PUNTA UVA : RETREAT 7-DAY ITINERARY

 DAY ONE: 10am private shuttle leaves SJO. 
BEACHFRONT JUNGLE VILLA ARRIVAL + WELCOME DINNER 
DAY TWO: GANDOCA WILDLIFE JUNGLE HIKE,  GROUP DINNER OUT 
DAY THREE: LEISURE + SELF EXPLORATION
(BIKE RENTAL+ CUPPING SESSIONS)
DAY FOUR:   EXPLORE (HALF DAY GUIDED TOURS) 
DAY FIVE: LEISURE + SELF EXPLORATION
(BEACH, MINDFUL EATING CLASS, CUPPING)
DAY SIX: COOKING CLASS + MANDALA CEREMONY
DAY SEVEN: 9am private shuttle departs to SJO. 
The adventure is not over~ the journey home begins. 

HALF DAY TOUR OPTIONS:
+CAHUITA HIKING AND SNORKEL
+PUNTA UVA RIVER AND OCEAN KAYAK TOUR
+HORSEBACK RIDING ON THE BEACH/JUNGLE
+CARIBEANS CHOCOLATE + COFFEE TOUR

Every day begins with fresh coffee, guided gentle yoga, and fresh fruit/smoothies. Meals are made fresh at the villa by holistic nutritionist, Sarah Philipp. We will provide regular yoga sessions in the evening. Rest is important, so we have created a rhythm in the itinerary that promotes movement and exploration as well as relaxation and reflection. We are functioning as a community on this adventure and respect the balance of social and quiet time that we all need. The villa has multiple spaces that one may use for socialization or retreat to quiet. There is a patio overlooking the rainforest, an open-air gazebo, yoga stage, living and dining areas, as well as a private path leads to the beach.

THE RIDE TO PUNTA UVA

Board a private shuttle van in San Jose that will take you and other mke MindBody Wellness guests on a 5 hour drive through the heart of Costa Rica's incredible countryside.  Take in the mountainous rainforest, rolling green pastures, colorful towns, and forested hillsides that make this country a diverse ecological gem.

RELOJ DE ARENA, PUNTA UVA

The heart of Afro-Caribbean Costa Rica

Welcome to our beautiful, exotic, private villa near the beach.  Settle into your room, tour the grounds, and explore the beach. Upon arrival to our villa (Reloj de Arena), guests will be greeted by mke MindBody wellness hosts with a welcome dinner. We will go over the intentions for the week, house rules, and information about the area.

WELCOME DINNER.

Group dinner serving holistic, healthy Caribbean-inspired preparations of local foods.  Receive a special gift from our wellness team that will assist you on this journey.  Set the intention for the week and hold a discussion about why people came and what they are seeking. 

AFTER DINNER: Guided meditation, journaling, and light stretching- setting intentions for the week and grounding after a day of travel.

Retreat to rest for the next day. REST IS IMPORTANT.  We are not seeking to burn the candle to the bottom all in the first few days.  Steady your energy and plan for a week of balance and alignment.  The magic lies in the opportunity to explore and re-center. 

DAILY LIFE: The best laid plans are always changing! We have organized a loose structure for the week, but do not have a set schedule. Weather changes, time gets away from us, or one experience leads to another. We honor your freedom to explore and will guide the schedule based on the rhythm of the day.

GROUP TOUR:
GANDOCA-MANZANILLO REFUGE JUNGLE HIKE

Get ready for an unforgettable experience in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge! While you walk into the forest, you will see a variety of exotic vegetation. Most of the trees are covered with mosses, lichens, bromeliads, orchids and other plants. Many cascade from the branches of these gigantic trees creating a backdrop for life in the jungle.

Animals Abound

We will spot many different species of birds! There are 384 species we have in this area. Some examples are hummingbirds, tanagers, owls, and toucans. Our professional naturalist tour guides will use their sharp senses to spot animals. We commonly see white-faced monkeys and howler monkeys, sloths, iguanas, snakes and poisonous frogs. There are numerous other different types of animals that you will be able to observe in this tour.

