bodies.

Chef Marvin prepares fantastic meals that are absolutely delicious, nutritious, and balanced. Marvin has a deep enthusiasm for preparing foods. He prepares meals farm-to-table, finding creative ways to create using all the tropical delights that are available in Costa Rica from local farmers, and from the farm. We cater for a range of different dietary requirements and detox needs.

If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate them to the organiser when making a reservation

Location

This retreat will be taking place in El Castillo, close to the Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal area, Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of plants and animals.

El Castillo is a small neighbouring village to La Fortuna, directly on Lake Arenal atop the hills overlooking Arenal volcano with 22 hectares of prime hilltop forested pristine land. With breathtaking views, the hostel takes pride in giving its guests an experience of a lifetime.

From forest trails down to a majestic waterfall hidden in the rainforest, enjoying mystical free hot springs, horseback riding, and canopy tours, there is a rich amount of nature activities to experience at Essence Arenal.

Nearby Towns

Quesada

36 km

Canas

38 km

Puntarenas

50 km

How to get there

Arrival by airplane

Please book your flight to arrive at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) or Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR). Airport transfer is not included in the price.

Arrival by bus

From San Jose Airport (SJO), you can take public transportation. First, take a taxi to the Terminal San Carlos in Alajuela (approximately 2 kilometers). Currently, there is no direct bus to La Fortuna. From the bus terminal San Carlos in Alajuela, take the bus to 'Ciudad Quesada'. Buses depart approximately every 2 hours. Get off at the last stop at the bus terminal in Ciudad Quesdada and take another bus to La Fortuna. From La Fortuna, take a taxi to Essence Arenal.

Arrival by shared shuttle

Interbus offers a shuttle service to pick you up from the airport in San Jose (SJO) and bring you to the hotel for approximately 57 USD per person. You will need to reserve the shuttle online ahead of your journey.

Nearest airports

LIR Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport

Transfer not provided

88 km

SJO Juan Santamaría International Airport

Transfer available for additional € 114 per person

76 km

Nearest train stations

Barranca Railway Station

48km

Instructors

Nico

In 2008, Essence Arenal project began through destiny and universal guidance. Nico ended up in this rainforest paradise, where he immediately knew this was his place on earth to live. It has opened his eyes and he needed that change. He was 80 pounds overweight and had a wide collection of emotional wrecks stored in his soul. In a short time of balancing nutrition, emotions, and bad life habits, through learned techniques, these problems disappeared! Nico has found emotional, physical, and spiritual balance through the creation of this wonderful place. And he wants to share it with you!

Alejandro

Born in 1988 in the South of Costa Rica. In 2013 he received holistic therapy, who led him to a state of introspection about his life. It gave him the opportunity to reach a higher level of conscience, and he dedicated the following years to have a better understanding of the way he had followed. Now, he is a holistic therapist in integral balance, sound therapist, and certified Hatha yoga teacher (300 hours). He is known for his kind and soft approach to healing through energy and vibrational therapies, yoga, and integral massage, including also Reiki, Shiatsu/Thai, and Watsu.

Sarita

Sarita graduated from the Naturaclass School of Massage and Natural Therapy, Spain, in 2016 as a holistic massage therapist. She has since continued her studies in spiritual healing and bodywork in Thailand, Mexico and Brazil to be certified in holistic massage, deep tissue massage, Thai massage, bamboo massage, pregnancy massage, and facial acupressure massage. With empathy, compassion, and intuitive touch, Sarita helps people reconnect to their natural self, and supports not only physical healing but a complete rejuvenation on an emotional and spiritual level as well.