5-Day Yoga & Meditation Retreat in Tamarindo, Costa Rica

The Lodge is everything claimed: great yoga, lovely extracurriculars, yummy meals, comfortable rooms and best and most surprising friends everywhere. My week there was an absolute delight and may require a return visit soon. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you, Hector for a lovely week's yoga. It is not easy to do what you are doing with such a wide variety of people, with differing abilities and expectations, coming and going. You are creative, effective, soulful and a delight. Please keep doing what you do!

I loved El Sabanero and can’t wait to return. Kurt and Harold were so lovely; very thoughtful and kind making sure my stay and experience was pleasant and fulfilling. Harold really helped get me a last minute covid test for my flight home, lifesaver.

The grounds were thoughtfully maintained by an amazing groundskeeper. There was always at least one masseuse one site. The pool was always clean and made for some stunning photos. Hector was an amazing yoga instructor, I loved waking up to his classes.
It was the perfect place for me to recharge and make some amazing friendships. As a solo female traveler, this was hands down the best experience I’ve had

I can't imagine having a much better experience than my visit to El Sabanero for a retreat. It is a true sanctuary for relaxation, connection, yoga, delicious healthy food and spiritual rejuvenation. Kurt and the whole team are extremely welcoming and you will quickly feel like you are part of the El Sab family to the extent that you will likely have a very hard time leaving. The rooms are super cozy and contain everything you might want. The Lodge seems to attract nothing but incredible people and I made many life long friends from the experience. This is also a great place to base out of if you are looking to do some of the many tours in the area and the team will help you book and organize the tour with other travelers at the Lodge. The retreat was truly the highlight of my trip to Costa Rica. If you are having a hard time deciding on which retreat to chose as I was, look no further! I know I will be back soon :)

I am speaking as a solo female traveler, I needed some time to escape, relax, and find my peace again, and El Sabanero gave me exactly what I was looking for and so much more.

The Location: You are hidden in the beautiful jungle staying in the perfect eco-lodge. The bungalows are perfect, small AC unit, fridge, and bed/bathroom. There are beautiful areas around the property to sit in a hammock and read, paint, journal etc. There is a perfect infinity pool overlooking mountains and palm trees. The flowers and foliage are beautiful. The sounds of the jungle act as a perfect meditative white noise at night. You are guaranteed to see and experience the untouched beauty of nature. There are walks/hikes that you can take around the property. There is a daily shuttle that takes you to Tamarindo for beach/market/surfing/restaurant experiences. The staff at El Sabanero will ensure that your needs are met and if you want to get a ride into town before/after the shuttle service and/or want to go somewhere else, there are trusted drivers you can schedule to help you get there.

The food: AMAZING. You are provided 3 healthy, hearty meals with LOTS of variety. You start your morning with fruit and coffee, followed by a full breakfast. There is always coffee, tea, water, available throughout the day. You can buy some fruit and snacks if you please and store them in your own fridge. Lunch is always full of vegetables and sustenance. Dinner is an experience as you sit with other travelers at the lodge and get to know everyone while you share another amazing meal. I cannot say enough about the healthy eating here, I usually feel so bloated after vacations, but this was quite the opposite--came back feeling refreshed and "detoxed" from preservatives. If you choose, there are loads of other food options in and around town or you can walk to a pizza bar down the hill (very safe to walk!).

The yoga/meditation: It was the perfect balance between restorative and power flow. The instructors are Hector (AM): he is a local and has a beautiful spirit, guides you through different yoga styles every morning and changes the practices to meet the group, spending a good amount of focus on how your body is feeling.
Jaime: Another beautiful spirit, motivating, well-traveled and cultured, and bases her practice off how you're feeling that day. She takes the time to give perfect instruction on how to experience a pose you may have been too scared to try (i.e. I did my first headstand because of her!) and her smile and energy are contagious. She alternated teaching at night.
Jeka: Yet another beautiful human! She also alternated the evening classes and focused on Baptiste style of yoga, working in breath work and meditation into her practices. She has inspirational and beautiful reminders throughout class to listen to your body, stop letting your ego control your practice, and made classes playful and enjoyable.
Meditation: led by different instructors while I was there, including Hector, Jeka, and Kurt. Every experience was different and speaking as someone who was not well versed at meditation, I came home craving meditation and wanting to incorporate into my day.

The staff: Kurt and Harold are just incredible. They have created a family experience at El Sabanero where I felt truly comfortable being myself. They truly catered to every need and if you have any questions at all, you can feel comfortable asking. They will try and make the experience perfect for you. Kurt would always come out to check in on us, ask us if we needed anything, and share his inspirational life stories. He exudes a loving vibe and I felt safe under his care and guidance during my trip.

Adventures: There are plenty of opportunities for "adventure tours" i.e. ziplining, hiking, waterfall swimming, sloth farm visits, crocodile tours, river rafting etc. El Sabanero will help you set up the ride, payment, and you do not need to book anything in "advance". Just show up and go with the flow if that's your vibe!

Overall, I will never stop raving about my experience here. El Sabanero gave me an opportunity to discover myself in a non-judgemental environment, balanced with yoga, meditation, mindfulness, adventure, fun, late night talks with the other travelers and discovering a new family. Be willing to leave your ego and judgment at the door when you show up, be ready to learn how to go with the flow and find the perfect vacation/reset for yourself. Truly a beautiful and transformative experience.

Thank you to everyone at El Sabanero. Pura Vida!