You will also learn about medicinal plants and the natural history of this natural paradise. Then, you will have the opportunity to learn interesting facts about our Afro-Caribbean customs.

Tour information:

Duration: Half day
Includes:Rainforest hike with professional naturist guide.

What to bring: Jungle: hiking shoes, light cotton clothes, long pants, insect repellent, binoculars and water. Beach: towel, sun block, some cash for food and drinks.

HALF DAY GUIDED TOURS

6:30-7:30AM: Breakfast in the dining room. Coffee, smoothies, and fresh local foods. Breakfast will be offered more casually due to various departure times for tours.  Some tours will require departure from the villa by 7am, and we can be flexible with this schedule once we have finalized everyone's itinerary for this day.

Choose one of the following tours organized by local adventure companies.  We will take care of shuttling guests to and from tour meeting destinations.

+CAHUITA HIKING AND SNORKEL
+PUNTA UVA RIVER AND OCEAN KAYAK TOUR
+HORSEBACK RIDING ON THE BEACH/JUNGLE
+CARIBEANS CHOCOLATE TOUR

LEISURE + SELF EXPLORATION DAYS

These are free days to move with your own rhythm.  We respect each individual's pace and welcome a day of rest or a day of exploring.  Plan an adventure or chill at the beach.  Punta Uva beach is one of the best in Costa Rica.  We will also take interested individuals to rent bikes for the day.  

Bikes are the best mode of transportation for exploring local southern Caribbean culture.  Coastal biking to Puero Viejo or Manzanilla is moderately difficult and offers access to different coastal areas.  Read more about this from adventure bloggers who have taken this bike trip: https://globetrottergirls.com/2011/05/costa-rica-cycling-along-caribbean-coast/

SPA SESSIONS:  CUPPING + JADE ROLLER FACIAL + CHLOROPHYLL FACIAL MASK

Unwind from an adventurous week with gentle cupping and a cooling jade roller facial. Chlorophyll is hydrating, soothing, and repairing for the skin.  Resting with a chlorophyll paste applied to the face and neck will cool you down and treat minor sunburns.  Our spa will be set up in the gazebo of our villa where you can make your way between exploring on bike, relaxing with a spa treatment, and unwinding on the beach.  

We are in the Caribbean- so we will follow suit and arrange for spa sessions in a casual manner.  Spa sessions will be provided by Aleisha Anderson, licensed acupuncturist and retreat host.

MINDFUL EATING CLASS:  Time To Be Determined... We will include a mindful eating lesson at one of our meals.

MANDALA CEREMONY + MEDITATION.

Mandalas are elaborate symmetrical designs used in many cultures to provide meditative space for intention setting and collective healing.  Build a group mandala with materials collected through out the week.  Recall where items were collected, why you picked them up, and how they add to the story being created in this collective expression.  Careful to place objects in patterns with respect to other people’s contributions. 

Upon completion, gather around in a seated circle with journals.  Now we reflect through words or drawings…. Draw the mandala or write about what it may represent to you.  Have you ever experienced something like this before? Is it difficult to know that this time is coming to an end? We are making this mandala to reflect on the week and also pause to really appreciate the experiences.  This is an opportunity to stay in the moment- not mourning the end of this time and not worrying about the next day’s travel.  This is an exercise in letting go and holding space together to honor this life changing experience.

Have you gained a different perspective on daily living more simply? What "clutter" will you address when you return home? What aspects of this retreat can you bring home to your daily life?

CLOSE THE EVENING BY SWEEPING UP THE MANDALA AND SHORT GRATITUDE MEDITATION BEFORE BED.

 HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO HOME LIFE?

TUNE IN TO YOUR ENVIRONMENTS & HONOR THE EVERY DAY RITUALS THAT CREATE SUCCESS- NOT ONLY THE BIG EFFORTS.

PURA VIDA!