Bonanza Pop Ups

COSTA RICA

For two very special weeks this coming February we will move to the tropical beaches of Santa Teresa, where the Pacific Ocean meets the jungle.

Our Costa Rica Concept is slightly looser than the typical Bonanza edition. It's designed as a trip among friends, with daily yoga and a side of surf (for those who want). It is also open for both women and men - so bring your friend, brother, partner or dad for our first ever tropical escapade.

A pop up yoga retreat,

in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica.

On our trip to Santa Teresa earlier this year, the ongoing statement was "How is it possible to feel this content?".

Because it's true - nowhere else do we feel as good as when we're there. Fully present, completely in our bodies and doing life at a pace that seems completely right. Waking up with the sun, surfing all day, and in between yoga to restore and rejuvenate, followed by the most beautiful sunset you'll ever see. 

In Santa, you have everything at your doorstep. Waves, food, beaches, bars. Life here is easy and fully allows you to relax and enjoy your time without having to plan or move too much. On top of that, the area offers many other activities for you to enjoy. Waterfalls, boat trips, hikes or visits to one of the surrounding villages. 

Our Costa Rica pop up is ideal if you're looking to practice yoga and roam the jungle, but don't want to do it alone. We'll operate as a space (or hub if you like) for those wanting to share their experience with other people - whether that's someone to paddle out with, debrief yoga together over brunch, or have a sunset beer with. Mi casa es su casa. 


RETREAT INFO

01 ACOMMODATION

02 YOGA

03 CUISINE

04 OTHER ACTIVITIES

01 ACOMMODATION

Our home for the week is a boutique lodge located among the palm trees, just a two minute walk to one of the beautiful beaches of Santa Teresa. 

There are different types of room options, but they're all characterized by being spacious, minimalistic, bright and airy with lots of light shining in throughout the day. The perfect place to unwind and relax between yoga or surf sessions.

The accommodation also offers a common area to relax at, with a pool that is accessible at all time and a beautiful open air yoga and workout studio. There is also a sauna and cold bath for you to use for an additional cost.

For those to wish to cook meals at home rather than eating out, there's an equipped kitchen and we are near a supermarket where you can get everything you need. We're also walking distance to an ATM, cute shops and lots of cafés and restaurants.

02 YOGA

Every day, we'll practice yoga in the beautiful open air shala together with our favourite teacher Gabriella, who is a Santa Teresa resident since 2019. Expect intuitive classes with focus on feeling, breathing and the art being grounded. In Gabbi's own words "(to me) yoga is about letting go of perfectionism and control, and allowing everything to be just as it is. It's my space to recharge and restore energy for more waves, more fun, and more life."

During the week, Gabriella will guide you through a mix of flows and slower restorative classes, as well as meditation and breathwork. The time of the classes will vary, depending on the daily surf forecast.

In addition to the daily classes, Elin will host a longer yin yoga workshop. She will introduce you to the concept and how you can use the practice to balance out the different energies in your body.

03 CUISINE

Santa Teresa is slightly off the beaten track, but still offers great variety in terms of top quality restaurants and cafés. Whether you prefer the local casado, incredible seafood or healthy greens - there's always something for you to try.

We'll be sharing a big brunch with fresh local foods every day at our home for the week, either before or after yoga depending on the daily schedule. We'll make sure to tailor all brunches after dietary requirements.

As for dinners, there will be a mix of organised dinners out at our favourite restaurants, and a few free evenings where you can choose the places you prefer or have been wanting to try.

For those travelling on a tighter budget or simply love to cook, each apartment/room has a kitchen and everything you need to make food at home :) 

04 OTHER ACTIVITIES

Aside from surfing, there's plenty of other activities to fill your days with in Santa Teresa. 

We love renting a quad for a little adventure in the jungle or to the cute nearby towns, or drive to one of our favourite tide pools for a sunset swim.

There's beautiful hiking and waterfalls nearby, as well as the opportunity to go horseback riding or on a boat fishing trip.

