The Retreat, Costa Rica
"Set the scene About 45 minutes west of San Jose airport, along a series of steep windy roads, The Retreat sits in a rainforest atop a 50-acre quartz mountain said to have healing energies. Nature surrounds you at every point of the stay, whether you’re in a treatment room, falling asleep in bed, or dining. It’s popular with solo travelers who, beyond looking for a respite from regular life, are there at a transitional point in their life and hoping to kickstart a transformation. What’s the backstory? Chef, author, and health and wellness life coach Diana Stobo opened The Retreat in 2016, creating a place for guests to focus on nature, nutrition, and wellness in the midst of Costa Rica’s stunning rainforest. Three years later, the Vida Mia spa opened, offering nearly 80 different services from classic aromatherapy massages and facials to a full suite of crystal healing sessions. It’s also the first Ayurvedic healing center in Costa Rica, led by Dr. Shaveta Jasra, an Ayurvedic doctor from Kerala. What’s the wellness concept? Stobo is perhaps best known for her book, Get Naked Fast. And while the book itself may be off-putting to those avoiding overly restrictive diets (it starts with a long list of no-nos, including sugar, dairy, wheat, and meat), the retreat’s overall philosophy is more relaxed. It centers around a mind-body-soul approach to wellness and leans on nature as a healer. What are the signature treatments? There are nine wellness packages, each with a different focus, including emotional healing, better sleep, and weight loss. The newest one, The Big M: Mastering Menopause, was launched in 2023 and aims to help women going through menopause better understand the changes in their body and learn how to balance the shift in hormones through diet, exercise, and lifestyle alterations. The crystal therapies are another unique offering and are meant to bring about physical, emotional, and spiritual healing with the help of crushed crystals like amethyst and rose quartz, bringing forth calmness, luck, acceptance, or empowerment. What makes it different? While they’ve mastered the art of creating a serene environment there, the staff at The Retreat are equally focused on ensuring the transformation that occurs continues after you’ve left. Wellness packages are designed to give you tools to bring home and include, for instance, cooking classes on making plant-based meals, or learning Pranayama, an ancient breathing technique. What else do they offer? Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in Sol Terrace, the plant-filled, open-air dining room, and are largely grain-free and dairy-free (goat cheese or yogurt feature occasionally). Meals lean vegetarian but sides of fish, chicken, and meat are always available. The best part, should you be an indecisive orderer like myself, is that choice is removed. Unless you’re adding on protein, meals are what the chef has designed that day using ingredients from the on-property farm and surrounding area. There is no menu: waiters simply tell you what colorful dish is soon to be presented. Food is delicious and filling; lunch comes with a fun beverage, like watermelon lemonade or hibiscus iced tea. There is a bar open most of the day and evening, where cocktails, mocktails, beer, and organic wines are served. If you do get hungry in between meals, lighter fare can be ordered from the spa’s restaurant menu. At the time of my stay, there was a small fitness center in the spa. In 2024, this will be replaced by a larger space in the forthcoming community center, which will also house a lap pool, changing rooms with saunas, and a second restaurant. If you’d like to work up a sweat, there are several nature trails around the property for light hiking (borrow walking sticks if it’s been raining as the grounds can get muddy). Paths are lush, green and peaceful; you’ll pass by trees with roots so big you have to stop and stare. Yoga classes are held twice daily; a movement class in the morning and a restorative class in the afternoon, both of which incorporate a guided meditation. Sound baths are on offer, too. Where do you stay? I stayed in Papaya, a luxury loft and one of 18 rooms on the property (10 more are scheduled to be completed in 2024). It had, without a doubt, the most stunning views of any hotel room I’ve stayed in. One full wall is a floor-to-ceiling window with a sliding door out to the balcony. You can wake up, open the curtains, and look out onto the mountains; spot boats parked in the Pacific Ocean, and watch birds swoop and butterflies flit by from the comfort of a chair swing from the balcony. The open-walled, seafoam green-tiled shower competes for attention with the standalone bathtub, positioned next to the glass for epic bathtime vistas. Other options include Deluxe and Premium rooms, most of which have their own patios. All come stocked with cotton bathrobes and slippers, organic body care products, and organic hypoallergenic bedding. Notably missing are televisions and phones. You’re here to disconnect, though Wi-Fi is readily available, and the front desk is just a WhatsApp message away. Elsewhere on the property, there is a lounge deck next to the yoga studio, with a firepit staff will light upon request, and plenty of couches and bean bag-like chairs for reading or meditating. You might just see Tarzan, Jane, or their offspring up there, the hotel’s resident peacocks. Other hangout spots include the main pool and hot tub, right next to the dining room; the library, where there is a take-one-leave-one ethos; and the spa’s pool and hot tub. All around the property, you’ll find various swings and hammocks. The rocking sensation only adds to the peacefulness. Accessibility The resort is set on a mountain, with inclines throughout the property, which may be difficult to navigate for those with limited mobility. However, they do adhere to the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (2.1 Level AA), as well as state and federal accessibility requirements, which means there is an accessible route to the public entrance, dining area, concierge desk, and accessible rooms, with wheelchair-friendly doorways and balconies, and grab bars in the bathroom. Find more information here. Eco effort With its clear focus on the healing benefits of nature, it only makes sense that the resort would prioritize efforts to respect the environment it sits in. Commitments include providing chemical-free spa treatments made with organic products; using locally sourced fish and meat at the restaurant, with a daily menu that relies on seasonal products; employing 90 percent of the staff from the community, and offering excursions that benefit locals; a recycling program with the municipality; a composting facility on the property; biodegradable products used in the laundry and housekeeping; and energy and water saving programs along with regular monitoring. Glass carafes of fruit- or herb-infused water are always waiting for you in your room. Anything else to mention? It’s easy to stay put, especially once you’re in the rhythm of eating interspersed with treatments or rest. But if you do want to see more of the area, the hotel can arrange trips to Arenal Volcano, La Paz Waterfall Garden, local farmers markets, beaches, and more. Also worth noting: The Retreat is on the side of a mountain, so expect inclines when walking to dinner or yoga. Final word If you’re looking for a place to decompress, get grounded or kick start a new phase of life, there are few places better suited or more beautiful. Healing Holidays (healingholidays.com/condenast; 020 7843 3592) can arrange a 5-night Immersive Wellness program from $2,496 per person sharing, including transfers, full board accommodation, and inclusions of the program." - Madison Flager
