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This retreat packages include 8 days and 7 nights of accommodations at the SurfCosta Private Resort, transportation to and from San Jose International Airport, three wholesome, local organic meals per day, optional daily yoga (beach yoga, poolside yoga, yoga while on excursion) and Dive Deeper daily journaling sessions, as well as transportation to excursions and various beaches, a full day of stand up paddle boarding and SUP yoga in nearby Playa Herradura, a waterfall tour, a day at Manuel Antonio National Park, optional spa day at the breathtaking Villa Caletas, a swag bag, and a guaranteed magical time.
The best way is to fly to San Jose International Airport (SJO) - transportation to and from the airport will be provided. Once your flight is booked, please send us the details to retreats@aquavida.com. We offer two pickups and we will coordinate the pickup and drop-off times and handle all of the details. Our resort is approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes from the airport, and our driver can make stops along the way to grab some drinks or snacks, see a few sites, or stop up at the grocery store.
When you arrive in SJO, you will need to follow the lines through Immigration, baggage claim, and a final customs scan. There is only 1 exit in San Jose, so if you have made it outside, you are in the right place. When you exit, walk down the sidewalk to the right about 200 feet in order to get out of the crowd of taxi drivers. Our driver will find you there. Do not accept a ride from another agency unless we have instructed you to do so.
Here are some suggestions to add to your packing list besides your daily clothes (shirts / bottoms / undergarments / shoes / layers for evening).
Weather: Highs 90 °F Lows 71 °F / Ocean Temperature: 83 °F.
Although we expect beautiful weather throughout our stay there may be a very slight chance of occasional afternoon rain, so you may want to bring a rain jacket.
Yoga
Yoga pants / shorts
Yoga tops
Yoga mat
Journal
SUP Yoga
Bathing suit or quick dry pants and shirt
Sun shirt / Rash guard
If you want to wear sunglasses during SUP bring corkies
Sun hat
Waterproof sun-screen (eco-friendly if possible)
Miscellaneous
Valid Passport
Copy of passport (put in safe place in luggage)
Toiletries (eco-friendly if possible)
Aloe vera
Medications
Beach towel
Flashlight / headlamp
Natural insect repellant for hikes
Cash
Refillable water bottle
Ear plugs (only if needed for sleep)
A good book
Day pack
Camera (underwater preferable)
Hiking shoes or sandals
Flip flops and swimsuit
The beach is about 1 mile away, which is about a 4 minute car ride or a 15 minute walk or a good run.
In town, you will find a small grocery store, with some imported but mostly local products. Located a short 25 minute car ride away, Jaco is one of the most popular destinations in Puntarenas, as it is both a beach community and hub for exciting nightlife. With rolling green hills of jungle and farm pasture in the distance, Jaco sits in a wide cove with rocky point on each end. The beach is a long gray area that has a backdrop of palm trees, surfside hotels, souvenir and boutique shops, a huge selection of restaurants and bars. Jaco Beach is known for its stunning black sand and prime surfing conditions. A short drive from Jaco Beach is Hermosa, the site of several international surfing championships and some of the best waves in the region.
Early May is still considered dry season in Costa Rica. The beaches in Puntarenas are traditionally very dry during this period, with isolated afternoon showers. The temperature ranges from a very minimum of 65 to the low nineties.
Yes, there is fast internet connection and WIFI throughout SurfCosta. Because the resort is in a remote area, the connection can go out at times.
We have a phone with a local number that you can use for calls anywhere within Costa Rica, and friends/family can call it in case of an emergency. While at the resort, you can download a free VoIP app like WhatsApp, Viber, or FaceTime to connect to friends and family back home. If you like having 4G while you're out and about, you can pick up a cheap SIM card, which is an inexpensive pre-paid option with solid coverage.
The Costa Rican currency is called Colones, and the exchange is usually is about 500 Colones for every 1 dollar. (so a 5000 colones bill is $10 USD). The good news is that most all establishments in Costa Rica accept either US Dollars, or credit cards (Visa/Mastercard). There is no big racket here with foreigners being ripped off with exchange rates.
We recommend bringing about $100 in small bills in case, and then using credit or debit cards to take out local currency at the ATMs. This is how you will get the best exchange rate. It is fine to use American dollars for the duration of your trip, but you will lose out some with each local vendors exchange rate.
DO NOT BRING TRAVELLER’S CHECKS! Almost no one will take them.