Santa Teresa also offers plenty of shopping, restaurants, board shapers and cute cafés.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • 6x nights accommodation
  • 6x delicious brunches
  • 7x yoga or meditation sessions (75 min long)
  • 1x yin yoga workshop
  • 1x cacao ceremony 
  • Local knowledge of the Santa Teresa town and it's beaches and surfing 
  • Connection with some of the best shapers and surf instructors in the area
  • A space to connect with other people for a week and a one way ticket into a beautiful community
  • Surf lessons or boards 
  • Lunch & Dinners 
  • Travel to/from Santa Teresa
  • Travel/medical insurance

ROOM OPTIONS

During the week we will stay in a beautiful boutique lodge together, just steps away from the beach. There's a few different room options to choose from specified below, depending on your needs and preferences. 

All rooms will have access to a shared kitchen, and there's a pool, yoga and workout space, sauna and cold bath at the lodge for you to enjoy. Note that you will be sharing a room or space with another guest if you're travelling solo, as all rooms accommodate 2 people. Please specify when booking if you’re travelling with someone. 

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The lodge has two studios, each equipped with a double bed, air conditioning and a bathroom. It’s the perfect option if you’re travelling with a partner or friend and looking for some privacy, or if you're travelling solo and simply want some extra comfort. The studio has access to an outside kitchen that you will share with other guests. You’ll also have a private little terrace with a couch.

Our Deluxe room is suitable for you travelling with a partner or friend, as it has a large double bed and a private toilet. The room is bright and airy with two large glass sliding doors that can open up wide, and is equipped with air conditioning. Right outside the bedroom is a terrace with a day bed and downstairs there’s an open space with a kitchen and two beds, a large terrace, and a bathroom that will be shared with 5 other guests. We love this apartment and Amanda has spent many winters here :)

Enjoy a double room with air conditioning. The room has two twin beds that can also be put together to a double bed, and is suitable if you’re travelling solo, or with a friend/partner and want your own space. The room is located in a bright and airy apartment with a nice terrace, bathroom, shower and kitchen that will be shared with 5 other guests. We love this space and Amanda has spent many winters here :)

This option is suitable if you’re travelling on a budget. You will have one of two small beds located in the downstairs open space. Fans available, but no AC. You’ll stay in a bright and airy apartment with a nice terrace, bathroom, shower and kitchen that will be shared with 5 other guests. We love this space and Amanda has spent many winters here :)

Enjoy a double room with air conditioning, in one of the jungle cabins. The room has two twin beds that can also be put together to a double bed, and is suitable if you’re travelling solo, or with a friend/partner and want your own space. The room is located on the second floor and has a nice terrace, a bathroom, shower and kitchen that will be shared with a few other guests.

GETTING THERE

Santa Teresa is located in the middle of the jungle on the Nicoya Peninsula, either a short plane ride or a 4-6 hour drive from San José, the capital of Costa Rica. We have done the trip many times and have gathered some useful info below to make your travels as smooth and easy as possible. 

For more recommendations on how to get there, please email us directly and we can help you find a suitable option.

There's many options to get to our favorite little jungle town. The cheapest option is taking the bus, and the quickest (and most scenic) is taking the 30 min domestic flight. As true swedes we normally go the middle way and like to take a shuttle service that will get you door to door from the airport/your accommodation in San José and to us in Santa Teresa. We also recommend this if you're travelling with surfboards. 


BUS
If you're on a tight budget, there's a direct bus to Santa Teresa that leaves Terminal 7-10 in San José two times per day, and that takes around 6 hours.

Good to know: Part of the trip will be on a ferry. Make sure to have a smaller bag in hands with water, snacks and sun screen. 


SHUTTLE SERVICE
There's plenty of shared shuttle services (mini vans), we like Zuma Tours and Tropical Tours. The shuttle normally departs twice a day (in the morning and early afternoon), and takes around 6h with the ferry option and around 4h with the speed boat option. 

Good to know: part of the trip will be on a ferry or a speed boat. Make sure to have a smaller bag in hands with water, snacks and sun screen. 


PLANE
The most scenic way to get to Santa Teresa is catching the tiny propeller plane that takes you to Cóbano airport. The flight takes only 30 min but note that Cóbano is a 30 min car ride from Santa Teresa. We recommend pre-booking a taxi or shuttle. Book your ticket in advance with either Fly Sansa or Costa Rica Green Airways.

Good to know: You can bring a surfboard up to 7ft with Green Airways and 6'7 ft with Fly Sansa. They will put you and all of your luggage on a scale to check and charge for the total weight.


