Essence Arenal Spa & Yoga

Resort

Great place to relax and they take care of it super well. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

It's a beautiful place! Spectacular views! Delicious food!

The place is simply wonderful, it has a spectacular lake view and volcano. The food is delicious, made with products that they produce themselves (which good tortillas for GOD! ), the guys are the best, they make you feel at home.
super recommended ❤️

Beautiful location but the rooms are very basic for the price they charge. The walls are thin and the beds are squeaky. Some of the rooms are right next to the road and the restaurant so it’s very noisy. The staff are lovely but we were charged for every cup of tea and coffee and the meals were very over priced for the basic food that was provided. Having just staying at another hotel 5 minutes down the road which was much better value for money we were very disappointed. Having said this the gardens were beautiful and the food was organic. Just better to know that for the same price you can stay at a much nice place.

Staying at Essence was the best part of our trip in Costa Rica! We loved everything about it. They have an organic farm on their land, great restaurant with very tasty food, swimming pool, jacuzzi and an awesome view of Arenal volcano. It is close to most attractions and they offer a shuttle service 3 times a day if you don't have a car (it costs between 4-8 USD/person/one way, depending on where you are going). We stayed at the tent, very recommended!

Perfect spot for vulcano view, hiking trips and enjoying nature. Tents are comfy, banos sufficient, many birds around and you hear monkeys during the night. A nice spot away from mainstream tourism. Food is great and I d also recomment their cocolate tour on the farm nearby. Staff extremely friendly, best hostel in CR. Keep going!

We love my and family super super Beautiful and the attention quality… and not to speak the flavors of the cook the attention of your team definitely all PURA VIDA! Excellent.

Wonderful experience! Friendly and helpful people, excellent (vegetarian) meals, and perfect scenery. Definitely fo the cocoa tour!

One of the best stay in Costa Rica. Staff is very friendly, breakfast is good (with very nice view! ), but the true difference is the garden and the farm. You can find 3 paths (not the short one! ) to walk alone through the jungle and / or through the farm. Amazing experience, great view, and everything inside the hostel area. We even walked alone to 'Night Safari', it was so accessible. Definitely recommended.

Stopped there for dinner! Really awesome place. The food is all vegetarian and they let you help prepare part of the meal. Service was quick and the food was amazing as well. They also have a ton of other things for guests like yoga and such, all very affordable.

Amazing place to stay. Definitely worth the bumpy road it takes to get there. All the food made is made organic from the farm out back, and the massage was the best in my life. The views and location is breathtaking having so much nature on and off the property. I booked the basic package which includes staying at a tent. However there was still power and Wi-Fi and beds. Would definitely recommend to anyone.

The accomodation is very comfortable and the surroundings are absolutely fantastic. We woke up every day to the sound of monkies and birds. From the hostel there is an amazing view of Volcan Arenal. What is more, the owner (Nico) is a great guy who organizes fun tours of the farm and a chocolate workshop. There is also a temascal (mud hut sauna), which is a super fun experience. Amazing place to stay!

We had planned to stay two nights but we liked it so much that we stayed 4 nights. It is a very special Eco Lodge, with spectacular views and people who are part of the team Essence super attentive. It has a hydromassage that you can use to relax in the afternoon night overlooking the Arenal volcano. In the kitchen all the food is from the garden that they work in the same farm and if you want you take a tour and explaining how they do the agriculture and and care of medicinal plants. In the same Eco Lodge you will be recommended tours and any activity you want to do in the surroundings of Arenal volcano! And to finish they have an area where you relax with massages, natural water pool … and many things to discover!

Stayed in the basic tent for 2 nights. Found the accommodation very comfortable and clean. The grounds are truly beautiful with a lovely pool and hot tub. All the staff were very friendly and informative. We traveled to the hostel from La Fortuna using the bus they provided. The bus leaves three times a day. We feel that the hostel is more suited to people with their own transport and felt a little isolated without. We ate in the restaurant but found the food not really to our taste with only one option. All in all I would recommend the hostel but would recommend having your own transport.

