Dhamma Ariya

Dhamma Ariya ('the noble Dhamma' in Pali) is the Costa Rica and Central America Vipassana meditation centre. Its land, about 34 acres, lies in the Orosi valley in Cartago province, at the edge of the Tapantí reserve and a chain of national parks. The centre's site puts it 25 minutes from the city of Cartago and a 75-minute drive from San José; dhamma.org says about an hour from the capital, and gives the address as 2 km south-west of the Hotel Río Perlas. The centre is still in its first stage of development, called 'the Dhamma Camp', and conditions are basic: as of 2026 there are a few double rooms and a covered camping area, an open-air dining hall, shared dry toilets, hot showers, and uneven grounds and trails that turn muddy in the rain. The centre's course information asks students to bring bed sheets, or a tent and camping gear, and says each student will be told whether they have a bed or a camping space. It holds 10-day courses, conducted by assistant teachers of S. N. Goenka using his recorded instructions and discourses, with instructions in Spanish and English; as of October 2026 the schedule lists separate courses for men and for women. Applicants are asked to give an emergency contact who is in Costa Rica during the course.

How to apply

Apply online through the centre's page on dhamma.org (in Nepal, start from np.dhamma.org). New students must first complete a 10-day course, and there is no charge.

What is taught here

Donation-funded 10-day courses taught with S. N. Goenka's recorded instructions, in the line of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, at centres in Nepal and worldwide. Read about Goenka (U Ba Khin).