DRIVE
If you're travelling in a group and looking to explore the nearby towns and beaches while in Santa Teresa, it could be useful to rent a car in San José and drive to Santa Teresa. Note that you'll have to take the ferry to the Nicoya Peninsula from Punta Arenas.

Good to know: We recommend this for non-solo travellers. There's also plenty of places in Santa Teresa where you can rent a car or a quad. 

There's plenty of good connections to the Juan Santamaría international airport (SJO).


EUROPE
If you're travelling from Europe you can get direct flights from London (British airways), Paris (Air France), Amsterdam (KLM), Frankfurt (Lufthansa), and Madrid (Iberia and Air Europa). If you're travelling from other destinations we recommend checking the airlines above for a smooth trip with a little layover, as well as KLM, Lufthansa and Swiss Airlines. 

US
There's direct flights operating from many cities that we've listed below. If you're travelling from another place we recommend checking the the airlines below for a smooth trip with a little layover. 

- Alaska Airlines: Direct flights from Los Angeles (LAX) 

- United Airlines: Direct flights from Houston (IAH), Newark (EWR), and Chicago (ORD).

- Southwest Airlines: Direct flights from Houston (HOU) 

- Delta Airlines: Direct flights from Atlanta (ATL) 

- American Airlines: Direct flights from Miami (MIA), Dallas (DFW), and Charlotte (CLT) 

- JetBlue: Direct flights from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and New York (JFK) 

CANADA
You can catch a direct flight from Toronto (YYZ)  with Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat, from Montreal (YUL) with Air Transat and from Calgary (YYC) with West Jet. 

MEXICO
Direct flights operate from Mexico city (MEX) with Aeroméxico and Volaris, and from Cancun (CUN) and Bogota with Volaris.


OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

We recommend checking what airlines that fly into SJO and that might suit your closest airport best.

Please note that there's a San Jose (SJC) in California that you should not mix up with the airport in Costa Rica (SJO).   

GOOD TO KNOW

 THE RETREAT

  • Check in is from 2 pm on the first retreat day, and check out is at 10 am on the last retreat day
  • Note that international travellers usually land late afternoon/evenings, so you may want to arrive in San Jose one day prior to the retreat start.
  • You can fly out of SJO on the same day as the last retreat day, if there's a suitable evening flight from SJO
  • No previous yoga experience is needed
  • As it’s an international retreat all communication will be in English
  • Bonanza Collective offers the perfect opportunity to get into the surf community and to connect with like minded people :)


PRE TRIP TIPS

  • Please make sure to have a look at the VISA and Vaccine requirements under our FAQs
  • Being a tropical country there are a lot of mosquitos in Costa Rica, with recent cases of Dengue. We like to bring mosquito repellent, incense and loose fitting long sleeved shirts and pants for early mornings and evenings. If you're very concerned you can always bring a mosquito net
  • We will send out a packing list prior to the retreat start, but the accommodation has bed sheets and bath towels (not beach towels)
  • We always recommend getting travel insurance in case of any unforeseen circumstances
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FAQs

Most nationalities can enter Costa Rica visa-free for a stay of up to 90 days, but do make sure to check your personal situation with your embassy/government.

Note that for all passengers entering the country - 
your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your departure date, and that you must have a return ticket or onward ticket to another country to potentially present when boarding the plane and at border control.


*If you have a layover in the United States you must also get your ESTA before travelling.

Make sure to check well in advance that you have all vacciness that are recommended/needed for Costa Rica 

Our Costa Rican edition is open for all ages, and now also for all genders :)) 

YES! It's the perfect place to travel solo to. Our accommodation also has private room options if you're travelling with a partner and want your own space. 

¡Claro que sí! Please specify any special dietary requests or allergies when booking. 

There is a 20% deposit to pay when booking. The remaining amount is due six weeks before the start of the retreat. You can also choose to pay the full amount straight away.

Payments are done via the check out page with credit card. 

There is a deposit to pay when booking. This sum is non refundable. If you do want to cancel please get in touch immediately and we will do our best to help.

If cancellation is done less than 6 weeks before the start of the retreat, no refund is given.

Please make sure you have travel insurance in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

It's always handy to have some cash in Santa Teresa although most restaurants and shops accept credit cards nowadays. 

We suggest retrieving a a bit of cash at the luggage hall when arriving at the airport, but there are ATM's walking distance from our accommodation.

As for currency we recommend using the local Costa Rican Colones, while the US dollar is also accepted.