Costa Rica retreat venues

Costa Rica Retreat Venues: Volcano, Mountains or Beach

We host retreats in three different parts of Costa Rica. Bring a yoga, wellness, corporate or church group of 12 to 28 to a rainforest lodge under Arenal Volcano, a gated mountaintop 80 minutes from San José, or a beach house three minutes from the surf. Each one is rented whole: your program, your teachers, no other guests.

Majestic Lodge · rainforest & volcano, sleeps 33Bella Vista · private mountaintop, 4 homesJohnny's · beach yoga & surf
Compare the three venues →See cost per participant

Our Costa Rica retreat venues at a glance

Venues
3 private estates in 3 regions (Arenal Volcano, the central mountains, the Guanacaste coast), each rented whole to one group
Capacity
The Majestic Lodge sleeps 33 · Bella Vista sleeps 28 · Johnny's Beach Bungalow sleeps 28
Practice space
Majestic: covered deck open on three sides · Johnny's: thatched yoga platform with a gym · Bella Vista: covered terraces, lawns and 4 lit courts
Private bathrooms
Majestic: 10 en-suite bedrooms, 13 baths · Johnny's: 6 en-suite bedrooms, 6.5 baths · Bella Vista: 10 bedrooms, 8.5 baths across 4 homes
Meals
Breakfast included for up to 16 at Majestic and Johnny's; on-site cooks at all three; vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free on request
Airports
Bella Vista 1 hr 20 min from SJO · Johnny's 1 hr 30 min from LIR · Majestic about 3 hrs from either
Cost example
20 participants × 5 nights: $62.50–$72 per person per night for lodging ($47.50 at Bella Vista in May, Sept & Oct)
Rainforest, mountaintop or beach

Three places to host a retreat in Costa Rica

A retreat center sells you a slot in its program. We rent you a whole estate, and you choose the setting. Because one team runs all three, we can tell you honestly which suits your retreat.

Yoga retreat group practicing on the covered deck of The Majestic Lodge, a rainforest retreat venue in La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Retreat participants in warrior pose on the covered yoga deck at The Majestic Lodge near Arenal Volcano
Mastermind retreat group meeting around the table on the deck at The Majestic Lodge, La Fortuna
Rainforest retreat venue · Arenal Volcano

Yoga and wellness retreats at The Majestic Lodge

33guests in 10 en-suite bedrooms
1covered deck for all-weather practice
<30 minto four volcanic hot springs

The lodge faces Arenal Volcano and the lake from El Castillo, with rainforest behind the house. All ten bedrooms are under one roof and each has its own bathroom. Sessions run on a big covered deck, open on three sides, so afternoon rain never cancels a class.

This is the wellness choice: four volcanic hot-spring resorts within half an hour, plus a massage room, gym and pool in the lodge. Honest note: the house is on the village's main road, so expect light, slow traffic rather than total silence.

  • Spaces: the covered deck, plus two top-floor sitting areas for circles and presentations.
  • Rooms: 10 en-suite bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, one building.
  • Meals: breakfast included for up to 16 ($20 per extra guest per day); lunch and dinner packages, or the all-inclusive Presidential Package.
  • Free afternoons: zip lines 6 minutes away, the La Fortuna waterfall, hanging bridges, rafting.
  • Logistics: about 3 hours from SJO or LIR, two 12-passenger vans, one rate year-round.

Best for: yoga, wellness, meditation and mastermind retreats.

See retreats at Majestic Lodge →Check dates
Yoga class on the covered terrace at Bella Vista, a private mountaintop retreat venue near San Ramón, Costa Rica
Wellness retreat group stretching on the columned terrace at Bella Vista Costa Rica
Corporate retreat session in the living room of the main house at Bella Vista Private Resort
Mountaintop retreat venue · Central Costa Rica

Private corporate and wellness retreats at Bella Vista

28guests across 4 private homes
4private lit pickleball courts
80 minfrom San José airport

Four homes on a gated 2.5-acre mountaintop between San Ramón and Esparza, with views down the valley to the Pacific. With the bedrooms spread across separate houses, facilitators can have a home of their own. Classes run on the covered terraces and lawns.