The water is perfectly fine to drink, however it has a slightly different composition that tap water in the US. We recommend bottled water, because it is just better to be safe than sorry when you have a limited amount of time for your vacation. At Surf Costa, we provide you with 5 gallon jugs of bottled water in your home, so you can refill smaller bottles when going out on excursions.
No specific shots are required to enter the country, however we always recommend you speak to your personal physician as everyone is different and worldwide health situations are constantly changing. If you want to find out up to date info on Zika you can visit to the CDC’s website.
Nothing is required as far as gratuities go, but most of our guests give external excursion guides (zipline, rafting, fishing) $10-$20 per person, and at the end of your stay a gratuity for your driving tour guide is always appreciated.
5:30am ~ Optional early morning surf session
7:30am ~ Sunrise yoga on the beach
9am ~ Wholesome breakfast, locally-sourced, back at SurfCosta
10am-1pm ~ Relax on the beach, hang out by the pool with a book, lounge in a hammock surrounded by the jungle, or take an optional excursion
1pm ~ Wholesome lunch, locally-sourced, at SurfCosta
1pm-6pm ~ Head over to Villa Caletas ( http://www.hotelvillacaletas.com) to relax by their infinity pool and/or book an optional spa treatment, then have some drinks and catch the sunset from an amphitheater built to showcase the sunset, the Pacific Ocean and the rainforest
6:30pm ~ Dinner back at SurfCosta
After dinner ~ free time to lounge, mix some drinks at the pool bar, or turn in early to catch the next day's morning surf session
Aqua Vida’s classes are designed to be stable. We build our practice by starting low and connecting with the board, then gradually rising to a standing flow. Our teachers offer modifications to add ease or challenge to every pose. We offer playtime at every class, which opens up the opportunity to explore more poses that are inherently unstable – sometimes a splash or two may happen here!
You will get wet though! Our hands, feet, back and abdomen touch the water and so we recommend you do bring a towel and/or change of clothing for after class!
A swimsuit or yoga/athletic clothing are recommended. Bring your own towel, a bottle of water and your sense of adventure!
Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to class.
Philadelphia
INDOOR POOL PROGRAM - we meet at Drexel's Daskalakis Athletic Center Pool. Please remember to bring a photo ID.
Click here for the exact location.
OUTDOOR SUMMER PROGRAM - we meet at Penn's Landing Marina. If you need assistance, please ask one of the park attendants and they will direct you to the marina.
Click here for the exact location.
New Jersey
INDOOR POOL PROGRAM - we meet at Forrestal Village Fitness Pool.
Click here for the exact location.
OUTDOOR SUMMER PROGRAM - we launch at the beach across the lake from Lago Restaurant (230 Washington Place, North Brunswick, NJ 08902). You can park either right in their lot and walk over the bridge to the gravel beach, or you can park right on the beach.
Click here for the exact location.
Please either call or text (973) 951-1204.
** Reservation policy: 48 hour or more cancellation - 100% refund, 24 hour or more cancellation - 50% refund, day of cancellation or no show - no refund **
If class is cancelled because of the weather, see below (What happens if it rains?).
Aqua Vida’s combined 17+ years of experience paddling and recreating on the waters of the tri-state area has given us a knowledge about the waterways that you won’t find at any other studio. We have a treasure trove of tools that we use to decide whether or not to host class. If you find yourself on the water with us, you can be sure you're getting conditions that rival the shore!
We love our outdoor program, but it places us at the mercy of Mother Nature! Our classes are weather permitting - if there is precipitation any time in the 24 hour prior to the start of class, or 40% or more chance of rain within two hours of class, class will be cancelled and we will offer you a spot in the next available class, or any future class, or offer a full refund. If class is scheduled, and rain begins an hour or more into the class, there will be no refunds.
Aqua Vida is a water-loving, socially-responsible and conscious community offering opportunities to cultivate and nurture a strong mind/body connection through floating yoga and floating fitness classes and workshops, as well as local conservation initiatives, and Seva retreats and events.
For so long, humans respected their rivers as a source of sustenance, of water, of recreation and of healing. So many people have forgotten that respect and appreciation for our waters and have forgotten that we are here because of it. The first civilizations were born of the waters of the rivers. They're the veins of the ocean, and we want to connect people to the heartbeat that circulates it.
There was a time when the citizens of Philadelphia swam in these waters. Imagine a beach right here, on the Delaware, or at the lake in New Jersey where we have another studio. That is our vision. We want to love our rivers again.
1% of each reservation is donated towards local water conservation efforts. Let's keep our waterways healthy so we can continue to live the Aqua Vida way.
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