Costa Rica packs volcano hot springs, misty cloud forest and two coastlines into a country you can cross in a day. For a wellness trip, the real question is which landscape you want to wake up in. Our earlier post covers three beach and rainforest favorites; this one sorts the trip by region.
Which region of Costa Rica is best for a wellness trip?
Quick answer
It depends on your ideal day. Arenal is for soaking in hot springs with a volcano view. The cloud forest (Monteverde, Bajos del Toro) is for cool air, hiking and quiet. The Pacific coast (Guanacaste, Nicoya) is for beach days and sunsets. Seven to ten days lets most travelers pair two regions.
Which Costa Rica stays did High Vibe Vacay check?
It depends on the region. Verified on official pages as of October 24, 2026:
Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa
Arenal · Hot springs
Natural hot springs and a thermal river near Arenal Volcano. See it on High Vibe Vacay.
Food note: Ask the kitchen ahead for gluten-, dairy- and egg-free plates; we have not seen a published policy covering all three.
Checked: Tabacón (official site) - On High Vibe Vacay: See the stay · Request this stay
Nayara Tented Camp
Arenal Volcano National Park · Green Globe certified
Tented villas in the rainforest near Arenal. Its pages list yoga and horseback riding, plus guided hikes, and Green Globe lists it as certified.
Food note: The resort describes on-site organic gardens and local-farm sourcing. Ask ahead for gluten-, dairy- and egg-free plates.
Checked: Nayara Tented Camp: discover · Green Globe: Nayara Tented Camp - On High Vibe Vacay: See the stay · Request this stay
Hotel Belmar
Monteverde cloud forest
A cloud-forest hotel whose site lists yoga, horseback riding and hiking. It says its Finca Madre Tierra organic farm supplies the hotel, and it has an on-site juice bar.
Food note: Organic farm produce and a juice bar on site (per hotelbelmar.net). Ask ahead for gluten-, dairy- and egg-free plates.
Checked: Hotel Belmar · Hotel Belmar sustainability - On High Vibe Vacay: See the stay · Request this stay
El Silencio Lodge & Spa
Bajos del Toro cloud forest
A cloud-forest lodge with yoga, hiking and horseback riding listed on its site, and private hot tubs. It is bookable through Classic Vacations.
Food note: The lodge describes an organic farm. Ask ahead for gluten-, dairy- and egg-free plates.
Checked: El Silencio Lodge · Classic Vacations: El Silencio
Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Peninsula Papagayo, Guanacaste
Ritz-Carlton lists Nekajui as its Reserve on a secluded Pacific peninsula where tropical forest meets the ocean. See our Ritz-Carlton Reserve guide.
Food note: Ask the kitchen ahead for gluten-, dairy- and egg-free plates; we have not seen a published policy covering all three.
Checked: Ritz-Carlton Reserve - On High Vibe Vacay: See the stay · Request this stay
JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort & Spa, All-Inclusive
Playa El Jobo, Guanacaste · New, opened fall 2026
JW Marriott's first all-inclusive resort. Marriott lists a Mindfulness House beside native forest with guided meditation and sound healing, a Spa by JW using volcanic clay and native cacao, a sunset sound bath, sunset hikes and guided kayaking, and a weekly night market with local artisans. The Griffin Club, a resort within the resort, adds a well-being concierge, its own pool and a private beach area. Marriott's October 6, 2026 release gives starting rates from $900 per person per night, double occupancy; ask your advisor for current pricing. Classic Vacations lists it as a Preferred property, and Allie can book it for you.
Food note: The on-property JW Garden supplies herbs, edible flowers, fruit and vegetables to the menus, and Leal cooks from Guanacaste traditions. Marriott does not say the produce is organic. Ask ahead for gluten-, dairy- and egg-free plates.
Checked: JW Marriott Costa Elena (marriott.com) · Marriott news release, October 6, 2026 · Classic Vacations: JW Marriott Costa Elena - On High Vibe Vacay: See the stay · Request this stay
Is a guided tour a good way to see Costa Rica?
It depends on how much you want to plan. Globus lists a 10-day Costa Rica Escape with Tortuguero that covers rainforest, hanging bridges, Arenal and Monteverde with the logistics handled. Globus says special meals outside the US can't be promised, so plan snacks if you eat gluten-, dairy- and egg-free. See Costa Rica Escape with Tortuguero.
Globus lists a 10-day Costa Rica Escape with Tortuguero that covers rainforest, hanging bridges, Arenal and Monteverde with the logistics handled.
FAQ
Where in Costa Rica can I ride horses and do yoga at the same resort?
As of October 24, 2026, Nayara Tented Camp, Hotel Belmar and El Silencio Lodge & Spa all list both yoga and horseback riding on their own sites. - On High Vibe Vacay: See the stay · Request this stay
Which Costa Rica resort has hot springs?
Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa near Arenal Volcano is built around natural hot springs and a thermal river. - On High Vibe Vacay: See the stay · Request this stay
Plan this trip
Tell Allie which landscapes you want (hot springs, cloud forest, beach) and your dates. She will build the route and book it through Uniglobe.
Plan this trip — or send us a message.
On High Vibe Vacay
Stay at these from the list
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Photo: Central Intelligence Agency / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Wake up close to wild nature in Arenal
Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa
Natural hot springs and a thermal river near Arenal Volcano.
