Costa Rica April 2026

Join Claire and Kate on a two centre retreat in Costa Rica. The first half of our trip will be based at Sonora luxury yoga retreat centre on the palm tree fringed Caribbean Coast, and the second half surrounded by rich rainforest at Ara Ambigua Lodge in the Serapiqui area of outstanding beauty and biodiversity

We had such a great time in Costa Rica in 2025 that we are going again in April 2026.

Bookings are now open ! So save the 7-17th April 2026 for the trip of a lifetime !

1 night – Hotel Bourgainvillea, near San Jose

5 nights – Sonora Jungle Retreat, near Puerto Viejo, a luxury yoga retreat centre on the Caribbean coast

4 nights – Ara Ambigua Lodge, Serapiqui

Small group size

Please email Kate for all the information – kateknowles1001@yahoo.co.uk

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Your teachers

Claire and Kate are both experienced teachers, offering a range of yoga practices.

We go back a long way, having been at school together !

We didn’t see each other for 35 years, and then reconnected through our love of mantra and chanting on a weekend retreat in 2023 with Deva Premal and Miten in Yorkshire.

Since then we’ve taught retreats in Spain and Costa Rica. We are returning to Spain in Sept 2024, and have a fully booked retreat in Turkey 2026 to look forwards to.

Our teaching styles complement each other nicely.

Kate Knowles

Kate has been teaching yoga since 2004, and trained with the British Wheel of Yoga. Kate has undertaken numerous training courses including Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs, Restorative yoga, Yoga Nidra, Vagal Toning and Menopause Yoga.

http://www.yogawithkate.org

Claire Miller

Claire loves teaching dynamic flow yogas, but balances this out beautifully with breathwork.

Claire is passionate about working with the Blind Community, teaching classes for BlindAid, a charity organization that provides support and services to people with visual impairments.
As well as offering her clients meditations, sound healing and a variety of day & weekend retreats throughout the year.

Accomodation

Sonora Jungle Retreat, Puerto Viejo, Caribbean Coast

The following five nights will be at Sonora Jungle Retreat, a luxury yoga retreat centre on the Caribbean Coast.

All rooms are en-suite with air-conditioning.

Breakfast, lunch and evening meal included.

This is a stunning venue, with a pool, lovely accomodation, surrounded by rainforest with a wealth of wildlife.

Playa Negra beach is 1 km away. Bikes can be hired from the hotel.

There is a spa area where you might like to book a massage treatment. The yoga studio is fully equipped with mats, blocks, belts and bolsters.

Ara Ambigua Lodge, Serapiqui

Our final four nights will be at Ara Ambigua Lodge in the heart of the Serapiqui rainforest. We can choose between two yoga shalas, which are wonderful practice spaces. There are two pools to relax by.

All the rooms are en-suite and air-conditioned. It’s a great venue for wildlife watching with an abundance of birds including hummingbirds, macaws, toucans; and we may see sloths and monkeys in the trees.

Activities and Excursions

Excursions included in retreat –

Trip to Cope’s garden to enjoy time on the veranda watching the hummingbirds, and a nature walk through the jungle

Serapiqui river boat trip

Guided bird watching trips in the hotel’s extensive gardens with expert guides – one in the morning, and another in the evening, so we get to see different wildlife including sloths, frogs, monkeys, hummingbirds, toucans and macaws.

Other optional excursions – additional fees apply

White water rafting, horse riding, trip to coffee plantation, Poas volcano trip, La Selva biological station.

“FEEDBACK 2025”

“This retreat exceeded my dreams, hopes and expectations in every way. Pre travel advice gave us everything we needed to know, do and bring. Hotel/airport transfers, bookings and transport to the rainforest hotel and to nature reserves and activities (White water rafting – what a blast!) – all appeared to just happen but involved a lot of care behind the scenes. Claire and Kate gave us different styles of yoga. Great food, lots of adventures and laughter, a well bonded group of yogi’s…we all had a great time.

You can trust me on this – you can trust Claire and Kate. I am in my seventies and it all worked for me” — Peter

“Thanks for organising a brilliant retreat. Pura Vida”

Gary

“I had such a wonderful time. I had a wonderful healthy, relaxing time there”

Mel

“I had a lovely time. Thankyou”

Liz

OFFICIAL THINGS

ACCOMODATION OPTIONS & PRICES (please be aware that this section is still being edited (22nd april 2025 !)

PRICES

£2850 single, ensuite, air-conditioned

£2450 shared (as long as at least two people are sharing, per person), ensuite, air-conditioned

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT – £150 PP – request summary of info from Kate for full details

Your place will be secured with a £500 deposit (non refundable/non transferable)

WHATS INCLUDED?

Hotel Bourgainvillea – 1 night, including evening meal and breakfast

Sonora Jungle retreat – 5 nights accomodation, en-suite, air-conditioned, including breakfast, lunch and evening meals

Ara Ambigua – 4 nights accomodation, en-suite, air-conditioned, breakfast, lunch and evening meals.

Transfers – from San Jose Airport to Hotel Bourgainvillea (as long as at least four people arrive on the same flight), from Bourgainvillea back to San Jose airport, from Limon airport to the Caribbean venue; from the Caribbean to Ara Ambigua; Ara Ambigua back to San Jose airport.

Excursions – Cope’s Garden, Serapiqui river boat trip, morning and evening guided wildlife walks

WHATS NOT INCLUDED

International flights – we are currently investigating flight options, and we are probably flying with Lufthansa from Heathrow to San Jose on the 7th April, and returning on the 17th April. You are very welcome to plan your own route, especially if you’d like to extend your trip.

Internal flights – we will probably fly from San Jose to Limon on our way to the Caribbean to avoid a 4-5 hour minibus ride. This will be with Sansa air, and costs approximately $130. We recommend buying a FULL price ticket for the luggage allowance.

Optional excursions – possibly horseriding, white water rafting, coffee plantation trip, Poas volcano visit, La Selva Biological station.

Insurance – please ensure you have adequate insurance for your needs. No-one ever wants to make a claim, but you need to be happy that it covers all unforseen events.

DOCUMENTATION

Please ensure your passport is valid. You don’t need a visa. If transiting through the US on either the outbound or return journey you will require an ESTA.

CURRENCY

Most places take payment in US dollars, or with a card (Monzo, Chase, Santander zero etc). There is no need to purchase Colones before travelling.

HEALTH CARE

We recommend checking the NHS & Government travel guidelines before travel, to help decide if you require vaccinations. Water quality is good in Costa Rica. Please ensure your travel insurance offers the right level of cover for your personal needs.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Deposits are non-refundable/non-transferable. Exceptions cannot be made for any reason, including weather, injury/illness, or personal emergencies. No refunds or credits will be granted for failure to attend, complete, arrive late, or leave early. No one books a retreat with the idea that they might not be able to go. However, life can be complicated, so please ensure that you have adequate insurance if you have to cancel.