8 Days Surf & Yoga Costa Rica at Believe Villas Santa Teresa

We called our villas "Ohana", which means "family" in Hawaiian and that is how Believe Surf & Yoga wants everyone to feel when they stay with them. Ohana features four beautiful villas (Flor 1, Flor 2, Pupa 1 and Pupa 2) surrounded by mango trees; you can play 'spot the monkey' in the afternoons. It is located in the ideal location of Santa Teresa. Just tucked away from the main street so that you can enjoy peace and quiet but so close that you can walk to the beach and everywhere in town (restaurants, cafes, shops, bars and supermarket) within five minutes.

Amenities include stunning swimming pool, wifi, daily cleaning, air conditioning, secure safe box, private parking and the coolest staff which will make your stay even better.

Each Villa Flor has one king size bedroom upstairs, one queen size bedroom downstairs, a private bathroom with hot water and a veranda with hammocks and chairs to take it easy all day. In between both apartments, there is a fully equipped kitchen and dining area in a semi-open area shared by both apartments.

PHILOSOPHY

Believe. It is Believe Surf and Yoga's philosophy, their motto, what has driven them here. Believe in the innate potential that we have when we are connected with ourselves and nature. The aim of the hosts - Lucho and Martin - is to enable their guests to experience something different from a traditional beach holiday or a trip across great landscapes. Let yourself go during the whole journey: surfing, enjoying the fantastic beaches of Santa Teresa, and the wonderful nature around, while nurturing your body and consciousness, through yoga and healthy food habits. A brief experience may leave a significant trace in our life. And, without noticing, the smallest detail changes our mind. This is the cornerstone of their project; what they strive for, every day.

Santa Teresa is world famous for its surf breaks so surfing will be a top priority during your stay and everything else will revolve around it. You will have three surf lessons, which they believe is the ideal load of classes if you do not have previous experience or if you have not been surfing for a while. You don’t want to burn yourself out or get an injury! Besides, there are many other things to see and do in Santa Teresa too so you will need some free time. Once you are here and after the first few days, you can decide whether to have an extra surf lesson during your last days.

Believe are different to most other surf schools in that surf lessons are fully personalized. Surfing levels are never mixed and the maximum group size is three surfers per instructor. What is even better is that if none of the guests are starting their surfing week when you start you may have a one-on-one instruction during your whole week. No sitting through the first lesson instructions or being pushed to go quicker than you want to! The lessons last 90 minutes and they provide high-quality long boards, rash guard, and hydration during the session. If weather and swell conditions require the lesson to move to other beach breaks, they will arrange that for you with your own 4x4 transportation.

SURF LESSONS FOR BEGINNERS

The beaches of Santa Teresa are one of the most beautiful in Costa Rica and they are the perfect starting point for your surf lessons. Gentle whitewater will let you have the best first sensation of this wonderful sport. The challenge is to develop your skills so that you can gain independence and confidence in the water. Believe Surf and Yoga Costa Rica will focus on your balance on the board and make sure that you have all the necessary safety tips to get into the water: handling the board, managing wipeouts, etc. The policy is to have no more than three surfers per instructor, this is important to make sure that you are properly observed and receive personalized feedback in the water.

INTERMEDIATE SURFERS

Intermediate surfers will be introduced to the art of catching waves and developing the surfer’s instinct. First of all, your surf instructor will look for the best surfboard size according to your level (you will usually be using a smaller board than beginners). You will focus on your paddle technique, on how to observe the sea and read the upcoming sets so that you are in the best spot, and on developing a fast and proper pop up. Furthermore, the instructor will be coaching you on how to turn to one side or another according to the wave, and evaluating your position on the board, your style, and your balance, so you better get ready!

