Anamaya Resort

I had an incredible experience at Anamaya! The setting, the views, the people and the food were all beyond amazing. Karen led the most beautiful and life-changing retreat. Her yoga classes were the best - accessible for all levels, and more than accessible, powerful! I’m plus size and had a recently broken leg so was very nervous before the retreat but really wanted to get back into yoga. Karen’s classes were both physically and mentally nourishing, and were paced and thoughtfully guided so that all of us could get the most out of each practice.

I am so grateful to have chosen Anamaya as the destination for my yoga retreat. Karen Love, yoga retreat leader, is a beautiful soul who inspired me in my yoga practice and through her workshops. The owners were friendly and kind. Every single plate of food was delicious and I never felt hungry. There’s wine and beer available to purchase. The brewery’s a 5min walk away and is a nice excursion if you do get hungry between lunch and dinner. Zip lining is also a fun excursion, only a 5min walk away. The surfing is 100% worth it, even if just for the beautiful hike to the sandy surfing beach. My room, lotus, was extremely comfortable and clean. I spent a lot of time on my balcony’s hammocks, enjoying the view and breeze. The bathroom and shower are indoors. The pool is gorgeous and a perfect temperature. The spa treatments were all incredible. If flying in to San Jose, the walk to the domestic terminal was an easy 5 min. If you have time to waste before the flight from/to Cóbano I suggest taking an uber to la calle street food or to the city mall. Cost was $5-$10 each way. Oh and go to Santa Theresa if you can while you are staying at Anamaya. A beautiful beachside town and the ocean is perfect to swim in. And sunset is beautiful.

The views were incredible, the food was very fulfilling, delicious, and plentiful, and the staff was top notch. As an American, not flushing toilet paper took a little getting used to. The tiny downside to the location of the resort was that it sat on top a very steep cliff so walking to and from town is quite the challenge. There is an excellent restaurant around the corner that served refreshing juices and delicious foods. Looking forward to returning to Anamaya one day!

Anamaya Retreat center is nothing short of a dream! They hold weekly retreats all with different themes, leaders, and focuses. The center itself is absolutely beautiful, location a few hundred meters up a hill from the amazing town of Montezuma. The rooms are all beautiful (I know this firsthand because my group and I all did tours of each others rooms) each room was unique, spacious, and had a wonderful view of the ocean of the jungle. The retreat also has its own private entrance to the famous Montezuma waterfalls. The staff at the resort are all kind and attentive, and always willing to help. The food was totally and completely outstanding (as well as healthy) and I miss it everyday. The schedule is great as you only pay for the activities you choose to do, meaning if you want to sleep in or accidentally miss and activity, you don’t end up paying for it, although with that said, I did enjoy doing all of the yoga classes and workshops. The retreat also has a complimentary cold plunge and sauna, which my group and I enjoyed doing each day. As someone who has traveled and done several retreats, I found this venue to be incredible value. The only thing to note is the listed prices do not include tax and gratuity, which is added at the end. Overall, I had an amazing experience, and I can’t wait to eventually return to Anamaya.

I spent two glorious weeks at Anamaya in late February thru March 8th. It was my third trip. Home now for over a month and the experience is deeply sealed in my heart. Anamaya is a sacred place that strengthens the mind and body. Over the course of a week's retreat, Anamaya works its magic by providing healthy, delicious food, yoga, breath work, lovely rooms (with the best balconies overlooking the jungle) and artistic attention to detail throughout the resort - tropical flower arrangements, beautifully set tables for dinner etc. And Costa Rican coffee always ready at 6:00 am. The jewels are the yoga retreat leaders and Anamaya's staff... a special shout out to my favorite massage therapist, Barbara!! She walks on water and your back!! | | I had the good fortune of participating in a Sacred Pathways: Sacred Medicine Retreat led by Joseph, Anamay's owner and Chela. Joseph was attentive to every detail of the week, made certain every attendee's needs were met and guided us through outstanding programming - including breath work that for me is life-changing. His kindness, compassion, generous spirit and dedication to Anamay's mission was present every single moment. We all felt it. Chela provided beautiful ceremonies and allowed us to experience Costa Rican spirituality. || The issues of the day quickly descend upon return home....and when they do, I close my eyes, breathe and picture myself on Anamaya's yoga decks overlooking the Pacific Ocean. And peace returns... Anamaya's spirit is alive... and remains with you. || I hope my path always guides me back to Anamaya. It is Sacred Medicine.