Team very friendly and available. The place is ideal to go to the natural park or to take a horseback ride in the forest with a breathtaking view. I recommend!

Great view, good accomdations, amazing hospitality! Fun trails and simple but good food. Great value!

An amazing gem. If you can get here you'll absolutely love the view while hot tubbing.

The memory of this place and experience you have here stays with you. This is a very creative concept. A organic farm, kitchen with a lovely warm Chef Liliana who cooks yummy food every night, very helpful cheerful staff and lot to explore in the property and around. We liked our stay so much that we extended it. We also were able to meet other fellow tourists and make some friends. This is an amazing place to stay and I would definitely go back. Cheers to all of you there and it's a wonderful concept.

Friendly staff. We enjoyed the tour through their garden.

We didn't stay here but we ate a few meals here. Super great staff and unique dining experience. If you can grab a spot by the window it's nice to stare at Arenal while you hangout and eat.

I didn't stay at Essence Arenal as a guest but I did frequent the cafe almost every day when I stayed in El Castillo. Their coffee and food offerings are delicious. I recommend coming here and speaking with their staff members. The owner of the establishment, Mico (sp), is a German expat who visited Costa Rica while on vacation many years ago and fell in love with the country. This story echoes throughout the country to other expats because it was the same story we kept hearing from foreigners who moved their life to the country. The hostel is located on the top of a hill in a small village. The view is outstanding with the Arenal Volcano right out of the window. To get this view, make sure to walk all the way towards the windows.

Such a beautiful experience here. Essence is a hostel/ farm on a beautiful patch of rainforest land! I was awoken every morning by the howler monkeys and chirps of nature. Their tents are perfect and provide more comfort than most hotels at a fraction of the price. The views of the lake and the volcano are amazing! Plus there is a wild macaw who is a beautiful red blue and yellow color. The owner of essence started feeding her many years ago and she can often be seen circling above. They call her banano. She likes bananas!

Incredible. Friendly staff, gorgeous location, delicious food, clean accomodations. No complaints, whatsoever.

Essence Arenal is an ideal place to relax in nature. If you are looking for a Hostel near La Fortuna with amazing volcano and lake views then this is the place. Food is great, 3 vegetarian meals a day. You can rent a luxury tent or private room, enjoy the Jacuzzi and spring water swimming pool or visit the local free hot spring river or walk 2 hours to a stunning waterfall!

There were 2 days there and would liebensgerne have stayed longer if the time is not so scarce would have been! A very nice accommodation with really loving and helpful people! The evening helps you a bit with the cooking and then sits down together to a fun chat at the table. :-) I have celiac disease (gluten intolerance) and this was also immediately taken into account and a private meal together. Was very very good! Also had problems with our rental car and were from hayo and Enrique immediately on the phone cleared! Super sweet! Thank you for everything!

Essence Arenal is an amazing experience! We stayed in a superior terrace tent. The tent had a balcony which overlooked the forest and the lake. In the area where the lounge and the hot tub are located, you can see EVERYTHING (Arenal Volcano, the lake, hillsides, forests, etc. )! The price is great and there are local markets and restaurants around. You can also eat breakfast and dinner at Essence Arenal ($4.50pp breakfast, $10.50pp dinner). The dinner menu rotates each day to a different type of cuisine (we had Indian on Friday, Peruvian on Saturday). If you're looking for things to explore, you have everything you're looking for within minutes. There are ziplines, guided tours, hikes, and anything else you'd want to do in an area like El Castillo. If you don't have a car, the tour companies can usually pick you up for a small fee. Just a side note: if you're in the area, I'd recommend checking out La Ventanita. It has great food at great prices!

A great choice, the double room with private bathroom is fine and you have an impressive panoramic view of the arenal volcano and Lake. The perfect breakfast. A good choice if you want to escape from the hustle and bustle of the fortune.

This place is very friendly and has all the view you can take in. The pool has Volcano and Lake views also. I had some of the best food in the area and was always going back for more! Great cook. Wish I could have spent more time there. Gringo Michael.