ADVANCED SURFERS

Advanced surfers will have an initial surf session with an instructor so that they can set a common objective to target along the week together (i.e. improve your pop up technique in faster waves, develop certain surfing, and take advantage of the wave, etc). Based on this first day and on surfing conditions, they will decide which beach is the best to make sure that you make the most out of it. Believe Surf and Yoga will always seek bigger and steeper waves and will look to take you to the next level. They want you to have a safe surfing session with a lot of adrenaline and make sure that this experience drives your will to keep on developing yourself in this sport. For advanced surfers, there will be one instructor for two people for a safe session and better feedback.

YOGA

Believe Surf and Yoga partners with two local yoga studios to provide you with flexibility to practice at many times through the day so you can have the perfect yoga experience. Yoga classes are held in open area jungle decks surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature and classes are provided at various times throughout the day so you don’t have to sacrifice your sunset or surf session. Santa Teresais lucky to be home to teachers from all over the world sharing a range of yoga styles. Whether you are looking for Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Yin or even Kundalini, Believe Surf and Yoga have you covered. Nourish your body, mind and soul daily to go home feeling connected and rested.

The proposal is to discover the many benefits a mind-and-body balance has on the daily life. Yoga is a one-of-a-kind discipline that awakens a new lifestyle, far beyond your surf and yoga vacations in Costa Rica. The aim is to explore different types of yoga practices; which on one hand will enhance your strength and flexibility, and benefit your surfing. On the other hand, it will give you space to improve your breathing and the connection with your inner self, through meditation techniques. Believe Surf and Yoga provides you with daily group yoga lessons, and more personalized guidance, tips and suggestions - so you'll feel more confident when it comes to independent practice at the beautiful beach during sunset, or just after your last daily surf session. Experience the peace and beauty that Santa Teresa, Costa Rica offers on a yoga retreat with a difference.

THE BELIEVE DIFFERENCE

Believe Surf and Yoga believe that what sets them apart from the rest is the personalized attention that you will receive during your stay. Before you even arrive, the Believe crew will set up a Whatsapp chat for you to have advice and information at your fingertips. In this Whatsapp group you will be given your daily information regarding what’s on in Santa Teresa such as special party nights, adventures nearby, themed food nights or live music at nearby restaurants as well as invites to group dinners and activities. You will always feel the Believe crew close by to assist you with anything that you might need. Consider them your first friend in Santa Teresa, willing to share all of the information that only the locals know.

You only have to read the reviews for Believe Surf and Yoga on TripAdvisor to see how much of a difference having a local host changes the retreat experience.

SAMPLE SCHEDULE

• 07:00 Surf lesson
• 08:30 Breakfast
• 10:00 Free time
• 18:00 Evening yoga class
• 20:00 Dinner
• Note that your schedule may change every day to ensure you take advantage of the best waves and activities around Santa Teresa.

Santa Teresa is located in the Nicoya Peninsula, on the west coast of Costa Rica, very close to Malpais and some hours south from Nosara and busy Tamarindo. Santa Teresa hosts a unique mix of Ticos (Costa Rican people) and expats from all around the world who have turned this place into a very special spot on Earth.

When you arrive to Santa Teresa, the wonderful beaches will amaze you, most of them are still virgin and as natural as earthly possible, as well as the heart-stopping sunsets every evening. It is also a must-live experience for anyone who loves to explore and discover new places. Furthermore, the incredible biodiversity and great weather offers a great variety of activities to enjoy such us hiking, horse riding, diving, and fishing.

The only problem with Santa Teresa is that once you arrive you probably won’t want to leave. Believe Surf and Yoga constantly have guests extending their stays so be warned – it is addictive!

Breakfast is not included in this package as you will always have a fully equipped kitchen to make your own breakfast using the freshest fruit that Costa Rica has to offer. We can add breakfast for USD 10, delivered to your room or you can get some fresh air and go to Ginger Cafe which is a lively cafe within walking distance sure to make your breakfast a special one. A heads up for all meals: Santa Teresa is a very vivid town with a lot of nice places to go out for a coffee, breakfast, lunch or dinner. You do not need to pre book this, and it is part of the trip that you can enjoy some nice walks and meals out. If you prefer, we are happy to pre arrange this if you want to.

