Have you ever wanted to take a girls’ trip to another country? Maybe you have been to the coast or Las Vegas with your friends, but what about putting on your own Yoga Retreat/Vacation in Costa Rica.
While Costa Rica is known for the beautiful beaches to sunbathe and surf, many adventures of ziplining and ATV tours, and known for the three-toed sloth, yoga retreats are becoming more popular in Costa Rica.
Today, we want to talk to you about how YOU can design your yoga retreat/vacation with the ladies because you don’t need a fancy yoga shala to practice in. All you need are:
- Some yoga mats
- A beach or a jungle
- Possibly a yoga instructor
- Your friends
- …and a good travel agency to help plan your trip!
Are you ready to plan your Yoga Vacation in Costa Rica? Let’s GO!
Baby Three-Toed Sloth. Find one on your yoga retreat/vacation!Is Yoga Popular in Costa Rica?
From beach towns like Nosara, down to Montezuma Beach, and back up to the Volcano of Arenal, yes, we are starting to see more and more yoga and wellness facilities popping up all over the country.
But according to the New York Times article, the practice of yoga is starting to possibly lose the spiritual connection of yoga and is being more focused on the physical aspects of yoga.
When you are in Costa Rica, as a yogi, there are many beautiful places to connect within nature, as sometimes, we need to head back to our roots when it comes to our practice. Not only can you connect with yourself in nature while practicing yoga, but you can also connect with a community, such as your friends, during a trip to Costa Rica.
How Do I Plan My Yoga Retreat In Costa Rica?
As you sit down to look at Costa Rica, you may feel overwhelmed. There is a lot to do, and sometimes people feel frustrated. We want to help you. Let’s ask a few questions that may help you decide how you plan your yoga retreat.
- Do you need a yoga instructor?
- How many people are in your group?
- Do you want an ocean, rainforest, or a volcano view?
- Do you like adventure?
- Do you want to do yoga every day?
Once you start answering these questions, you can get clear of what you are trying to do for your yoga retreat/vacation. Something you will want to do is to reach out to your friends and ask them the same questions. Heck, maybe they don’t want to do yoga at all but want to come experience Costa Rica with you.
Ideally, you will want to get clear about the purpose of the yoga retreat/vacation before you start planning, as costs can get pretty pricing without having any organization.
Where Should You Host Your Yoga Retreat In Costa Rica?
If you search online for yoga places in Costa Rica, you will see many retreat centers around the country. We want to come up with something special for you by thinking outside the box and being out with nature. So let’s head back to the purpose of yoga from the New York Times article, to connect with spiritual development and what a great way by doing yoga in the natural environment.
- The Ocean: The country has over 300 beaches from the Pacific side to the Caribbean side, so all you need is a yoga instructor, a towel, or a mat and your body. You can look at places such as Playa Guinoes in Nosara, Playa Granda by Tamarindo on the PacificPacitic Side. Or check out Playa Negra near Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side. Once again, there are over 800 miles of coastline for you to pick and choose from. The world is your oyster.
- The Rainforest: You will find rainforests everywhere in Costa Rica from Manuel Antonio, the Osa Peninsula, Monteverde, and Tortuguero. There are many different types of rainforests in Costa Rica, so you have to figure out if you want a tropical rainforest or a cloudy rainforest. The sky’s the limit.
- The Volcano: “Take me to the Volcano,” Tom Hanks in “Joe vs. The Volcano.” There are six active volcanoes and 61 dormant ones. Some of the more popular ones are Arenal Volcano and Rincón de la Vieja. There are so great ziplining places here too.
Just a reminder that you can do yoga at different places around Costa Rica, so don’t limit yourself to just the ocean or the rainforest; you can do both; you will need to plan it out.
And, by working with a professional travel agency with decades of experience planning trips to all areas of the country, you can take the guesswork out of planning your trip!
When Should You Host Your Yoga Retreat In Costa Rica?
From late November to late April, Costa Rica’s high season is a great time to plan a yoga retreat. However, you will also consider that it can be a bit pricey since it is the high season.
One option could be from May to September when the prices are not as high, but you may experience a little bit more rain than in the high season.
October is pretty rainy here in Costa Rica, and many places, instructors, and restaurants can be shut down or have gone on their vacations, so you may not want to look into October.
Explore more about Costa Rica’s various travel seasons in our article, The Best Time to Visit Costa Rica. Working with an itinerary provider can also provide more clear guidance on when to plan your trip.
Should You Have A Travel Agency Help You Plan A Yoga Retreat In Costa Rica?
There are plenty of travel agencies around that could help you design your yoga retreat, but we have decades of local experience + local staff to help ensure your trip is a breeze. Travel agencies have a better idea of how to plan it all out regarding logistics, transportation, and hidden gems. This is why it’s recommended to work with a travel agency to plan your yoga retreat to Costa Rica. It depends on what you truly want to achieve.