This review is solely for the new management at Anamaya. I have been there for 3 different yoga retreats--my first one was in 2014--and the long-time management (e.g., Greta, Manije, Albert, and Diane) and staff are *always* grounded, kind, highly skilled, and deeply caring. So I'm sad to write this negative review, but I can only recommend Anamaya with a large caveat at this point. ||||It seems that one of the owners, Joseph, has taken over some day-to-day workings at Anamaya, to its detriment. On my latest trip, he ran the opening circle instead of Diane and it didn't have the same warm and loving energy. Rather than the usual give-and-take, Joseph appeared annoyed when any woman interjected and he spent most of the circle promoting his intense detox services. I was also very much looking forward to the usual visit to the farm that grows many of the vegetables served at Anamaya. That trip was not offered anymore. And while I understand things change, the replacement activity ("time for shopping on the beach trip") was disappointing in comparison. I'm not sure if Joseph played a role in this change, but it did coincide with his apparent takeover of the management. ||||Finally, and worst of all, Joseph arranged an ill-conceived and terribly managed day-trip that ended up extending past the closing circle and dinner time. The original concept (a day on a unique sailing vessel visiting the area) was great. But Joseph's execution and--from my perspective, lack of good judgement--made it rather horrible. ||||First, we were not aware that non-guests--including many of Joseph's friends--would be present on this many hours-long boat trip (which was billed as "exclusive for Anamaya guests" on the materials and the boat's social media). These non-guests made me extremely uncomfortable. At least one person was on so many recreational drugs she couldn't function. She just sat on a set of stairs, staring off into space and unable to talk. Another non-guest male made several sexual remarks to the female Anamaya guests, e.g., talking without invitation about the BDSM props he likes to use during sex. And one other non-guest was just rude--cutting in line for things and pushing past guests on the boat so she could stand where they were standing. Moreover, the conditions weren't right for Joseph's conception of the day, so we spent many hours just trying to get to his chosen destination, which was not worth the trouble. Ideally, we would have consulted the captain and deferred to him on what was possible in the time we had. ||||Lastly, several Anayama guests were very seasick and we were very late for dinner by the time we pulled into the anchorage. Presumably, it would make sense for us to be on the first dinghy trips to shore. But we had to advocate for this ourselves. Joseph seemed unconcerned with these details, focused as he was on his friends and his own good time. This same thing occurred when we had to take dinghy trips to the anchored vessel. The first boats were filled with Joseph and his friends, while the Anamaya guests stood in the baking sun for the approx. 45 minutes it took to get everyone on the sailboat. ||||I cannot imagine these things occurring at an event planned by the long-time management. Indeed, these are the sorts of things--namely the drugs, sexual harassment, and lack of care for guests--that would make me stay away from any wellness resort in the future. ||||So the caveat is this. The positive comments about Anayama are all true, and I dare say even understated. Please do go, please enjoy your yoga, the nourishing meals, the amazing jungle massages, and the wildlife. More importantly, embrace the wonderful Tico people and culture. But perhaps do what you can to limit Joseph's influence on your trip. Ask for Diane to run the opening and closing circles. Ask about the farm trip. Make your own choices about the detox offerings (but also be aware that people often feel weak or ill during the detox process--something Joseph does not mention). Perhaps check with the long-time management about who is handling the excursions and avoid any "new" trips that Joseph is involved with. If I'm able to go back, that's what I will be doing. This is what I recommend to my friends who have heard me unreservedly compliment Anamaya and the long-time management year after year, prior to this trip.

Being celiac, I have struggled for years to find a retreat center that safely meet my food needs without cross contamination. Not only have they safely fed me, but the food is the best I have ever tasted, anywhere. This retreat center is absolutely amazing! The rooms are spotless and thoroughly cleaned daily. I even received all clean bedding mid week. All the staff here are kind, accommodating and helpful. The resort overlooks the ocean and is situated right in the jungle. We have seen so much amazing wildlife here! If you need to reset, come to Anamaya!

A perfect getaway for all, especially Solo travellers who want to enjoy the good things in life, rest, recover and make new friends. I left felling I got far more than what I payed for. Such an incredible experience and I am definitely want to return!!!||I stayed in the Anahata room and Lotus Cabina which both have wonderful views. I also visited some of the other rooms and all were extremely beautiful. You just have to choose what matches your preference. However if you're a light sleeper, I would recommend staying away from the Anahata room as it is in the main house. I sleep deeply so it didn't bother me but if other guests are up early or go to be late, you can hear the noise. Otherwise if you want ease and convenience, Anahata room is right by many of the resort features. The Lotus Cabina was my favourite of the two, for the cosy feel and the deck. ||The yoga is great, you can have a look at the website to see what style/intention suits before you book. The spa treatments are a must! Don't leave without having one. If you like a deeper massage, I recommend the Ashiatsu massage. It's intense but so freeing! The pool is lovely and there are a few floatys to support weaker swimmers which is a lovely addition. There is also an infrared sauna and ice bath which are super for the rainy days if you're there in the rainy season.|The FOOD IS AMAZING! You will feel nourished and fulfilled with the incredible, hearty, great meals they provide. They hit the jack pot on flavour and satisfaction every time.||For the excursions, I can definitely recommend the Zip-line tour as an exciting way to see the jungle from a different perspective. Also, plan to skip one meal to go for lunch or dinner at the Butterfly Brewing Co & Imago Gastro. They also do amazing snacks and cocktails (spicy passion fruit margarita... Fantastic!) if you can't bring yourself to skip one of the amazing Anamaya meals. ||You don't know what you're missing yet but once you go you'll be so glad you did!