Wellness tourism generates over $639 billion annually, yet most luxury retreats consume resources at alarming rates. Private jets ferry guests to remote locations where daily laundry changes, imported organic foods, and energy-intensive spa treatments create carbon footprints larger than entire villages.
The irony stings—seeking personal healing while harming the planet. But some retreats have cracked the code. Here are 13 extraordinary eco-wellness destinations in Bali and Costa Rica where healing yourself doesn’t hurt the earth, each one proving that true luxury lies in living harmoniously with nature.
Ulaman Eco Retreat
This bamboo marvel rises from a secret valley twenty minutes from Canggu’s surf breaks. Eleven suites blend cutting-edge sustainable architecture with five-star amenities, powered entirely by solar and hydro energy.
The retreat sits beside a flowing river with its private waterfall. Guests never need to leave the property—yoga pavilions, salt-water pools, and a spa offering traditional Balinese healing fill the days. Chef Arik sources everything from neighboring farms, creating menus that change with local harvests.
Fivelements Retreat Bali
Sacred healing meets plant-based luxury at this Ubud sanctuary built entirely from bamboo and river stones. The retreat follows ancient Balinese philosophies about living in harmony with nature.
Raw vegan cuisine reaches fine-dining levels at Sakti Dining Room, which pioneered plant-based gastronomy in Bali. Every treatment uses ingredients grown on-site or foraged from surrounding forests. The architecture breathes with the landscape—no air conditioning needed in the open-air treatment rooms.
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The Retreat Costa Rica
Nestled in Atenas’s hills, this intimate eighteen-room property runs entirely on renewable energy. The organic gardens supply 70 percent of the ingredients served at Sol Terrace restaurant.
Chef Carolina Botero creates dishes that taste like concentrated sunshine and fresh earth. Fitness programs include fat-burning retreats and strength-building intensives designed around Costa Rica’s natural gym—beaches, jungle trails, and volcanic slopes. The property’s reforestation efforts have planted over 2,000 native trees since opening.
Desa Seni Eco Resort
Authentic Indonesian wooden houses from different islands create this village-style retreat. Each century-old structure was carefully transported and restored using traditional techniques.
And the gardens smell incredible. Organic farming workshops teach guests to grow their food using permaculture principles. The spa uses traditional healing methods passed down through generations of Balinese healers.
Art studios and workshops help guests connect with local culture beyond just watching performances.
El Silencio Lodge & Spa
Cloud forest mist swirls around this mountain retreat that holds Costa Rica’s highest sustainability certification. The property protects 500 acres of pristine cloud forest habitat.
Three waterfalls cascade through the grounds, including one accessible by zip-line. The spa sources treatments from plants growing within walking distance.
Guests can plant native trees or visit the Melipona bee sanctuary to directly contribute to forest restoration. Every suite opens to forest views that stretch toward Poás Volcano.
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REVIVO Wellness Resort
Luxury meets consciousness at this Nusa Dua hills retreat surrounded by three hectares of protected teak forest. Advanced longevity therapies combine with ancient healing practices.
The Vitality Centre offers cutting-edge treatments rarely found outside major medical centers. Precision nutrition programs use locally-grown superfoods to enhance results from the inside out.
Every retreat program gets customized based on individual health assessments and goals.
Rancho Margot
This regenerative ranch near Arenal Volcano operates as a living laboratory for sustainable practices. Carbon-neutral since 2012, the property produces more energy than it consumes.
Guests can participate in cheese-making, organic farming, and wildlife research projects. The off-grid operations include biogas digesters, solar panels, and micro-hydro systems that turn mountain streams into electricity.
Educational workshops teach sustainable resource management techniques that guests can implement at home.
Bali Eco Stay
Overwater bungalows meet rice paddies at this mountain retreat that sources everything from renewable resources. Pure spring water flows directly from Mount Batukaru to guest taps.
The river-powered electricity system never fails. Free-range chickens fertilize the organic gardens naturally while guests enjoy yoga sessions in stunning bamboo pavilions.
Swimming in the private waterfall feels like discovering a secret corner of paradise.
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Lapa Rios Lodge
This pioneering Osa Peninsula ecolodge was Costa Rica’s first resort to earn Sustainable Tourism Certification. The 1,000-acre private reserve protects primary rainforest habitat.
Sixteen treehouses offer front-row seats to one of Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystems. Guests can participate in reforestation programs by transplanting primary forest seedlings.
Some return years later to check on their trees’ progress. The farm-to-table restaurant turns food scraps into pig feed, completing the circular resource cycle.
Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape
Sixteen elevated bales nestle within Bali’s mountain jungle, each crafted from locally-sourced materials. No walls separate guests from the surrounding forest—pure immersion.
Cocktails feature botanicals grown on-site, creating flavors that taste like concentrated jungle essence. The open-air Toja Spa honors traditional Balinese healing while providing front-row seats to the surrounding natural beauty.
Ancient recipes inspire modern meals that celebrate local ingredients.
Arenas Del Mar
Manuel Antonio’s first hotel to achieve perfect sustainability scores protects both rainforest and ocean ecosystems. The resort was built around existing trees rather than clearing the forest.
Two restaurants prioritize local organic ingredients while the property operates carbon-neutral. Spider monkeys and sloths regularly visit the grounds, treating guests to wildlife encounters without zoo-like artificiality.
The infinity pools seem to merge with the Pacific horizon beyond.
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Rancho Pacifico
Perched 2,000 feet above the Pacific, this eco-resort generates 95 percent of its power from renewable sources. Ocean breezes provide natural air conditioning through completely open-air common areas.
Mountain spring water gets treated with UV light instead of chemicals. The property partners with local conservation groups to protect nesting sea turtles and research projects studying monkeys, macaws, and butterflies.
Guests can join these efforts as citizen scientists rather than passive observers.
Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa
Elite-level sustainability certification covers this resort’s lodging, restaurants, and famous hot springs. Natural volcanic springs provide the ultimate renewable spa experience.
Nine hundred acres of private rainforest surround the property with Arenal Volcano as the dramatic backdrop. The thermal pools use no artificial heating—pure geothermal energy creates the perfect soaking temperatures. Rare species like this still amaze me:
Poison dart frogs in electric blue and red
Hundreds of bird species, including toucans and quetzals
Howler and spider monkeys swinging through the canopy
Sloths moving in slow motion through the trees
Finding your frequency
These retreats succeed because they understand a simple truth: wellness and environmental health cannot be separated. When places heal the land, they heal the people who visit. When properties operate in harmony with nature, guests naturally find their balance.
The best therapy often requires no therapist at all—just clean air, pure water, and the ancient wisdom that comes from slowing down enough to listen to what the earth has been trying to tell us all along.
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