Pura Vida Adventures (Puntarenas, Costa Rica)

Be adventurous and transform yourself during a weeklong retreat at Pura Vida Adventures. Our intent is to rejuvenate and to empower the mind, body and spirit through surfing and yoga – the “pura vida” way. Our retreats draw inspiration from the Costa Rican phrase “pura vida,” which, loosely translated means “enjoy life.” This spirit is infused into every aspect of our retreats. Pura Vida Adventures is about giving you a new experience and perhaps a new outlook on life.

Come immerse yourself in the Costa Rican “pura vida” lifestyle and allow us to pamper you at one of our weeklong surf camps. Together we will explore the art of wave riding, find presence in daily yoga, experience Costa Rica’s natural beauty and harmonious way of life, enjoy a variety of fresh local dishes, relax under the tropical sun, and share in a community of laughter and fun.

Features

ABOUT THE SURF CAMP

LOCATION AND SURF CONDITIONS

Our beachfront hotel is located at our favorite surf break Playa Santa Teresa in Costa Rica. There are 7 different surf breaks in our area and we have a surf van, so we can find the best surf conditions for your ability. We are also located in the center of our town which has shops, restaurants, bars and discos. The area is pretty rural and gorgeous, and Forbes magazine has named Playa Santa Teresa, one of the world’s most breathtaking beaches.

CAMP CHARACTER

Our surf camp is mainly for women 18+, but we do offer coed surf camps as well. The average size of the surf camp is 10 people which are smaller groups because we are all about customer service. The main language at the surf camp is English, but most everyone is fluent in Spanish. The atmosphere of the camp is more of a community. This camp is all about empowerment and relaxation, but that doesn’t mean that people don’t like to have a few cocktails at sunset or go out for a night of dancing.

CAMP OPERATOR

Our Story

"Tierza Eichner, the founder and owner of Pura Vida Adventures, built the business after realizing that her passion for surfing was more than just a travel hobby. For a woman to have the confidence to be an entrepreneur, in a male dominated sport, and in a Latin American country, you would think the achievement came as a natural progression in her life. Perhaps, you would think at first, like I did, that ‘…she must have grown up in Costa Rica, surfing as a local girl with her brothers.’ However, Tierza didn’t learn to surf until she was 32 years old, and that was in Northern California. This is the story on how she found Pura Vida Adventures and how the company really found her."
~ Elizabeth McKay

ACCOMMODATION AND CATERING

ACCOMMODATION TYPES

Our beachfront all-inclusive resort is a real tropical paradise located at our favorite beach, Playa Carmen. Our accommodations are situated amidst lush tropical gardens that flow onto an expansive white sand beach, combining the best natural elements Costa Rica has to offer. Hidden beneath the colorful foliage, you can enjoy a swim in our crystal blue pool, or simply lounge in a beachfront chaise or hammock while taking in the beauty of the warm sparkling ocean and deep red sunsets. Just walk out your front door and be on the beach and in the surf in under a minute. Can you say dreamy?

Our accommodations feature Teak and mosaic floors, bamboo beds, wood doors leading to indoor/outdoor decks and custom hardwood finishing which combine modern comfort with local, tropical decor. We offer shared and private rooms with closets, ceiling fans, mini-fridges, safety boxes and air conditioning.

Our retreat’s private patios with chaise lounges are the perfect hangout between sessions. The hotel’s private beachfront chill-out area is shaded by coconut and almond trees. Relax or nap in one of the hammocks or many lounge chairs scattered about, while the ocean breeze cools your sun-kissed skin, and soothes your tired muscles.

Oh yeah, and there’s the 24 hours of tranquil pacific breeze and the soothing sounds of waves just a stone’s throw from your bed.

Hotel Features:

beachfront accommodations, Shambala Restaurant, ocean view pool with Jacuzzi, beach-side hammocks and lounge area, Spa Natural, beachfront yoga studio, air conditioning, ceiling fans, verandas, hot water, coffee maker, wireless internet, safety box, 24 hour security, and walking distance to shops, bars and restaurants.

CATERING

Included in the package is three meals per day plus snacks during our surf lessons. Some of the meals are at our hotel restaurant, Shambala, and we also adventure into town for some of our lunches and dinners. This is all included in the package. We cater to any food allergy or diet.

SURF COURSE AND ACTIVITIES

SURF COURSE DETAILS

We offer a 7 day/ 6 night surf retreat that offers accommodations, meals, surf instruction, yoga classes, massage, and more. We cater to all level of students from complete beginners to advance surfers. Our student to teacher ratio is 3 to 1, but you will never be put in a group that is not at your level! Our lessons are about 3 hours long and we do offer some afternoon sessions as well. We also offer video analysis during and have a very comprehensive surfing program for all levels. We really pride ourselves in our surf instruction and it is definitely shows with the amount of repeat customers that come to our surf camp.

