Combine Yoga and Surf in Costa Rica
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Remember the day when you went to your first yoga class? Why did you do it? Even though each yogi has a different answer to this question, one thing is true for everybody: curiosity was part of the equation.
Now it’s time to bring back that curiosity of yours and live a brand-new yoga experience! A yoga and surf retreat in Costa Rica is an exceptional way to satisfy that curiosity; plus, you can’t imagine the countless benefits from combining these two practices.
Discover what makes this natural paradise an ideal yoga and surf destination and immerse yourself in Costa Rica’s unique atmosphere.
What makes Costa Rica so special for surf and yoga?
Image credit: La Posada Surf Camp
Located in Central America, between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, Costa Rica is home to some of the most amazing landscapes in Latin America. With stunning wildlife, pristine beaches and the Pura Vida mantra, it makes for a perfect location for your next yoga holiday.
Once you set foot in this cheerful country, you’ll start to bump into some of the happiest people on earth. According to the Happy Planet Index Making, Costa Rica ranked as the happiest country in the world in three different years (2009, 2012 and 2016). Maybe the surf and yoga culture have something to do with this.
While in Costa Rica, you’ll also breathe nothing but peacefulness and clean air. The air is among the cleanest on the planet, 98.53 percent of their energy comes from renewable sources and they don’t have an active army since 1948.
On top of its contagious good vibes, Costa Rica is well known for having numerous surf camps and all kinds of surf spots. With mellow waves and challenging points and reefs, Costa Rica has the reputation of being one of the favorite destinations in the world to combine yoga and surf.
Want to combine yoga and surfing somewhere else? Here’s a guide to surf & yoga retreats in Morocco.
What happens when you combine yoga and surf?
Combining these two practices might be something new to you. But if you think about it, yoga and surf are not so different from each other. Surfing teaches you to be focused, flexible, patient, to take failure as an opportunity to learn, to leave your comfort zone, to have no fear and find balance.
Does it sound familiar to you? That’s because you’ve learned it from yoga too! So, take surfing as a shortcut to a better yoga practice. OK, maybe not a shortcut because it will require some extra effort, but you can see it as taking a narrow road on a rocky mountain that will help you take great steps in your yoga journey while having fun.
Just think about it, surfing gives you the extraordinary opportunity to put into practice everything you’ve learned on the mat but in an uncontrollable environment. Like overcoming the fear of failing, or the fact that you really want to be fully present when riding your first big wave.
Also, you won’t find a better chance to test your patience than on a surfing session. You´ll spend only about 8% of the time riding waves and the rest you´ll have to paddle and wait.
Finally, just 15 minutes of surfing could be as intense as a Vinyasa Yoga class, so you won’t only be a better yogi after all, but you’ll also be in better shape!
Read all you need to know about Costa Rica’s best yoga destinations
Yoga and surfing destinations in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is famous for offering some of the best yoga and surf retreats worldwide. There are three main provinces where you can find great surf spots and relaxing beaches: Puntarenas, Guanacaste and Limón.
Puntarenas Province
Image credit: Believe Surf and Yoga
With coast, mountains and jungle, Puntarenas Province is full of wonders and amusement. Its main city, Punta Arenas, is a cultural hub with lots of interesting places to visit, such as national reserves, museums and islands and it has tons of surf and yoga holidays.
If you’d rather spend your vacation in a laidback town, head north to Santa Teresa. Located on the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, this surfing destination has been hailed as a world-class surfing spot. Here you can find surf spots for all levels as well as beautiful white sandy beaches to strike a few yoga poses.
Guanacaste Province
Image credit: Safari Surf School
With stunning mountains, impressive volcanoes and pristine shoreline, this tropical paradise is home to the capital of surfing on the Northern Pacific coast, Tamarindo. Featuring some of the best surf breaks in the world, it’s a good spot to learn to surf as it has good waves for beginners.
Another alternative within the Guanacaste Province is Nosara, which has a reputation as Central America’s leading yoga hot spot and it has surf spots especially suited for beginners.
Limón Province
Image credit: CASA OSHIIS SURF HOME STAY
Limón Province is perhaps one of the least traveled places in the country. However, thanks to its natural beauty, lush vegetation, mangrove swamps, pristine beaches and high mountain ranges, this region is an excellent place to mix yoga with a little bit of surf. Particularly in Talamanca, a laidback seaside town where you’ll surely get a taste of the real Costa Rican lifestyle. And thanks to its secluded environment, here you’ll easily find Shanti (peace).
Looking for a yoga and surfing destination in Europe? Here’s all you need to know to spice up your yoga holiday with surfing in the Algarve
Best time to visit Costa Rica
Image credit: Pura Vida Surfers
Finally, if you’re already planning your trip to this marvelous country, you should know when the best time is to go. To put it simply, there are two main seasons in Costa Rica:
The dry season - between January and April - with sunny days, crowded beaches and higher prices, this period offers great surfing conditions for all levels and hundreds of yoga retreats.
The rainy season - between May and December - many people enjoy traveling during this time since the weather is just fine; prices are at their lowest and the crowds are gone.
All in all, any time is a good time to travel to Costa Rica. And if you want to complement your yoga practice with a little bit of surfing, you won’t find a better place on earth.
Looking forward to becoming a yoga instructor? There’re are many options to do your yoga teacher training in Costa Rica.