It is our closest venue to an airport, which is why corporate teams pick it: land at midday, first session that afternoon. Four lit courts make a team activity with no bus. The trade-off: it sits just off Highway 1, so you will sometimes hear the road.

  • Spaces: terraces and lawns for practice, living rooms for working sessions.
  • Rooms: 10 bedrooms, 8.5 baths in 4 homes, each with its own kitchen.
  • Meals: Patricia cooks on request ($12 breakfast, $16 lunch or dinner), vegan and gluten-free included.
  • Recovery: infinity pool, volcano-stone jacuzzi, treehouse hot tub; the beach 35 minutes away.
  • Logistics: $1,250 a night for up to 28 ($950 in May, Sept and Oct); SJO transfers $175 per vehicle each way.

Best for: corporate offsites, church groups, active and wellness retreats.

See retreats at Bella Vista →Check dates
Beach yoga retreat practice on the thatched yoga platform at Johnny's Beach Bungalow, Playa Avellanas, Costa Rica
Retreat working session at the long table under the covered pavilion at Johnny's Beach Bungalow, Guanacaste
Surf lesson lined up on Playa Avellanas, a short walk from Johnny's Beach Bungalow surf and yoga retreat venue
Beach retreat venue · Playa Avellanas, Guanacaste

Beach yoga and surf retreats at Johnny's Beach Bungalow

3 minwalk to Playa Avellanas
1thatched yoga platform with gym
90 minfrom Liberia airport

Six suites and a tiki hut around a turquoise pool, a three-minute walk from one of Guanacaste's best surf beaches. The practice space is an open-sided thatched platform: a hardwood deck for mats, free weights at one end, hammocks between the posts, far enough from the bedrooms that a 6 AM class wakes nobody.

This is our surf and yoga retreat venue: practice, then walk about seven minutes to the beginner break. Workshops use a covered pavilion with a 12-seat table, and the Wi-Fi runs at 200 Mbps.

  • Spaces: yoga platform and gym, covered pavilion, living room.
  • Rooms: 6 en-suite bedrooms, each with its own outside door.
  • Meals: breakfast included for up to 16; lunch and dinner $30 per person per day.
  • Free afternoons: surf lessons, Hacienda Pinilla 10 minutes away, Tamarindo 30.
  • Logistics: two 12-passenger vans; Liberia transfers $400 per van (up to 12) or $550 (15 to 20).

Best for: beach yoga and surf retreats, yoga teacher trainings, beach team offsites.

See retreats at Johnny's →Check dates

Which Costa Rica retreat venue fits your retreat?

How we would match them:

Type of retreatOur first pickWhy
Yoga retreatMajestic Lodge or Johnny'sBoth have a space built for practice: a covered deck, or a thatched platform
Wellness and spa retreatMajestic LodgeVolcanic hot springs under 30 minutes, massage room on site
Surf and yoga retreatJohnny'sThe break is a walk, not a drive
Corporate offsiteBella Vista80 minutes from SJO, four separate homes, private courts
MastermindMajestic Lodge10 en-suite rooms, so nobody shares a bathroom with a colleague
Church or ministry retreatBella VistaNo per-head charge up to 28, so cost per person falls fastest
Yoga teacher trainingJohnny'sMulti-week rate and a platform that works six hours a day

What a retreat venue costs per participant

Compare lodging per participant per night, not the headline rate; that is the floor under the price you charge. Here is a 20-person, 5-night retreat at each estate's published rates:

20 people × 5 nightsNightly totalPer person / night5 nights + cleaningPer person, whole retreat
The Majestic Lodge$1,350 + 4 × $20 = $1,430$71.50$7,150 + $350 = $7,500$375, breakfast included
Johnny's Beach Bungalow$1,360 + 4 × $20 = $1,440$72.00$7,200 (no cleaning fee listed)$360, breakfast included
Bella Vista (high season)$1,250 (up to 28 included)$62.50$6,250 + $475 = $6,725$336.25
Bella Vista (May, Sept, Oct)$950$47.50$4,750 + $475 = $5,225$261.25

Group size moves the math. Bella Vista's rate covers up to 28 with no per-head add-on, so every extra participant lowers the cost per person. At Majestic and Johnny's, each guest above 16 adds $20 a night, breakfast included. Then add what you control: other meals, teachers, transfers and an excursion or two. The Majestic Lodge's retreat cost and profit calculator models your ticket price and what you keep; our trip builder prices a retreat across two estates.

