The Best Destination Spas in the US & Around the World: 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards

"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. Chef, author, and health and wellness life coach Diana Stobo opened the property in 2016, creating a place for guests to focus on nature, nutrition, and wellness in the midst of Costa Rica’s stunning rainforest, with nature as the greatest healer. In the covered outdoor dining room, there is no menu: waiters simply tell you what colorful dish is soon to be presented. Peacocks roam the property, and yoga, meditation, and sound bath classes are on offer in the wellness room. And from nearly every vantage point, gorgeous mountain views abound."