Find yourself among the mountains, the reefs, and tropical rainforests of Costa Rica and your connection to self, your fellow wild women, and nature will deepen with every step.
Our unique Pura Vida Adventure Retreat combines yoga with an exploration of this country’s beautiful ecosystems. Disconnect to reconnect at your off-grid Eco Lodge in the mountains where you will relax, unwind, practice yoga, relax in hammocks, and relish the sounds of nature. Challenge yourself as you summit mountains, look for rare species of birds, climb trees, and rappel secluded waterfalls.
So too, you will find yourself in pristine beaches boarded by lush tropical rainforest. The hidden beauty of Ballena Marine National Park is found underwater and this protected area’s virgin waters are also great for swimming and kayaking.
Allow yourself to get lost in all of its angles and altitudes, Costa Rica is as wild as the woman inside you. Here you will realize, landscapes are as much about inner worlds as they are about what thrives around us.
Please be ready in the lobby at 6:00 am with all your day gear and luggage packed. You are picked up by your guide and travel onward to San Jerónimo.
When we arrive in San Jerónimo, we will connect with the local community and start our coffee tour. If you are a coffee lover, you will grow a serious appreciation for your cup of joe! After the tour, we will be treated with traditional snacks at a local family’s place before heading to Chakra Lodge.
When we arrive at Chakra we will start with lunch and a retreat welcome before settling into your rooms. Our first yoga class will take place at 5:30-6:30 pm: Restorative yoga and meditation, and dinner will follow. After dinner will we have time to relax and talk about the activities for the next day.
We will start our morning with sunrise flow yoga from 6:00-7:00 am. A hearty breakfast prepares you for the days’ activities. This is going to be a long day out on the trail so please make sure there is enough food packed for yourself including snacks and water.
Today we will explore the San Miguel Waterfalls. Hidden in the dense cloud forest lies the San Miguel River, which offers to those up to the challenge, breathtaking views of its countless waterfalls. The trail is steep and technical, but the constant rewards make the climb worth it. Option to do a shorter version Guided Nature Walk: Slow paced, 4km hike with nature interpretation from a local biologist while having meaningful conversations about conservation and sustainability. This is a perfect way to spend the morning! We can also opt to take a dip in a refreshing swimming hole on the way back to the lodge. We will take anywhere from 4 – 6 hours for this day.
We will have a late lunch back at the lodge and the rest of the afternoon will be free time to explore, shower, relax in hammocks, read… this is your time!
Join the group for evening restorative yoga and meditation from 5:30-6:30 pm followed by dinner. Free time after dinner to relax and discuss the next day’s activities.
Start your day with sunrise flow yoga at 6:00 am – 7:00 am and another healthy breakfast. We’ll depart from Chakra Eco-Lodge at 8:30 am for an adventurous day!
Before you know it, you find yourself at the top of a waterfall where we split the group in half for rappelling lessons and tree climbing and then we will switch activities.
Once everyone has rappelled the waterfall we return to the lodge for lunch. Our afternoon will be free time to explore and relax.
Join the group for evening restorative yoga and meditation from 5:30-6:30 pm followed by dinner.
We will start our morning with sunrise flow yoga from 6:00-7:00 am and have a hearty breakfast to prepare us for our hike.
This half-day hike with amazing views of the surrounding mountains and Chakra Eco-Lodge is steep and hard, but perfectly doable and worth it. You will experience great landscape diversity from cattle fields and coffee plantations through tropical rain and cloud forests, to finally reach the base of magnificent Tiger Rock. After snacks and group shots, we will head back to the lodge for lunch and chill out time.
We will finish the day with a light stretch and meditation and dinner. As it will be your last night at this ecolodge, celebrate the warmth and wonder of this place around a campfire with sangría.
Rise and shine to sunrise flow yoga at 6:00 am and stretch out the kinks from the previous day’s hikes. Enjoy breakfast and then pack up and check out of Chakra Eco-Lodge.
We hike out 5km from Chakra Eco-Lodge back to San Jerónimo, where we will work on our community service project. We then catch our bus and drive to the town of Uvita (about a 2.5-hour drive). We’ll stop for lunch at a local restaurant on route and have the opportunity to shop for arts and crafts and pick up some last minute souvenirs.
We’ll check in La Cusinga Lodge and everyone can settle into their rooms. This is a free afternoon for you to explore the surroundings, the beach or simply relax! Dinner to follow and then free time after dinner to relax and discuss the next day’s activities.
Have breakfast and pack for a day of kayaking and snorkelling. A 15-minute drive will take us to our kayak/snorkel tour destination, the famous Whale’s Tail.
We’ll spend the day at Ballena Marine National Park and get a taste of the many different ecosystems in the park. We launch out through small waves into the Bay of Uvita. After an ocean paddle out to the reef at the Whale’s Tail, we snorkel there for a while. Our guide will lead you along the reef, showing you some great underwater sea life. After you are done snorkelling, we head over to the Whale’s Tail. It is a rock and sand formation that occurs during the low tide only. We then paddle back to the beach and learn how to surf a wave into shore with our kayaks. Then we head into a small but incredible Mangrove estuary. This day has it all!
In the afternoon you have free time to either explore pristine beaches and tropical rainforest, hang out at the natural pools or just relax and watch the sunset from your patio. For dinner, we will hit the town for some local cuisine.
Playa Arcos (Arches) is a little-known jewel of Costa Rica’s South Pacific. A short hike through the biodiverse tropical rainforest, laden with creatures, will take you to this breathtaking beach. This hidden paradise has no road access and on most occasions, you have it all to yourself to explore. The dense forest pours onto the beach and provides shade if needed. The place is also perfect for swimming and has caves and waterfalls to delve into.
Later in the afternoon, we’ll head to Rancho La Merced National Wildlife Refuge for a horseback riding adventure. The place sits on 1,200 ha of primary and secondary tropical rainforest with tons of trails to explore. One of these trails leads to Bejuco Waterfalls to cool down after the ride.
Upon returning to La Cusinga, we’ll have a group farewell dinner and then pack up for our return to San Jose the following morning.
After breakfast, we’ll be shuttled by bus back to San José where we’ll be departing back home. The ride is about 3.5 hrs, restroom/coffee stop on the way. Your International flights must be booked for mid to late afternoon, anytime after 3 pm is fine.
This is an active adventure travel trip for all fitness levels and the motto is “challenge by choice”.
In and on the water, as there may be unexpected swims. WWE must know if you’re a non-swimmer.
Costa Rica is beautiful. The trip is incredibly well organized. Great trip if you want to disconnect and get close with nature and have the opportunity to hike.