Yoga and wellness retreats in Costa Rica

For a yoga retreat in Costa Rica, the practice space and the season decide the week. Green-season rain usually comes in the afternoon, after morning practice, and both the Majestic deck and the Johnny's platform are roofed. At Arenal, May and September are the easiest months to hold a full week. Choose the volcano for hot springs and bodywork, the beach for surf, the mountaintop for comfort and the shortest transfer. See also Bella Vista's guide to yoga and wellness retreats in Costa Rica.

Corporate retreats and masterminds in Costa Rica

For a corporate retreat in Costa Rica, travel time matters more than scenery. Bella Vista (80 minutes from San José) and Johnny's (90 minutes from Liberia) both put a team in session on arrival day. The Majestic Lodge is a longer drive but has hosted mastermind groups, and its upstairs sitting room doubles as a meeting room.

Johnny's Beach Bungalow
Ocean · Johnny'sCorporate offsites at Johnny'sWorking sessions under the pavilion, meals on site and the beach after the last meeting.
Open → Bella Vista Private Resort
Mountains · Bella VistaPlanning a corporate retreat in Costa RicaBella Vista's checklist for work sessions, team bonding and logistics.
Open →

Church and ministry retreats

Church groups tend to be larger, with tighter budgets, so cost per person at full occupancy matters most:

  • Bella Vista at 28 people: $1,250 ÷ 28 = about $44.64 per person per night, or about $33.93 in May, September and October.
  • The Majestic Lodge at 33 people: $1,350 + 17 × $20 = $1,690 a night, about $51.21 per person, breakfast included.
  • Johnny's at 28 people: $1,360 + 12 × $20 = $1,600 a night, about $57.14 per person, breakfast included.

If your group is larger than 33, ask us about splitting across two estates.

One retreat, two parts of Costa Rica

A 7- to 10-night program can move once. Start with hot springs at Majestic and finish with surf at Johnny's (about 3 hours 50 minutes by van), or open at Bella Vista and move to Arenal (about 2.5 hours). Fly into SJO and home from LIR. Our group itineraries show the routes.

Sample schedule

A 5-night retreat, day by day

One framework that works at all three venues. Day 3's open afternoon is where the settings differ.

  1. 1Arrival

    Land, transfer, opening circle

    Vans meet the group at the airport. Rooms, a welcome dinner and an opening session at sunset.

  2. 2Practice

    Morning session, afternoon workshop

    Practice or the first working block before breakfast, lunch on site, a second session mid-afternoon.

  3. 3Open afternoon

    Morning session, then out

    Majestic: hot springs or the La Fortuna waterfall. Johnny's: a group surf lesson. Bella Vista: Playa Caldera or the courts.

  4. 4Practice

    Deep-work day

    The longest teaching or strategy day, with massages or pool time in between and dinner cooked for everyone.

  5. 5Integration

    Closing session, celebration dinner

    A short morning practice, a closing circle or commitments session, and a long last dinner.

  6. 6Departure

    Breakfast and airport runs

    Staggered vans to SJO or LIR around the group's flights.

Retreat logistics: airports, transfers, booking

  • Airports. San José (SJO) for Bella Vista, Liberia (LIR) for Johnny's. The Majestic Lodge is about 3 hours from either, so plan day 1 around the drive.
  • Transfers. Majestic and Johnny's each run two 12-passenger vans; Bella Vista quotes per vehicle. Send the flight list and we'll quote the runs with your lodging.
  • Minimum stay. Three nights at Bella Vista and the Majestic Lodge; ask about Johnny's.
  • Lead time. Dry-season weeks (December to April) book 6 to 9 months out. A retreat needs one specific week, so the green season is often easier to hold.
  • Booking direct. Typically about 10% less than Airbnb or VRBO; Karen handles all three estates.

