Two Costa Rican retreats have been named among the five best international wellness destinations in Travel + Leisure’s 2026 World’s Best Awards, extending a strong year for Costa Rica in one of the travel industry’s most closely watched reader rankings. Surf Synergy, based in Jacó, placed third worldwide with a score of 96.15, while Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa near La Fortuna ranked fifth with 93.78.
Costa Rica was the only country with two properties in the top five. Rancho La Puerta in Mexico took first place with 96.86 points, followed by Fusion Resort & Villas Da Nang in Vietnam with 96.24. BodyHoliday in Saint Lucia placed fourth with 95.60. The result highlights two very different sides of Costa Rica’s wellness tourism industry.
Surf Synergy operates in Jacó, one of the country’s busiest Pacific beach towns and a long-established destination for surfing. Its programs combine private surf coaching with yoga, breathwork, meditation, fitness sessions and prepared meals. The retreat’s third-place finish is notable in a town better known for nightlife, sport fishing and weekend tourism than for luxury wellness travel. It also reflects the steady expansion of Jacó beyond its traditional beach and surf market.
Tabacón offers a different experience in the northern highlands, where tourism is built around Arenal Volcano, hot springs and rainforest. The resort’s thermal river flows naturally through landscaped gardens, with pools and bathing areas surrounded by tropical vegetation. Its spa and hot-spring facilities have helped make it one of the best-known properties in the La Fortuna area.
The ranking adds to a wider collection of honors for Costa Rica in Travel + Leisure’s 2026 awards. Earlier this month, three Costa Rican properties were included among the 100 best hotels in the world. Nayara Tented Camp near La Fortuna ranked No. 28, Hotel Belmar in Monteverde placed No. 33 and Nayara Gardens ranked No. 97.
Nayara Tented Camp was also named the best resort in Central America, while five Costa Rican properties placed among the region’s top 10. Together, the results give Costa Rica three hotels in the global top 100, two of the world’s five highest-rated international wellness retreats and five properties among Central America’s 10 best resorts.
They also show how broadly Costa Rica’s tourism industry is spread. Jacó represents the Pacific surf market. La Fortuna remains closely tied to Arenal Volcano and its hot springs. Monteverde continues to bring in visitors looking for cloud forest, wildlife and a cooler mountain climate.
That variety has long been one of Costa Rica’s main advantages as a destination. Travelers can move from the coast to the mountains in a matter of hours, with each region offering a different version of our country’s nature-based tourism model. More than 207,000 readers took part in Travel + Leisure’s 2026 survey, casting approximately 661,000 votes across hotels, destinations, airlines, cruise lines and other travel businesses.
