Escape to a SPA HAVEN in the Costa Rican RAINFOREST
Find the new Hacienda AltaGracia by foothills of the Talamanca Mountains
Do you have trouble unplugging even on vacation?
Set your out-of-office reply and ignore all distractions at the tranquil Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection, a sprawling retreat opening this month by the foothills of Costa Rica’s Talamanca Mountains.
The backstory
Costa Rica is home to one of the world’s five Blue Zones — regions where locals typically live over 100 years — and this new resort has taken the health theme to heart. Every element of your stay is designed with well-being in mind: the relaxing, rustic-chic esthetic, the on-site activities that connect to nature, and the holistic spa run in partnership with the Well, best known for its NYC-based mindbody mecca.
The space
On the 180-acre property, you’ll find 50 one- and two-bedroom casitas (from $1,307), ranging from 788 to 1,798 square feet. The earthy, boho spaces are outfitted with four-poster beds (in select rooms), tactile jute rugs, textured throw pillows, leather armchairs and plants throughout. Each cottage comes with compa service (a dedicated concierge who’ll personalize itineraries), and some also feature vaulted ceilings, private pools and stone terraces with outdoor dining space.
The dining
Among the five different eateries, the signature spot is Grano, where the Central American-influenced menu offers modern takes on traditional dishes, like roasted pumpkin with a spiced pineapple salsa using seasonal ingredients from the resort’s organic garden.
There’s also Cienfuegos, a Korean barbecue-inspired spot where you share family-style dishes, cooked over a dried-coconut-husk fire, while a rodeo-style horse show unfolds.
The property is home to a coffee farm, so stop by Mercado to tastetest the brews, along with pastries and snacks.
The extra amenities
The spa is one of the resort’s key draws, and you’ll find a wide array of services, movement classes and other programming. All treatments, which draw inspiration from ancient Talamancan traditions, start in the Casa de Agua with a purifying water experience, including an herbal exfoliation and clay ritual. Sign up for a 90-minute riverside massage, a consultation with a personal health coach, or guided yoga and forest bathing. Beyond the spa, there’s a family pool and an adults-only pool, and stables offering horseback riding around the grounds.
The nearby sights
When not unwinding in the spa or your casita, venture out into the forest for hiking along the Calientillo River, birdwatching, picnics by a waterfall and even tree climbing. Off-site explorations can also be arranged: the hotel will co-ordinate home-cooked lunches at neighbouring farms, trips to Chirripó National Park (including Costa Rica’s highest point, Mount Chirripó), and snorkeling and diving in the Pacific Ocean.