If your goal is to plan out your Yoga Retreat for some close friends, you will surely have fun doing some research yourselves. A couple of brains put together, two or three of you grab two or three ideas on where you want to go, and you will be more educated if you decide to work with a travel agency. This is always recommended!
For example, a friend may want to head to Arenal, and another may want to run to Papagayo. That is easy; you fly into Liberia (LIR) and get a shuttle or rent a car, drive to Arenal Volcano for a couple of days to experience the Volcano, and then shuttle or drive over to Papagayo experience the beautiful beaches together. However, a travel agency will make the actual planning process so much easier for you, and ensure that you work with trusted service providers on your trip.
If you are looking for activities beyond yoga, explore other recommendations further down in this article.
How Much Does It Cost To Run A Yoga Retreat?
Looking at retreats online and being at retreats, you are looking to spend at least $1500 – $2,000/person on average, but this question truly depends on what you are trying to do with the retreats.
Are you trying to get together a small group of friends and have a Yoga Vacation? If that is the case, then each person will be paying individually. You will have to look at flights, accommodation, transportation, activities, and meals.
Another question would be are you paying for an instructor, or is one of your friends a yoga instructor? So, that would be something that you also need to inquire about when working with a travel agency and/or looking at different places around Costa Rica.
How Much Can You Make From A Yoga Retreat?
Let me ask you this, “Are you looking to make money?” Is this something that you want to do, or is this a yoga vacation that you can hang with your friends and see if you’re going to be a retreat for others?
Yes, you can make money from yoga retreats, and that is why they are ever so popular, but you want to figure out if this is something you want to try to do. Again, working with a travel agency can make travel planning much easier and allow you to focus on the experience that your clients will have while they are on the yoga retreat.
Putting on retreats is a lot of work, and there will be a lot of planning and organizing behind it. It is possible but if this is just for you and your friends, don’t worry about it and “Pura Vida” the experience with your friends.
How Can I Plan A Yoga Vacation To Costa Rica For My Friends Or Family?
One way to plan a yoga vacation with your friends and family is to organize. You can work with a travel agency to gather information, find your instructor(s) at different places in Costa Rica, plan on the adventures, find the hotels, where to fly into, and present it to your friends.
Another way to plan out a yoga vacation with your friends or families is to get everyone involved but give them specific tasks. For example, you can have each friend pick a spot in CostaCosa Rica to which they want to travel and then work with a travel agency to plan it around those spots, figure out the transportation, and then explore several lodging options at each of those spots. It’s not easy to find all of the unique lodging within Costa Rica, and this is something that only comes with the local knowledge of a boutique travel agency.
What Other Adventures Can We Have In Costa Rica Besides Yoga?
There are many adventures in Costa Rica, from Ziplining, surfing, ATV tours, and hiking, to name a few. Let’s talk about some of the most popular that you may want to add for your Yoga Retreat/Vacation.
Ziplining is one of the most popular adventures in Costa Rica, as you can zip through the rainforest and experience some of the most extended cable and incredible views.
Surfing is also a popular one in Costa Rica but do not feel discouraged if you don’t know how to surf. Any surf town you go to in Costa Rica will find surf lessons. If you don’t need a lesson and want to rent a surfboard, you can do that too!
ATV tours are fun, exciting, and a quick way to explore the town that you are in. Just make sure you have connected with a reputable tour company for renting ATV’s.
There are a ton of adventure companies close to Arenal Volcano, as well as Monteverde Cloud Forest. So make sure you figure out
Planning Your Yoga Retreat/Vacation
As you can see, planning your yoga retreat/vacation for your friends and family is very doable, especially with the help of a trusted travel agency. The key would be to figure out where you want to go, what you want to explore, your dates, and how much money you want to spend.
The idea of putting on your retreat for your friends can be fascinating, and you have to dig deep on if this is something you want to do for fun or are looking to do it to make money? So maybe you test the waters with your friends, start planning your getaway yoga vacation, and see how you like it.
If you love planning, collaborating with local travel experts, learning about Costa Rica, and making those friends’ faces light up when they experience Costa Rica, maybe that is something you will want to do moving forward. Take it slow. Learn about the country. Experience the land yourself and your friends, and then you can always come back for more.
Pura Vida! Contact us below if we can help you plan your yoga retreat/vacation to Costa Rica!
Jen Rulon is an avid traveler and writer for Costa Rica Escapes. She is also a triathlon coach and author. You can find her knowledge as an author and speaker ranging from Triathlete Magazine, Runners World, on the TEDx Stage, the Health and Wellness Expo in San Antonio, TX, Men’s Journal Online New York Times.
As she has retired from the triathlon space, Jen’s love of Costa Rica began. She realized that she loves the beaches, and the coffee of Costa Rica and now wants to share through the eyes of what she sees with Costa Rica Escapes. Read Jen’s stories and advice for travelers who wish to see the authentic side of Costa Rica on their vacation.