One Sensational Week of Surfing and Yoga in Costa Rica

Surfing and Yoga in Costa Rica, Why Not?

After visiting Macchu Picchu, I flew to Nosara, Costa Rica for seven days of surfing and yoga. Pairing a surfing and yoga retreat with my Peru hiking adventure may seem odd, but I assure you, it works quite well. After hiking nearly 70 miles (113 kilometers) in the Peruvian Andes, there was nothing I wanted to do more than wake up next to the beach, surf for a couple of hours, attend a yoga class, and then surf some more. Besides, working on my core and balance could only help improve my tennis game, right?!

Growing up, I was lucky, and was able to spend my summers working near the beach. Even with my close proximity to the waves, I never once tried to surf. I decided it was time to give it a shot. I wasn’t just excited about the surfing, I was stoked about the yoga. Yoga helps with flexibility, balance, breathing, and mindfulness. It is no surprise that many tennis professionals have added yoga into their daily fitness regimen. I attend the occasional yoga class, and while my flexibility has improved during my tennis training, I still have a lot of work to do in this category. I’m convinced improving my shoulder and hip flexibility will help elevate my tennis game to the next level.

A Day in the Life at a Surfing and Yoga Retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica

Every day my schedule went something like this:

• 7:30 am: Egg Sandwich
• 8:00 -10:00 am: One-on-one surf class at Safari Surf School
• 11:00 am – 12:15 am: Yoga Class at Bohdi Tree Yoga Resort
• 1:00 pm: Lunch
• 3:00 – 4:00 pm: Surf (Practice what I’d learned earlier that day)
• 5:00 pm: Yoga Class at Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort (if I had any energy left)
• 7:00 pm: Dinner
• 9:00 pm: Bed

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Surf School in Costa Rica

My Costa Rica days went exactly as I hoped and I loved every minute. Each morning, I would wake up early, walk 50 feet from the Nosara Beach Hostel to Olas Verdes Hotel, eat a delicious egg sandwich, and then it was time to hit the waves. My Safari Surf School instructor, Herberth, and I would grab our boards from the rack and then hit the dirt path down to the beach.

Navigating the Ninja Warrior Obstacle Course to the Beach

The winding dirt path to the beach takes only 5-10 minutes to complete but, in my mind, it is very important to the Costa Rica surf experience. There are two American Ninja Warrior obstacles that you need to overcome to make it to the beach. Okay, maybe I’m being a bit dramatic. First, with surf board in hand, you have to scamper across tree stump stepping stones.

Then, you are required to tip-toe along an unstable makeshift bridge; the bridge is constructed with two slender logs fastened together with uneven slats of wood for stepping. To complicate things further, as the bridge is not tied down, it drifts to the edge of the stream and your path is obstructed by branches and bushes. These obstacles aren’t too treacherous but, to me, they are quintessential Costa Rica and shout “it’s simple and it sort of works… does it really matter, we are going surfing. ¡Pura Vida!”

Learning to Surf at Playa Guiones

After completing the obstacle course, we would stretch, and I would receive a detailed lesson plan from my surf instructor. You can understand what Herberth is telling me to do, in the picture below, right? No idea…

Then, we would surf! Playa Guiones is the perfect place to learn to surf: the water is a pleasant lukewarm temperature; the water is shallow for more than one hundred yards, so you barely needed to paddle out to catch waves; and lastly, though mid-tide is optimal, mid-size waves are constantly rolling in throughout the day.

Surfing with the Big Boys at Playa Garza

On the last day of my trip, we took a 15 minute road-trip to test my talents at Playa Garza with the big boys. I caught a couple of waves and quickly noted, while watching the locals carve massive waves, I still had a lot to learn.

Yoga Class at Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort in Costa Rica

After my morning surf session, I would grab a shower and lunch and then walk over to the beautiful and relaxing Bohdi Tree Yoga Resort. I spent a lot of time hanging out and reading my book at the Bohdi Tree juice and smoothie bar. The smoothies there are insanely delicious and cheap!

Each day I attended at least one 75 minute yoga class. Each class is taught by a different instructor. I tried a bit of everything, including: Vinyasa, Bodhi Vinyasa, Yin, and even a Ceibo Sound Bath class (I’m not going to even try to explain that last one). The studios at Bodhi Tree are built on the sides of a hill and are basically tree houses with bamboo roofs. I especially enjoyed practicing in one of the open-air studios, though, I do recommend wearing mosquito repellent because it’s really difficult to do a side-plank while being attacked by mosquitoes.

Afternoon Solo Surf Session

After my yoga session, I would wander back down to Playa Garza and surf for another hour or so, practicing what I had focused on with the instructor earlier in the day. After my afternoon surf session, I would be completely zonked; I would grab a quick shower, a quick meal, visit with my hostel mates, and call it day. Then, I would wake up and do it all over again. What a glorious week of surfing and Yoga in Costa Rica!

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The Best Food in Nosara, Costa Rica

The food is delicious in Nosara. I love the classic rice & bean dishes and the fresh fish tacos. I enjoyed meals at: Olas Verdes Hotel, Beach Dog Cafe, Al Chile, and El Local. I recommend all of those establishments, but my favorite is Rosi’s Soda Tica. This was a small local lunch spot were I was able to buy a delicious fish sandwich for 2,000 colones (USD 3.50)!

Additional Nosara, Costa Rica Observations

• ¡Pura Vida! Cost Ricans are constantly saying “¡Pura Vida!”. They say it in place of “hello”, “good morning”, “have a good one”, “you are welcome”. Basically, substituting the phrase for every greeting. Pura vida translates to simple life or pure life. Costa Ricans are genuine and truly mean it when they say it. They live simple lives to the fullest and are happy people. Although I only lived in Costa Rica for a week I am a successful convert to the ¡Pura Vida! way of life.
• May is a great time to visit Nosara. On the west coast of Costa Rica, May is considered a shoulder month for tourists; there are few tourists during this time of year and although the rainy season begins in May, it typically rains for only a few hours during each day. I loved how quiet it was in Nosara; it was awesome being the only student in many of my yoga classes!
• Everyone surfs in Nosara and everyone drives an ATV four wheeler. There are dozens of places to rent a surf board or get surf instruction, and there are a number of shops that rent ATVs. I tried to ride my bicycle around Nosara, but with the dirt roads kicking up mud or dust and my bike chain constantly becoming lose from gravel and potholes, I received a few funny looks and laughs from the locals. I noticed that everyone buzzes around in their ATV with their dog sitting on the back of the seat, and their surf board hanging on the side of the ATV in a makeshift foam insulated rebar rack.

Costa Rica Conclusions

My week in Nosara, Costa Rica was ideal. (Thank you to my close friend Pat for the great recommendation.) Nosara is definitely a destination that I want to visit again, and I believe it is the perfect location for a long weekend adventure with the boys (or girls). Lastly, shout out to Jeff and Ellen, an awesome Colorado couple that I met while surfing at Playa Guiones. Next time you both want to go surfing in Nosara give me a shout! ¡Pura Vida!