Retreat Centers
Hotel Magellan Inn
The Magellan Inn, now listed as the Magellan Boutique Hotel, is a small hotel in the garden and jungle at Playa Grande, just north of Cahuita on the Caribbean coast. It had a yoga platform and hosted yoga weeks, but in November 2026 sources disagree on whether it's open, so confirm before you plan a stay.
By Monirul Hoque · Published · Updated
Update, November 2026: This hotel has traded as the Magellan Boutique Hotel at Playa Grande, Cahuita. Its old website no longer works, one travel guide (Fodor's) now lists it as no longer operating, and a booking-site listing says it's closed for renovations from July to the end of December. Other booking sites still list it. We couldn't confirm whether it's open, so check directly before planning a visit.
The Magellan Inn is a small hotel on the southern Caribbean coast, at Playa Grande, a beach area a few kilometers north of the village of Cahuita, in Limón province. It sits in gardens with jungle behind, and the setting is quiet compared with the busier towns farther south. When we first wrote about it, it suited couples, families and anyone wanting a calm base near Cahuita National Park, with a yoga platform in the trees.
Rooms and grounds
The hotel has only a handful of rooms. When we profiled it, they ranged from double rooms with a fan or air conditioning to larger deluxe rooms with private terraces, set in an older colonial-style building with a relaxed Caribbean feel. There was a swimming pool, a breakfast area and hammocks on the terraces. Booking listings in recent years mention Wi-Fi, a pool, massage and a small bar. Check a current listing for what's offered now.
Yoga
The Magellan Inn had a large yoga platform surrounded by jungle, used for classes, meditation and massage, and it hosted week-long yoga and healing retreats, including some that combined yoga with horseback riding. We couldn't confirm whether any yoga runs there today.
The area
Cahuita National Park, a short drive south, protects a coral reef and a beach trail through the forest, and the coast here is good for snorkeling on calm days, birding and walks. For yoga centers on this coast that we've confirmed are open, see Samasati Nature Retreat, The Goddess Garden and the Caribbean section of our guide to where to do yoga in Costa Rica. Our sister site Costa Rica Journeys also has a page on the Magellan Inn.
Getting there
Cahuita is about 4 hours' drive from San José, over the mountains through Braulio Carrillo National Park and then south past Limón. Direct buses run from San José to Cahuita, and there are domestic flights to Limón, about 45 minutes north by road.
[Updated on: 4 November 2026]
