Essence Arenal Spa & Yoga

I am very glad to discover Essence Arenal BioFarm and Spa as a place where I can "retreat". I came this February 2024, this is peak season for Costa Rica and yet they offer reasonable Yoga Retreat Packages which includes 02 yoga sessions per day, 01 massage, 01 hour private Spa Circuit that provides a breath taking view of the Arenal Lake and Arenal Volcano ; PermaCulture Farm Tour; Cacao Familiarization Tour and full board delicious, artistically crafted Vegetarian Meals. The culinary expertise of Chef Maria and Chef Gabriel is truly exceptional. They create delicious 03 course vegetarian meals using local ingredients and provides international flavors to it. Their plating and presentation skills are of a Fine Dining Restaurant. On top of this, their serving seems to have been carefully thought of. The portioning is just perfect to fill one's hunger. From my arrival experience that is with their Transportation Partner - Luis Angel and Stephanie who transports their guests safely to and from various airports across the main island of Costa Rica that is San Jose and Liberia. The transportation service they provide is also exceptional. The whole team of Essence Arenal headed by Jairo and from Wendy, Lena, Deborah, Mauricio (Front of House Team) ; Resident Tour Guide - Aurelio ; Yoga and Meditation Facilitators - Inna and Alejandro ; Resident Masseuse Johanna - they all have been A-MAZING at what they do. They provide affordable laundry services as well as housekeeping service on a daily basis. The team at Essence Arenal is a group of warm hearted people who are passionate at what they do. The "Luxury" that is expected from a 05 star hotel, I have experienced at Essence Arenal and even more. The concept of the CEO - Niko Boutifer is really great. He is a "promoter" of Sustainable Tourism. He preserved the rainforest and also created an organic farm and so they offer a "Farm to Table" dining experience. The dishes they serve are all freshly picked from their organic farm which is also inside the Eco Resort. I am very glad to discover Essence Arenal BioFarm and Spa as a place where I can "retreat". I came this February 2024, this is peak season for Costa Rica and yet they offer reasonable Yoga Retreat Packages which includes 02 yoga sessions per day, 01 massage, 01 hour private Spa Circuit that provides a breath taking view of the Arenal Lake and Arenal Volcano ; PermaCulture Farm Tour; Cacao Familiarization Tour and full board delicious, artistically crafted Vegetarian Meals. The culinary expertise of Chef Maria and Chef Gabriel is truly exceptional. They create delicious 03 course vegetarian meals using local ingredients and provides international flavors to it. Their plating and presentation skills are of a Fine Dining Restaurant. On top of this, their serving seems to have been carefully thought of. The portioning is just perfect to fill one's hunger. From my arrival experience that is with their Transportation Partner - Luis Ange

We had a wonderful time. The grounds are beautiful. We saw monkeys lots of birds and other wildlife right from our window. The staff is incredibly nice and helpful. The restaurant is cute and offers good food at a reasonable price. We had lots of rain while there and it does creep into the casitas. Our towels never really dried and the bed felt clammy too. So be aware of this and decide if that works for you before booking. The kitchen is also only sparsely equipped. It would've been nice to have a chopping board and a sharp knife as we did cook a few times. If you like to cook extravagant meals at home this is not your place but we did make pasta, tacos and other simple dishes without any problems. There is much to explore in the area and it's helpful to have a car, preferably even a 4x4. Overall, we very much enjoyed our time at Essence and would come back. Bring a raincoat and change of shoes and don't miss the Night Jungle Tour. It was a highlight!

Essence is a wonderful place to stay…. The property is well thought out for you to enjoy nature and has a variety of accommodation options. The Glamping tents are surrounded by bamboo trees and very peaceful. (Shared bathrooms, but that was no problem for us….expected with Glamping) They have their own farm and I would recommend taking a walk through it. There are also a number of hiking trails, which makes it feel like you are not only staying at a hotel, but also a nature park. The staff is always friendly and helpful. Gabriel is an amazing chef and wonderful person. We enjoyed our stay tremendously and will recommend Essence to friends.

I can't even begin to describe how magical, refreshing, and rejuvenating Essence Arenal is. From the beautiful location and gorgeous glamping, to the endless activities (paddle boarding, hiking the hanging bridges, yoga 1-2 times a day, & more), to the relaxing opportunities (massages and daily spa access and a pool), to the DIVINE food (there's a chef on site that cooks a decadent 3 course vegetarian meal with stuff from the farm on-site from a different country every night), and best of all the people!! Both the people who work here and the people you will have the pleasure of befriending while in an environment like this. Everyone here went so far above and beyond to make my week here perfect, and I truly thank them. Thank yourself by booking here -- and whatever time you are thinking about staying, double it!!

This place is really nice. The surroundings are amazing - you can see both the volcano and the lake, and they have a beautiful garden with a pound, a pool, a spa-area and yoga studio. The morning yoga was really good! And the make really nice food in their kitchen. We thought their activities were a bit to pricy for our taste - but that shouldnt stop anyone from going. Im pretty sure you wont regret it!

Very nice little hotel with Hiking trails, spas, healthy food options and very nice view of Arenal as well as the lagoon

I found this gem of a place by accident, and keep coming back. The owner and staff are excellent, friendly, kind souls who love what they do, and always make me feel special. The organic vegetarian meals in the restaurant are a big draw for me. But mostly the nature snd positive energy of the entire hotel and farm is healing and regenerating. There are many fun activities within walking distance such as horseback riding up the mountains to a waterfall, paddle boarding and kayaking, and of course the spa, massages, and temazcal. I will return again and again and highly recommend.

Great stay at the Arenal Volcano area, with amazing food with veggie and vegan options, multiple daily yoga classes with Thomas and different massage options. The Spa is cozy and with a beautiful view of the Volcano. We had also the chance to experience the Mezcal ritual and the Night Jungle Tour with very passionate and knowledgeable guide Aurelio, highly recommended!

I stayed for a week in Essence on a yoga retreat and felt at home. The people are all lovely, very helpful and welcoming. The yoga classes and instructors were amazing. The food was delicious and healthy (all vegetarian and mostly from their own garden) and they have a different menu theme every night. The surroundings are like paradise, with many trails and beautiful view of the volcano. The spa is nice with view on the lake. I had a cacao tour and night tour at the location with a passionate tour guide. As part of the retreat I had great massages, reiki and a journalling workshop. All the conversations, the journalling, the reiki, the yoga, helped me think of myself, see and treat myself (and others) with more love. It was an amazing experience. I would love to come back some day!!