Retreat Vacations has kept a resources page since 2012. These are the websites we still use and recommend, from yoga and permaculture to Costa Rica beaches and travel planning.
Retreat Vacations has kept a resources page since 2012. A lot of our readers come to us on their way to Costa Rica, so many of these friends are there, but they cover everything from yoga teacher training to building a greener house. Every link was checked on 21 October 2026.
Retreats and slow living
Anamaya
The view does half the meditating for you.
A yoga retreat center on a hillside above the ocean in Montezuma, Costa Rica, running retreats, surf and yoga weeks, and yoga teacher trainings. Sunrise practice on the deck, with the Pacific stretched out below, is the kind of morning people talk about for years.
Rancho Delicioso
Come for the yoga, leave knowing what a soursop is.
A permaculture farm and eco village on Costa Rica's southern Nicoya Peninsula with well over 100 edible plants growing on site. Their blog is a treat for tropical garden geeks, and the farm hosts yoga, surf and hands-on learning for people who want to see sustainable living up close.
Airflow and Shade
Build it cool, keep it green.
A guide to green building and sustainable construction in the tropics: natural ventilation, shade, materials and how to find people who know what they're doing. Worth reading if a retreat has you daydreaming about building your own place in the sun.
Costa Rica travel
Costa Rica Journeys
Your whole-country cheat sheet.
An independent Costa Rica travel guide covering regions, beaches, hotels and the practical side of getting around. A good first stop when a retreat is just one part of a bigger trip.
Travel in Costa Rica
Day one: land. Day two: figure out the rest.
A practical trip planner with day-by-day itineraries, routes and transport tips, region by region. Ideal for working out how to get to your retreat and what to do before or after.
Costa Rica Beaches
There are a lot of beaches. Pick the right one.
A beach-by-beach guide covering both coasts, from Tamarindo and Nosara to Montezuma and Tambor. Handy for adding a few days of sand to a retreat week.
All-Inclusive Costa Rica
Leave the wallet in the room.
A guide to Costa Rica's all-inclusive lodges and resorts, including remote rainforest and river lodges where meals and tours come with the stay. Useful if you'd rather not plan every meal.
Malpais Beach
Surf town, sorted.
A local guide to Santa Teresa and Mal País, with lists of hotels and vacation rentals for every style of trip. A great base if you're mixing a retreat with some surfing.
Costa Rica Sportfishing
For the partner who'd rather catch a sailfish than a sunrise class.
Reviews of fishing charters and outfitters around Costa Rica. Everyone gets their own kind of retreat.
Further afield
I Love Medellín
Mountains, coffee and eternal spring.
An independent English guide to Medellín, Colombia, covering neighborhoods, food, coffee and day trips. A lovely add-on if your retreat travels take you to South America.