Where do I even begin with my recap of Pura Vida Adventures? It was such an amazing experience that I’m overwhelmed with how to describe it, but I’ll give it a try.
My best friend Irene and I had been looking for a unique surf and yoga retreat, a week to get away, relax and enjoy ourselves. Everything I read about PVA sounded like what we were looking for so after months of searching we signed up. I’ll start with my basic overview of the experience then for those more interested in this retreat, I’ll do additional posts with details about travel, accommodations, surfing, etc.
The retreat is set right on the beach at Hotel Tropico Latino in Malpais, Costa Rica where we had a private bungalow set in the jungle with views of the ocean.
Included in our retreat was three meals a day, daily surf lessons, daily yoga, a one hour massage and then there are additional activities throughout the week.
Each day looked a little like this:
We woke up for 7am yoga at the outdoor studio which is in a jungle setting overlooking the ocean. Our yoga instructor was very spiritual and very into “your inner goddess” type talk. Yoga was an hour and was more of a deep stretching routine as opposed to athletic yoga. The yoga was more of an accompaniment to our surfing as opposed to a yoga-focused experience. It was peaceful hearing the ocean during our morning practice.
After yoga we had breakfast outside as a group at the hotel restaurant. Every morning featured a fresh juice (different each day), coffee, fresh fruit, granola, yogurt and then either eggs, rice and beans or a breakfast burrito. Every morning it was extremely delicious. The breakfast burrito may have been one of my favorite meals from the trip.
Next we prepped for our daily surf lesson with our instructors Brett and Helen. Because our group was only 5 people we had 2 instructors but PVA always has a 3-1 student-to-teacher ratio so even if you’re in a bigger group you will get individualized attention. You can be an experienced surfer or a total newbie and these instructors will be ready for you. We’d have a mini lesson in the sand (things like wave selection, pop ups, turning, form, safety, etc) then we’d head into the water. We surfed from about 9-12 each day with a break in the middle for waterside snacks (water, fresh fruit, trail mix). You could take as many breaks as you needed or surf the entire time.
After showering we met back up for lunch. We either ate at the hotel or at nearby restaurants decided by Tierza (retreat owner), Tierza knows the area as well as the restaurant owners; I think it’s a nice treat to be taken around by someone who knows the ropes.
One day we were filmed while surfing and during lunch got to see our videos and analyze our form, this was very helpful. Another day a photographer came and took our pics ($40 to buy and totally worth it).
Post-lunch the time was pretty much ours. Irene and I spent this time relaxing on the beach, reading, napping (surfing is exhausting!) or walking through the tiny town.
One afternoon we had a paddle school where we were taken to a calm part of the ocean with our surf boards to practice paddling, turning, turtle rolls (what to do when a big wave is going to crash on you) to get us comfortable with these skills for when it was time to do it in the waves. Another afternoon we each received a one-hour massage at little outdoor spa huts where you could hear the ocean. Perfection. Both of these activities are included in your camp.
Two additional afternoon excursions were offered ($50ish each): a zip-line canopy tour and a stand up paddle board tour. We skipped the zip-line tour because I’ve done it before in Costa Rica but for people who haven’t it is amazing and you’ve got to do it. We did the SUP tour and that was also incredible. We met up with an instructor, learned the basics then paddled out into a calm part of the ocean and sat on our boards watching the sun sink into the ocean, it was breathtaking. I wish I could have had my phone with me for pictures!
Each evening we all met up on the beach (sometimes with a bottle of wine) to watch the sunset over the ocean.
Post-sunset we all met up for dinner, either at the hotel or locations around town. Some meals were up to us but as a group we all got along so we had most of our meals together. We had vouchers for the meals of our choice so everything was still covered by the camp.
I loved the balance of having activities and a schedule but also having free time to ourselves. I was never bored, either I was surfing or doing an activity or napping because of how exhausting the activities were. Tierza does an excellent job of making sure you know what the schedule is but you’re sort of on vacation time so it’s not like anything is super strict. If things need to be moved around, they can be. For example, our group wasn’t super into the yoga so a few days we skipped it to get to the beach at more optimal times for waves.
You also don’t need to worry much about money since your retreat costs cover almost everything. The only things you pay for are the two optional excursions, alcohol (at the hotel and restaurants or you can go to the market across the street and buy your own) and if you choose to go to restaurants further than walking distance, a cab.
I was a little weary when we first arrived at how small our group was. I was expecting more than 5 people, however, I ended up really enjoying our intimate group and it was extremely enjoyable to be with these women. We are all in different points in our lives (Irene and I were the youngest) and it was a unique experience to spend time with these amazing women. I loved sharing the experience with them. I’d recommend this retreat for women of all ages. We also spent a good amount of time with our surf instructors who I loved.
Another big plus of this program was how much Tierza and the instructors cared about us. I felt like safety was a priority and even though surfing sort of terrifies me, I felt very well taken care of. Our surf instructors were always by our side and knew how hard to push us. We were given unlimited filtered water to stay hydrated, unlimited amounts of sunscreen and zinc (plus reminders to reapply often!) and one of my surf instructors even gave me his sunglasses while I was surfing since my eyes were super sensitive (but then a big wave hit me and I lost them…sorry Brett!!!).
This was definitely a surf camp, not a surf and yoga retreat as I had expected. If you are looking for a focus on yoga you may not get it here but luckily I was way more interested in the surfing so for me this was a perfect fit. Had our group been more into yoga I’m sure Tierza would have made sure we got to all of our yoga classes; she did a nice job of molding the daily schedule to fit our likes and needs (also if you are looking for a yoga-specific retreat, that’s another PVA option).
I’ve gone on beach vacations before and sometimes get bored just laying out every day and I’ve been snorkeling more times than I can count. What made this so special was I was able to push myself, learn new things, bond with awesome women and my best friend and also had just enough time to relax and unwind. The camp is a full week and I felt extremely removed from my NYC life (still love you MM & Ollie but sometimes I gotta get away!). Often on vacations even when I’m having fun I’m sort of ready to go home and have my real-life amenities back, but on this vacation Irene and I both kept saying how we didn’t feel that way, we felt totally calm and happy and at peace in Costa Rica.
If you are interested in a unique experience set in a beautiful remote location with a focus on surfing, I highly recommend this retreat. I would love to go back and truly enjoyed every minute. If you have specific questions about my experience or the retreat, feel free to email me at ShapinUpFitness@gmail.com; I’d love to chat more about PVA.
Plus stay tuned for more posts about the trip coming atcha later this week!