SURF MATERIALS

Surfboards are provided during your week with us. We offer soft tops to high performance surf boards. Anywhere from a 5’6 shortboard to a 11’ longboard. We have around 35 boards in our quiver.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Part the package is a daily one-hour yoga class. You also get a 1 one-hour massage as part of the package.

The extra activities are canopy tour ($50), Horseback riding tour ($50), AVT tour ($75), Fishing Tour ($50), Snorkeling Tour ($75)

MORE INFO, HOW TO GET THERE & FAQ

SURF CONDITIONS

Breaks directly at the main spot and at nearby spots

Handful of Jewels

Playa Carmen

Looking directly out from our hotel you find two of the best surf breaks in the entire area. Just south of the hotel, El Rancho stretches for a couple hundred yards, producing long, fun, peeling rights and lefts over a gently sloped sand bottom. Looking north, you can see a series of right and left peaks breaking over a slightly steeper sand bottom. This break works on all tides, but is best between medium to high tide and works best on S and SW swells.
Experience: All Levels

Santa Teresa

A beautiful 10 minute walk to the north is Playa Santa Teresa. Here the sandy ocean bottom has a steeper incline which produces more powerful right and left breaking waves providing a more challenging ride. This break works on all tides, but is best between medium to low tides and works best on SW and NW swell.
Experience: Intermediate – Advanced

Playa Hermosa

The remote splendor of Playa Hermosa strikes a chord in the hearts of surfers searching for spectacular waves with hardly anyone around. A short 15 minute drive from our hotel, we arrive to find a sparkling white sand beach delivering a combination of rights and lefts. This break works on all tides, but is best between medium to high tides and works best SW and NW swell.
Experience: All levels

Mar Azul (Mal Pais)

A few curving sandy coves to the south is the locally famous left hand point break "Mar Azul", where we often spot sea turtles in the lineup. Mushy long lefts peel away from a flat reef bottom toward a deep channel. This spot needs at least a 4 to 5 foot swell coming from the S or SW combined with a rising high tide which tends to produce waves a couple of feet smaller than the beaches. Guests of Pura Vida Adventures that have been lucky enough to score this break often say it is the highlight of their trip.
Experience: Intermediate – Advanced

Cabuya

Surf Safari! When the strong steeply angled S and SW swells reach more than 6 feet and begin to fill in the eastward side of the peninsula, we load up our surf van for a full day excursion. This easy, rolling right point break forms over a smooth stone bottom peeling for about 150 yards, making it one of the longest waves in the area. We surf this break on an incoming tide from medium to high tide and waves tend to be several feet smaller than the beach breaks on the west side. A deep channel makes for an easy paddle out and safety zone where you can relax and take in the gorgeous green coastline looking toward the National Park of Cabo Blanco.

Experience: All Levels but requires a few days of instruction for beginners.

Seasonal conditions

Our surf camp is open November thru August being the best weather and time to surf in our area. No wetsuit needed!!! The water temperature is around 75 degrees and can get up to 80 degrees. I picked this area, because there is always surf and good surf because we have so many breaks to choose from. It is always hot in Costa Rica.

Crowd factor and local people

The locals are awesome and friendly and the surf isn’t crowded since we have miles of beaches.

SURROUNDINGS / REGION

Characterization of surroundings/region

When you ask a local "Como esta?" (How are you?), they often respond by saying "pura vida". This is slang for "life is great" and literally translated means "pure life". Travelers to Mal Pais are often touched by the genuine Pura Vida lifestyle. Leisurely enjoying and celebrating life together is what it’s all about. With the air temperature in the 90’s and the water temperature in the 80’s, the pace of life is slow and leisurely in this quaint village. Despite a growing number of foreigners settling here, Costa Rican "tico" culture continues to flourish in the many sodas (local restaurants), and in the way the local people smile going about their day. Socializing is a popular activity whether it’s a casual greeting in the street, Salsa dancing at a local club, or the serious business of soccer where the whole village gathers to talk, drink beer, and cheer on their favorite team. Surfing has become a huge part of the beach culture in Costa Rica. The locals’ easy-going attitude creates a great vibe and atmosphere in the surf. Their generosity and hospitality towards visitors and travelers sets up opportunities for social engagement both day and night.