Planning a family gathering or a celebration instead? See family reunions and group trips. Pickleball group? See pickleball retreats.

From retreat leaders and big groups

“Such a great place for our retreat.”

★★★★★
“I had the luxury of staying in this lodge for a mastermind event and blown away is an understatement. The views of the volcano and lake from our bedroom, the incredible infinity pool overlooking the massive outdoor living area.”
Alexis Nielsen · GoogleMajestic Lodge · Mastermind retreat
★★★★★
“Patricia was most gracious, helped with transportation, cooked a few meals for us and helped arrange a local yoga instructor to come on site. We had all 3 houses for our big group and would certainly come back!”
Doug, Lyles TN · AirbnbBella Vista · Retreat
★★★★★
“Wonderful accommodation, perfect for a large group of 25 people, and we never felt cramped. The rooms and beds are very comfortable, and the terrace for dining is spectacular.”
Gabriel Carriquiry · GoogleMajestic Lodge · Group of 25
★★★★★
“Such a great place for our retreat!! Feels like an authentic Costa Rican villa! Food was great and Betto and the cooks were super accommodating and helpful!! Highly recommend!”
April Janzen · GoogleMajestic Lodge · Retreat
★★★★★
“We had 21 people comfortably at the bungalow and chose to do the meals included, which were all delicious. Our crew had a lovely time hanging out by the pool and spending time at the beach.”
Marcela · GoogleJohnny's · Group of 21
Questions

Costa Rica retreat venue FAQ

Can I rent a whole retreat venue in Costa Rica for my own program?

Yes. The Majestic Lodge, Bella Vista and Johnny's Beach Bungalow are each rented whole to one group, so you run your own program with your own teachers or facilitators and no other guests on the property.

What is the difference between your three retreat venues?

Location and space. The Majestic Lodge is a rainforest lodge at Arenal Volcano with 10 en-suite rooms, a covered deck and hot springs nearby. Bella Vista is a gated mountaintop with four homes and four lit courts, 80 minutes from San José. Johnny's Beach Bungalow is a beach house with a thatched yoga platform, three minutes from the surf at Playa Avellanas.

Which venue is best for a yoga retreat in Costa Rica?

The Majestic Lodge for an all-weather covered deck, a massage room and hot springs; Johnny's Beach Bungalow for beach yoga and surf. Bella Vista suits wellness groups that want terraces, views and a pool more than a dedicated studio.

How much does a retreat venue cost per participant?

For 20 participants over 5 nights, lodging is $71.50 per person per night at The Majestic Lodge, $72 at Johnny's (both with breakfast), and $62.50 at Bella Vista, or $47.50 in May, September and October. Meals, facilitators and transfers are extra.

Can you cater for vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free groups?

Yes. Each estate has an on-site cook. Bella Vista prepares vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free meals with advance notice, and you can bring your own retreat chef to any of the three. Tell us your group's needs when you inquire.

Is there Wi-Fi for corporate retreats?

Yes, at all three. Johnny's Beach Bungalow publishes 200 Mbps; ask us for current speeds at Bella Vista and the Majestic Lodge if your agenda depends on video calls.

Are the venues completely silent?

Not entirely. The Majestic Lodge is on El Castillo's main road (light, slow traffic) and Bella Vista is just off Highway 1, so you may hear the road at times. None of the three is an off-grid retreat.

Check retreat dates

Tell us your dates and headcount. We'll check all three venues.

Karen replies with availability, an exact lodging total and an honest view of which setting suits your program.

Call or text +1 (602) 430-2232Email hello@bellavistacostarica.com
Retreat participants in discussion during a group session at one of our Costa Rica retreat venues

Karen replies personally, usually within a few hours. No spam, ever.

Volcano, mountains or beach

Your program. Your choice of setting. No other guests.

Price a retreat at one estate, or run it across two, and see the cost per participant before you sell a single seat.

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