T+L World’s Best 2026 · Best International Wellness Retreats
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Photo: Christophe Meneboeuf / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Wake up close to wild nature in Costa Rica
Costa Rica Escape with Tortuguero (K3Q)
Rainforest, hanging bridges, Arenal and Monteverde with the logistics handled.
GlobusFrom $1,889 pp, as of October 2026
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Wake up close to wild nature in Monteverde
Hotel Belmar
A family-owned cloud-forest hotel in Monteverde with yoga, horseback riding and hiking, an on-site juice bar and its Finca Madre Tierra organic farm.
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Wake up close to wild nature in Playa El Jobo
JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort & Spa, All-Inclusive
JW Marriott’s first all-inclusive resort, opened in fall 2026 above the secluded bay of Playa El Jobo in Guanacaste, with a Mindfulness House and an on-property JW Garden.
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Wake up close to wild nature in Arenal
Nayara Tented Camp
Tented villas in the rainforest near Arenal Volcano.
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Wake up close to wild nature in Peninsula Papagayo
Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
A Ritz-Carlton Reserve on a secluded Pacific peninsula where tropical dry forest meets the ocean.
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Wake up close to wild nature in Nusa Dua
The Ritz-Carlton, Bali
A clifftop and beachfront resort in Nusa Dua above the Indian Ocean, with sunrise and sunset yoga by the beach, a garden yoga studio and Indonesian cooking classes.
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Wake up close to wild nature in Marana
The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain
A Sonoran Desert resort in the Tortolita Mountains with 26 miles of hiking trails, ranger-led hikes, telescope stargazing and crystal singing bowl sessions.
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Photo: neepster / Flickr via Openverse · CC BY-SA 2.0
Wake up close to wild nature in Seven Mile Beach
The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman
A resort on Seven Mile Beach with yoga on the sand, mangrove kayak tours and guest mangrove clean-ups.
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Photo: Fred Hsu on en.wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Wake up close to wild nature in Half Moon Bay
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
A clifftop resort above the Pacific south of San Francisco, with daily yoga, coastal walks and a spa that draws on the nearby redwoods.
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Wake up close to wild nature in Koh Samui
The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui
A 58-acre former coconut plantation in a private bay on Koh Samui, with a spa yoga pavilion, a swim reef with more than 50 fish species, and local market cooking classes.
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Photo: AngryJulieMonday / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Wake up close to wild nature in Dana Point
The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel
A bluff-top resort above Salt Creek Beach with daily ocean-view yoga and Pilates and naturalist-led hikes to the Dana Point Headlands.
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Wake up close to wild nature in Langkawi
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi
A private bay of beach and ancient rainforest on Langkawi, with sunrise kayaking, rainforest hikes and a sound-bath meditation by the shore.
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Wake up close to wild nature in Naples
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples
A beachfront resort on the Gulf of Mexico near Vanderbilt Beach, with daily yoga and meditation and a spa café that serves cold-pressed juices made with organic ingredients.
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Wake up close to wild nature in Nago
The Ritz-Carlton, Okinawa
A resort moments from Kise Beach with early-morning yoga, a floating sound session on water, and a spa beside an old-growth forest using locally grown herbs.
Sources
- Tabacón: https://www.tabacon.com/ (checked October 24, 2026)
- Nayara Tented Camp: https://nayaratentedcamp.com/discover/ (checked October 24, 2026)
- Green Globe: Nayara Tented Camp: https://www.greenglobe.com/news/nayara-tented-camp (checked October 24, 2026)
- Hotel Belmar: https://www.hotelbelmar.net/ (checked October 24, 2026)
- El Silencio Lodge & Spa: https://www.elsilenciolodge.com/ (checked October 24, 2026)
- Ritz-Carlton Reserve list: https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/reserve/ (checked October 24, 2026)
- JW Marriott Costa Elena: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/lircj-jw-marriott-costa-elena-resort-and-spa-all-inclusive/overview/ (checked October 24, 2026)
- Marriott news release, October 6, 2026: https://news.marriott.com/news/2026/10/06/jw-marriott-debuts-its-first-all-inclusive-resort-with-the-opening-of-jw-marriott-costa-elena-resort-and-spa (checked October 24, 2026)
- Classic Vacations: JW Marriott Costa Elena: https://www.classicvacations.com/c/properties/jw-marriott-all-inclusive-costa-elena-costa-rica (checked October 24, 2026)
- Globus Costa Rica Escape with Tortuguero: https://www.globusjourneys.com/tour/costa-rica-escape-with-tortuguero/k3q/ (checked October 24, 2026)
- Photo: Tabacon Hot Springs, Volcan Arenal (673029539).jpg, Arturo Sotillo, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=105332452
Photo credits
- Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa: Photo: Arturo Sotillo / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa: Photo: Central Intelligence Agency / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
- Costa Rica Escape with Tortuguero (K3Q): Photo: Christophe Meneboeuf / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman: Photo: neepster / Flickr via Openverse · CC BY-SA 2.0
- The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay: Photo: Fred Hsu on en.wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel: Photo: AngryJulieMonday / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Scores and features are High Vibe Vacay’s own reading of public sources as of October 2026. Confirm details with the property or line before booking.