The local fishing village where our hotel gets its fresh fish, offers fishing and boating tours in the waters of Cabo Blanco, the first registered State Park in Costa Rica. Hiking the trails of Cabo Blanco or zip-lining through the jungle canopy is a great way to see the local flora, fauna and the beautiful coastline of the area. Be sure to look in the trees where several types of monkeys can be spotted. A variety of fresh tropical fruits are available in the market near our hotel and fresh coconut juice is sold by cart-peddling locals. To satisfy your surfer’s-hunger, we’ll take you to our favorite restaurants to feast on both international specialties and local Costa Rican cuisine. Salsa is the most popular form of dance and we can arrange for group lessons should you wish to move your hips to this lively cultural dance!

Activities and facilities

Our 7-day/6-night yoga surf adventures include:

-Accommodations at our beachfront resort with swimming pool, restaurant/bar, spa and oceanfront hammock area
-Daily surf lessons with our patient and caring, professional instructors
-Video Analysis – video coaching of your surfing
-Sunset surf sessions – watch the sun melt into the horizon from your surfboard
-Daily yoga classes in our outdoor, oceanfront yoga studio
-Three healthy, gourmet meals each day at our beachfront restaurant and several of the best restaurants in town
-Professional one-hour therapeutic massage at our beachfront spa with additional spa services available
-Superior surf equipment including soft tops, high performance epoxy and fiberglass surfboards
-Complete access to our extensive surfboard quiver during your entire week
-Day trips to secret surf spots – our destination offers the most diverse selection of surf breaks in Costa Rica
-Transportation to the different surf breaks throughout your week
-PVA rash guard (surf shirt)
-“The Core of Surfing” surf manual
-Unlimited bottled water
-24-hour concierge service from our attentive camp host, Sara, who will guide and assist you every step of the way
-Bellhop services for your arrival and departure
-Daily maid service
-Snacks, water and essential beach supplies during your surf sessions
-An attentive and caring staff that supports you during your entire stay

JOURNEY

Ways to get to the camp

The international airport you fly into is SJO in San Jose. From SJO there are two ways to get to us. Either by taking the 30 minute commuter flight to Tambor and then a 45 minute taxi to our hotel. Often there are others in the camp arriving at the same time, where you can share the taxi ride with them. We alert a taxi of your arrival into Tambor, so no need to arrange that part of your trip. If doing both the international flight and commuter flight on the same day, we recommend giving yourself a two hour leeway between flights on both ends of the trip to get through customs, etc. The 2nd way to get to us is by shuttle bus which is a 5-6 hour ride. If you have any questions regarding travel, we are here to help you out.

Important details

No Visa is required for most countries. Travel cost depends on where you are coming from.

PACKAGES & PRICES

PACKAGE A "Hummingbird" - from 2395$ per Week / Person

Located closest to the main road, but still only a minute walk to the beach. Amid lush, tropical foliage, these rooms offer a queen bed and a single bed with a private deck, hammock and lounge chairs. All accommodations have wifi, ceiling fans, mini-fridges, safety boxes and air conditioning. This is perfect for the girl on a budget.

This package includes:

6 night Accommodations at our beachfront resortwith swimming pool, restaurant/bar, spa and oceanfront hammock area

Daily surf lessons with our patient and caring, professional instructors

Video Analysis – video coaching of your surfing

Sunset surf sessions – watch the sun melt into the horizon from your surfboard

Daily yoga classes in our outdoor, oceanfront yoga studio

Three healthy, gourmet meals each day at our beachfront restaurant and several of the best restaurants in town

Professional one-hour therapeutic massage at our beachfront spa with additional spa services available

Superior surf equipment including soft tops, high performance epoxy and fiberglass surfboards

Complete access to our extensive surfboard quiver during your entire week

Day trips to secret surf spots – our destination offers the most diverse selection of surf breaks in Costa Rica

Transportation to the different surf breaks throughout your week

PVA rash guard (surf shirt)

“The Core of Surfing” surf manual

Unlimited bottled water

24-hour concierge service from our attentive camp host, Sara, who will guide and assist you every step of the way

Bellhop services for your arrival and departure

Daily maid service

Snacks, water and essential beach supplies during your surf sessions

An attentive and caring staff that supports you during your entire stay

The price below is per person and includes taxes.

Accommodation Type	Nov – May	April – August
Shared Accommodation	$2595	$2395
Private Accommodation with Private Bath	$3095	$2895

PACKAGE B "Seashell" - from 2595$ per Week / Person

Located steps away from the beach and amid beautiful tropical gardens. Many of these accommodations offer 2 queen beds with private deck, hammock and lounge chairs and some have ocean views. All accommodations have wifi, ceiling fans, mini-fridges, safety boxes and air conditioning. This is perfect for the girl who wants little more space and luxury.