How El Refugio de Sayulita Began

There was a moment when I realised I had been living inside a version of the matrix.

From the outside, everything looked normal. But I felt increasingly disconnected from the things that mattered: nature, health, time, community and the possibility of living with more intention.

So I left.

My travels through Costa Rica changed the way I saw the world. I learned about permaculture, not just as a method for growing food, but as a way of designing life. It taught me to observe first, respect the land, work with natural systems and create places that give more than they take.

Later, while doing my master’s degree in Barcelona, I kept returning to that question: what would hospitality look like if it were designed around wellbeing, nature and long-term value rather than simply filling rooms?

Then COVID turned everything upside down.

It forced many of us to question how we were living, working and travelling. I began looking for a place where people could rest, reconnect, work remotely when needed and experience a different rhythm of life.

But I was not looking for just any property.

I had a framework of 15 parameters. It had to be right as a place to live, right as a business for the long term, and right as the foundation for a regenerative hospitality project.

The location needed to be safe, have good weather, reliable infrastructure and accessibility. It needed to be fairly priced, with the opportunity to build a sustainable long-term business. It also had to offer natural and cultural attractions, an international community and the possibility of reaching town on foot in around 15 minutes.

The property itself had to meet equally strict criteria. It needed to be at least 500 square metres, retain at least 50% of its space as nature, and be no more than one kilometre from the beach or the centre. It also needed the potential to become much more than accommodation: a place with the space and structure to offer six core amenities.

That search led me to Sayulita.

El Refugio became a Health & Wellness House built around the idea that a stay should restore people, not simply host them. Today, it has 11 rooms, but the project is bigger than the number of rooms. It is about creating a refuge where people can slow down, move their bodies, reconnect with nature and find a healthier daily rhythm.

The property includes a saltwater or natural-style pool, sauna, climbing wall, gym and home theatre, alongside treehouse-style spaces, terraces, balconies among the trees, open-air shared kitchens, high-speed Wi-Fi and areas to work.

The experience begins with the day itself.

At 7:00 a.m., the routine starts with meditation. At 8:00 a.m., it continues with exercise. From there, every guest can create their own pace: breakfast, yoga, a gym session, the sauna, a swim, a massage, work time, a film in the home theatre, an afternoon in the trees or a walk into Sayulita.

This is not a rigid retreat schedule. It is an invitation to live differently for a few days, or for longer.

El Refugio is for people who want the beauty and energy of Sayulita without needing to live inside its noise. It is for couples looking for calm and privacy, solo travellers seeking a more intentional environment, digital nomads who want to work well and disconnect better, and people who need a genuine reset.

Sustainability is not decoration here. We compost and recycle everything possible. The goal is to reduce waste, respect the land and build a model of hospitality that remains connected to its environment instead of treating nature as a backdrop.

The vision is to keep growing El Refugio as a place for wellness, workation, coliving, retreats, community and conscious travel. But its foundation is already clear: a carefully chosen property, a life built closer to nature, and a belief that hospitality can be good for people, good for a place and viable for the long term.

El Refugio is not another hotel.

It is the result of leaving one way of life behind and building a different one.