By Ray Rogers
“Listen to the sounds of nature, it is a privilege,” implores the soulful-voiced wellness director Yanina Scolnic. We are lying in savasana, after a spirited yoga class at the new Origins Astral Lodge in the mountains of Costa Rica. Above us, insects hum and birds chirp—some 300 species inhabit this corridor, including 34 varieties of hummingbirds. Glancing through the thatched-roof pavilion’s central circle of light, I watch butterflies and avian visitors flutter through the bright green vines draping off its edges.
The “privilege” of nature is the core philosophy here. Astral is the recently unveiled sister property to Origins Floral, which opened in 2018 with six circular eco-lodges. Situated a short walk up a mountain path in Bijagua, Astral features seven spacious villas—ranging from two to four bedrooms—seamlessly blended into the verdant slopes.
I traveled here with my sister for a well-deserved celebratory getaway after she completed chemotherapy and was deemed cancer-free. Our home base, the Jupiter villa, felt like a sanctuary for bonding—and deep relaxation. Each of the new villas features its own plunge pool and fully equipped kitchen, and the panoramic views of the rainforest canopy made the trip feel truly restorative.
“Nature is our first client,” says general manager Claudia Silva. “We need to be kind to her.” That respect is woven throughout the property’s aesthetic, a collaboration between global design firm Gensler, local architect Mario Aviles and the Origins team. The structures feature green “living roofs,” a modern interpretation of traditional Maleku architecture that pays tribute to the land and heritage of the local Indigenous tribe. These act as natural insulators, keeping indoor temperatures cool while preventing rainwater runoff.
Inside, the luxury is local: Stunning headboards and tables are crafted in an on-site workshop using reclaimed Guanacaste wood found on the property, while the broader design—what the team calls “Celestial Ancestry”—draws inspiration from the cosmos. The interiors are filled with artistic nods to the universe, from lighting fixtures evocative of constellations to ceiling patterns inspired by satellite rings and textured surfaces meant to mimic the planets. It is a space designed to lighten the spirit, shifting the focus from daily stress to the vastness of the sky.
The estate operates as a lush, circular economy. Cows provide milk and traditional cheese, while breakfast eggs are gathered fresh each morning. Beyond the organic gardens, the sustainability practices extend to reforestation and the harvesting of natural honey from stingless mariola bees.
While it’s a perfect hideaway for a group of friends, Astral is also designed for multigenerational families. If you’re traveling with little ones, a new kids club will soon be unveiled, and there are all kinds of child-friendly educational adventures, including visits to on-premises organic gardens and the two shallow “beaches” designed with toddlers in mind at the lagoon-inspired, 82-foot infinity Astral pool, with views of Lake Nicaragua in the distance on a clear day. The pool bar serves up deeply satisfying wood-fired pizzas—and detox smoothies for the more health-conscious.
You could while away a long weekend here just hanging at your villa’s plunge pool or on a poolside chaise lounge, but there are so many enlivening adventures, on-site and off. From day trips to the famed blue river, Rio Celeste in Tenorio Volcano National Park, to nighttime stargazing in the crisp mountain air outside your villa (weather permitting—you are in a cloud forest, after all), each outing is rooted in the joy of being in the magnificent surrounding terrain.
The guided nature walks on the property are a great place to start. During a group night tour, our guide illuminated the hidden world of nearly extinct striated salamanders, red-eyed tree frogs and sleeping white-winged doves. On an afternoon hike to a private waterfall, he gave us insights on the lush vegetation along the way. Want to see sloths? Keep your eyes peeled on the branches of the trumpet trees, which he called “the restaurant of the forest—you can often see sloths munching on its leaves and flowers.”
The sloths aren’t the only ones well fed here. Dining at Origins ranges from the elegant, French-inspired El Salto to the more casual El Cosmo, which features shared plates and a fire pit for gourmet s’mores. Both restaurants create farm-to-table cuisine using fresh ingredients from the estate’s own organic gardens and lagoons.
The resort’s new Michelin-starred chef, recently arrived from Lyon, France, even visited our villa to prepare a sumptuous, six-course family-style feast, celebrating the local flavors here. The standout? A creamy, vegan pumpkin bisque ladled directly from the root vegetable.
To further immerse ourselves in local culture, we rode horses—mine an amiable brown-and-white fellow named Pinto—to the nearby farm Finca Miravalles for a hands-on cooking class, learning the art of the black bean empanada from local experts.
A trip to Origins is an invitation to find your own pace within the heartbeat of the rainforest. Before departing, we participated in one final ritual: a tree-planting ceremony. Shovels in hand, we placed a poroporo sapling into the earth. Known as the buttercup tree for its brilliant yellow blooms, it will eventually serve as a feeding station for pollinators of the rainforest—a living reminder of a trip defined by new beginnings and the quiet resilience of the wild. originslodge.com