It's easy to become mesmerized by the views from the Costa Rica Yoga Spa. In true retreat fashion, the small hotel is perfectly perched on top of a steep hillside, away from any noise or trace of tourism, gazing upon the untouched land of Ostional National Wildlife Refuge and the shimmering Pacific Ocean.

Guests check in at the nondescript office-like reception house before climbing the hill to the Jungle Lodge, a rectangular, two-story structure dripping with trailing bougainvillea that holds the hotel's eight rooms, as well as massage room, kitchen, and dining area. Adjacent to the lodge is a small pool, perfect for dipping (although not big enough for swimming) and lingering while watching sunsets or chatting up other guests about wellness matters.

Trips to the beach, daily yoga sessions, meditation, and wandering around the hilly property in quiet reflection are key activities at Costa Rica Yoga Spa, but one's stay is often dependent upon the group that is occupying the property. The lodge can accommodate up to 24 guests as part of a retreat or book guests on an individual basis. Travelers may find themselves sharing rooms and meals with small, organized groups, but are not obligated to participate in their activities. Meals are served communal-style at a long table next to the kitchen. The focus is organic and mostly vegetarian, but the chef can accommodate the dietary needs of individual guests. Fruit smoothies are made from bananas, pineapples, and mangoes, grown on the property, and meals incorporate vegetables and herbs grown in the organic garden, located at the top of the property.

Daily yoga classes, included in the room rate, take place in a huge, teakwood pavilion adjacent to the pool and lodge. Standing under the palapa roof, overlooking the views of the sea makes it easy to fall into the laid-back rhythm of daily life at the Yoga Spa. Down time is spent writing in journals, rocking in hammocks, and enjoying massages. The on-site American owners and hosts are gracious and available to assist guests. They're true advocates for Nosara (which has a large expat population) and the Costa Rican lifestyle that embraces "pura vida," which means "pure life."

Getting to Nosara, located on the north Pacific coast of Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula, is not easy, but that's part of the destination's appeal. A long ride along a punishing, bumpy gravel road brings guests to the tiny, eco-tourist, surfing town known for its consistent wave, nesting turtles, and abundance of yoga retreats. Costa Rica Yoga Spa, located about a 15-minute drive from the town center of Nosara, is perched on a hillside overlooking the Ostinal National Park and the Pacific.

• 10-minute drive to Playa Ostional
• 12-minute drive to Playa Pelada
• 15-minute drive to Nosara Airport
• 15-minute drive to Playa Guiones
• 40-minute drive to Samara
• 2-hour, 30-minute drive to Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, Liberia
• 2-hour, 30-minute drive to Tamarindo
• 5-hour drive to Juan Santamaria International Airport, San Jose

The two-story Jungle Lodge is set near the top of the gravel drive perched on a steep ridge that overlooks nearby farms and the more distant national park and ocean. The cheery yellow and terra-cotta color building encompasses eight rooms, four shared bunk rooms on the first floor and four private suites located on the second floor. All of the rooms feature polished concrete floors, teakwood furniture, and two sets of doors, one that opens from the rear (the parking lot side) of the property and the other that opens to the hill side of the property and the views. 

The bunk rooms are arranged for sharing and accommodating up to four guests. They include two sets of bunk beds, each with its own reading light and towel hook, as well as a wall of closets with four locker-style compartments stocked with designated towels and blankets. The rooms also feature a small desk and ceiling fans, which help compensate for the lack of air-conditioning. Two doors in each room are framed by shuttered windows that can be opened and closed for privacy and to allow for cross breezes. The rear doors open to a covered hallway bordered by foliage and trees with a chess table and the front doors open to an ocean-view corridor with hammocks strung between tree-trunk columns, ideal spots for afternoon naps, reading, and watching the sunsets.

The bunk rooms share two sets of designated bathrooms, accessed from both sides of the building. The bathrooms are spacious and tidy, with large wood vanities with raised glass bowl sinks, plenty of sturdy bars to hang towels, private water closets, and a row of showers finished with decorative tile and wall-mounted shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. In addition, there is a row of individual, more private, toilets and showers by the pool at the north end of the building.

The private second-floor suites are each unique, decorated with specific color themes (tangerine, sky blue, red, and green), coordinating accent pillows, and Costa Rican pottery and artwork, including signature large paintings that fill the tall walls beneath the vaulted wood ceilings. The rooms feature two double beds and one twin, one double and one twin, or one queen bed and one twin. They also feature armoire-style shuttered closets stocked with towels and blankets and matching wood side tables with reading lamps, reed diffusers, and small vases with fresh flowers. Glass doors open to sunny covered balconies entangled with bougainvillea vines and equipped with two rocking chairs, ideal for sitting and taking in the ocean views. Unlike the bunk rooms, the suites feature air-conditioning and private bathrooms. Modern and spacious, the bathrooms include large private shower stalls, private water closets, double vanities with glass bowl sinks, and small floating makeup tables.

The resort features free daily shuttles to local beaches. Playa Guiones is known for its consistent surf break and is the area's most popular beach; Playa Pelada is ideal for swimming and relaxing in tide pools; and Playa Ostional is a long, dark-sand beach that's popular with experienced surfers but is best known for being one of Costa Rica’s most important turtle nesting sites, a place where Olive Ridley turtles arrive by the thousands to come ashore and lay their eggs. Costa Rica Yoga Spa also offers two places on-site for massages. The room on the second floor of the Jungle Lodge offers breezy views of the ocean while a small hut tucked away among foliage and palm trees offers more privacy.