• Additional surf lesson (50 USD + tax)
• Additional yoga lesson (10 USD + tax)
• Beach horseback riding
• Stand up paddle board (including SUP Yoga)
• Trolling fishing in Malpais
• Self-guided quad bike adventure to Montezuma waterfalls followed by waterfall hikes and rock jumping
• Zip line canopy tour in Malpais with transportation (60 USD + tax)
• Liberia LIR Airport Pick Up or Drop Off: USD 60 one way
• San Jose SJO Airport Pick Up or Drop Off: USD 60 one way
• Tambor TMU Airport Pick Up or Drop Off: USD 60 one way taxi (1-hour drive)

• 30-minute full body massage (50 USD + tax)
• Full body massage (70 USD + tax)

• Seven nights accommodation in our one-of-a-kind new villas
• Five yoga classes
• One extra activity: choice of extra surf lesson, zip lining, horseriding or SUP tour
• Walking distance to the beach and main road with restaurants, cafes and supermarkets.
• Lodge features swimming pool
• Three surf lessons
• Local host to guide you to the best restaurants, bars and activities
• Experienced surf coaches and instructors
• Free time to enjoy the sun and ocean
• Check-ins on Saturday get free pick up at Tambor TMU Airport
• 10% on local flights when booked through our office
• 10% discount when booking more than 60 days in advance

• Airport shuttle unless arriving on Saturdays (60 USD taxi from Tambor Airport (TMU) to Santa Teresa)
• Beverages
• Local transportation and flights (receive 10% off local flights when booked through our office)

ARRIVAL BY AIRPLANE

The best option is to arrive at San Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica. From SJO, you have many options such as land shuttles and local flights to make it to Santa Teresa (or anywhere else in Costa Rica).

The second option is to fly to Liberia Airport (LIR), in the northwest region of Costa Rica which is one hour away from Tamarindo and seven hours away from Santa Teresa.

Transfers from and to Liberia Airport (LIR), San Jose Airport (SJO), or Tambor Airport (TMU) are available on request. Believe Surf and Yoga can also help you with your flight reservations if you need.

Before booking make sure you have planned your logistics from your arrival airport to Santa Teresa. Avoid any misunderstandings and the need to incur extra costs that you could avoid if you plan accordingly. Plan your arrival flight as early as possible, in order to make it to the land shuttles or local flights. %Otherwise it may be necessary to schedule a night in San Jose, as there are no shuttles nor flights during the evening (i.e. after 3 p.m.). Similarly, your departure flight should be planned the latest you can on your departing day so that you can leave your hotel in Santa Teresa early in the morning and arrive early in the afternoon to SJO for your international flight. Otherwise you should plan your last night in San Jose and not in Santa Teresa.

ARRIVAL BY SHUTTLE

Take a 25 minutes flight from SJO to Tambor (TMU) in Nicoya Peninsula. Once in Tambor (TMU), Believe Surf and Yoga will arrange for a taxi to be waiting to pick you up (45 minutes driving) which costs USD 60 + tax for a one way trip.

Direct land shuttles depart from San Jose (SJO) and take up to 7 hours to arrive to Santa Teresa. This costs USD 60 + tax for a one way trip. The shuttles leave San Jose early in the morning (6 a.m.) and arrive at midday. This shuttle will take you to the port of Puntarenas, followed by a Ferry to Paquera, and from there back into the shuttle to go all the way to Santa Teresa. In case you need to stay overnight in San Jose, they offer accommodation and breakfast together with the shuttle service for USD 105 + tax per guest (one way trip).

If you are flying to Liberia (LIR), you will have to take a land shuttle to Santa Teresa (5 hours). This service departs every morning at 8 a.m. and (sometimes) at 3 p.m. On low season, it requires a minimum of two passengers to depart. The price is USD 60 + tax.

• A reservation requires a deposit of 40% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.