Private Mind and Body Wellness Retreat Above Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

The Portal sits on a ridge in the mountains of Portón, in Costa Rica's Puntarenas Province. The surf town of Dominical is about 20 minutes away, Manuel Antonio National Park 30 minutes, and Uvita 40. The property covers five acres of jungle and fruit trees. Along with your casita it has a meditation labyrinth beneath a big old tree the team calls Agradecida, the Santosha Temple where most sessions happen, a pool, a sauna, a library and a sunset dining area. While you're there, none of it is shared with other guests.

The days follow a loose pattern rather than a set schedule. Mornings open with a movement practice of yoga, breathwork, somatic flow and guided meditation. Breakfast follows, and you can eat it chatting or in silence. Late morning and afternoon are for your sessions. The team lists a wide range of possible topics: self-love and inner child healing, Peter Crone-style coaching on limiting beliefs, trauma-informed support, grief, attachment styles, boundaries, conscious communication and authentic relating, Human Design, EMDR, nervous system regulation and pet therapy. Each day also gets personal time to journal, rest or walk the labyrinth, and there's an optional outing to waterfalls, rivers or the beach.

The biggest difference from a typical retreat is that everything is one-to-one. You're not attending a yoga week with 15 strangers. Two facilitators work only with you, or with you and your partner, for five nights. Couples come for relationship work in particular. Several reviews describe the communication exercises as the most useful part, because they came away with a practical way to talk through conflict at home.

Alyee founded The Portal and leads most of the work. She has practised yoga for more than 27 years and trained with Peter Crone's Mastermind Program and Ascension Leadership Academy. She also holds trauma-informed facilitator and NLP Master certifications and has completed a 10-day Vipassana course. Reviews also mention Amber and Sukha as part of the facilitation team.

The property also has a strongly spiritual side, which some guests will love and others should know about up front. The owners say crystal grids are buried under each building, that the casita is calibrated with BioGeometry, and that the land was blessed by the Bribri, Costa Rica's largest indigenous group. Sessions can include exploring God or Source consciousness if you want that. Optional add-ons on the page include plant medicine, tantra and sacred touch. All of this depends on what you put in your questionnaire, and you can leave out anything you don't want.

The food is a real highlight. A private chef cooks three meals a day plus snacks, makes nut butters, tahini and sauces from scratch, and buys produce from local farmers' markets. The page lists a long range of diets the chef can cook for, from vegan and raw to kosher, halal and diabetic-friendly.

What's included

- 5 nights in Casita de Cristales, a private bungalow with ocean and sunset views - 3 meals a day plus snacks from a private chef, adjusted to your diet - Water, tea, coffee, cacao and coconut water throughout the day - Daily yoga classes - Daily personalised meditation - Daily somatic healing sessions - 2-3 workshops per day tailored to your intentions - Daily private coaching and mentorship - Inner child and self-love work - Metacognition workshops on limiting beliefs - One 1-hour treatment - Optional nature outings to waterfalls, rivers and the ocean - Transport during the retreat - Pre- and post-retreat support from the team - Use of pool, sauna, labyrinth, library and Santosha Temple - Wi-Fi - Parking - Luggage storage

What's not included

- Flights - Airport pickup and drop-off (optional add-on) - Additional treatments beyond the itinerary - Extra nights before or after the retreat - Massages, spa packages and surf classes (optional add-ons) - Plant medicine (optional add-on) - Packed lunches or picnics (optional add-on) - Travel insurance - Meals at local restaurants - Personal expenses