One of my sabbatical goals was to attend a yoga retreat. In all my searches, I kept coming back to Costa Dulce Retreat Center near San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua. It offered the perfect mix of yoga, beach, nature, and great food without being too “woo-woo”. I spent 5 nights and 6 days here and it was honestly one of my favorite trips ever!

It was such a treat to be able to stay put and have everything in one place. Costa Dulce attracted easygoing, like-minded travelers and I quickly formed an amazing girl group that made the trip even more fun.

Lodging

I booked the Nido, an oceanfront cabin with a private bathroom and balcony. I splurged on the room, expecting to spend a lot of time there, but with so many wonderful common areas, I barely spent any time in it.

Also the ocean was LOUD so the sound of waves at night (and the occasional howler monkey) was actually more stressful than relaxing. The location of the room was great though, being close to both the common areas and the stairs down to the beach. And the shower with views of the ocean was pretty iconic.

Food

OMG THE FOOD. Every meal was delicious, healthy, and fresh, with great soups, juices, meats, salads, and plenty of veggies. They also offered options for different dietary needs, including vegetarian and gluten-free.

There were set meal hours: 6-9am pre-breakfast (yogurt, granola, and fruit — so you could eat something before yoga), 9am breakfast, 1pm lunch, and 6pm dinner.

There were several long tables that we sat at so mealtimes were wonderful for the food and the company. If you’re trying to completely go MIA and not speak to others, you could sit at the far end of the table to avoid friendly conversation. But why? :(

Important note: there was coffee available at all hours of the day.

Activities

I booked a yoga package, which included two daily classes, and then paid separately for a surf lesson, a massage, and some of the optional group activities. You could also book a surf package, a spa package including daily treatments, or any combination of those.

The prices were almost comparable to U.S. prices, but this was not one of my budget trips SO I conveniently ignored the costs. GIRL MATH!

Yoga

There were two yoga platforms on the property — the main studio near the common areas and another studio at the lookout, about a 10 minute walk away. They both had STUNNING views of the ocean and had plenty of space for everyone to move. At our morning yoga class at the main yoga studio, we regularly enjoyed watching the cows take their morning beach stroll below.

Yoga was offered twice a day, once at 7:30am and then again at either 4:30pm or 7:30pm, with various types ranging from flow to restorative to a myofascial release workshop.

The Beach

The beach in front of the property has beach chairs, hammocks, a small beach bar, and lots and lots of waves!

Boogie boards were available to rent for a small fee and after trying it for the first time… WOW, did I develop an unhealthy obsession with it. You couldn’t drag me out of the water!

I also signed up for a beginner surfing lesson. We practiced loads of drills on the sand before hitting the water, and the instructor chose the waves and guided us on when to stand up. Miraculously, I stood up on my first try! And was able to stand up more often than not! Sadly, there is no photo or video evidence of my gnarly surfing abilities BUT if you sign up for a surf package, it includes daily video footage that you review with your instructor.

The Pool

There were two pools on the property — one near the resort entrance that everyone hung out at a lot and then one hidden amongst some of the lodging. The main pool had a bar that you could order drinks from, though the vibes were always pretty tame.

The biggest highlight of my week — besides discovering the joy of boogie-boarding — was jumping into the pool with my clothes on after yoga… and jumping into the other pool after ecstatic dance. So freeing! The opposite of skinny-dipping!

Other Activities

The resort offers a bunch of free and paid activities throughout the week. There is also a library that serves as a co-working space if you need to work while you’re there.

• Beach Bonfire (FREE) - We discovered an odd fact about the beach at night — the beach is COVERED in little hermit crabs. And I mean COVERED. It was a terrifying discovery, but also slightly hilarious. Anyways, there was also a bonfire and music!

• Sea Turtle Talk with Turtle Tim (FREE) - We learned about local sea turtle conservation efforts and even helped release a turtle back into the ocean at sunset. We wish the little guy a wonderful life at sea!

• Jungle Walk ($20) - A guided hike through the jungle to a waterfall, complete with howler monkeys.

• Cacao Ceremony ($20) - Delicious cacao and a guided meditation.

• Temazcal-Inspired Sweat Lodge ($30) - This was an amazing, albeit difficult experience. Some people stayed the whole time, but I left after about 20 minutes. My thought process was “oh cool, a new experience” and then slowly morphed into “why am I paying to subject myself to this pain?” So I tapped out and jumped into the ocean for free :)

• Trip to San Juan del Sur ($15) - The resort is located about 30 minutes drive from the closest town, San Juan del Sur. This surfer town has cafes, shops, and a massive Jesus statue high up on a hill, Cristo De La Misericordia (similar to Christ the Redeemer in Rio De Janeiro). I enjoyed my time so much at Costa Dulce that I almost regretted going into town…

• There was also a free salsa dance class, ecstatic dance class (you grow by being uncomfortable), and live music night.

Getting There

Costa Dulce is located near San Jose del Sur, about 3 hours drive from both the airport in Managua, Nicaragua and the airport in Liberia, Costa Rica. The location gives you two easy options for flights. The Liberia airport usually offers more (and cheaper) flights to the U.S., but you have to deal with the border crossing which adds a tiny layer of complexity if you’re not a confident traveler. I flew into Managua and out of Liberia.

I flew into Managua airport late at night and stayed at the Best Western Las Mercedes hotel, right across from the airport. The hotel was clean and quiet, with two pools, and an excellent breakfast buffet in the morning.

I had arranged a private driver with the resort to pick me up in the morning from my hotel and drive me to Costa Dulce. My driver also did a quick detour to show me the view of Ometepe Islands. I definitely want to return to Nicaragua and spend some time there… and Granada… and León…

For my departure, the resort arranged a driver to take me to the Nicaragua/ Costa Rica border. After walking through customs (very chill, no lines), a second driver picked me up on the Costa Rican side. It was slightly confusing but I mainly just followed other people who were walking and no one bothered me.

Conclusion

Costa Dulce Retreat Center is perfect for anyone looking for a relaxing, wellness-focused vacation, while being immersed in nature. With its small size, it’s really easy to meet people, making it perfect for solo travelers, but also great for couples or groups of friends. I’m already planning my next trip — this time with more surfing!!