Costa Rica had never really appealed to me. Yes it has beaches and volcanoes and exotic wildlife but it also has high tourism and high(er) prices, which is something I usually try to avoid. Then I heard about the Peace Retreat near a tranquil surfing beach called Playa Negra. Since my wife and I were already planning a trip to Mexico and had a free stopover to make use of, we decided to book ourselves in at the yoga retreat and try something new.
The Peace Retreat ended up being one of our highlights in Costa Rica. It had a laid-back vibe, morning yoga sessions, a beautiful pool, and close proximity to the beach. My wife and I enjoy yoga but rarely practice it. However, with just one session in the mornings, it was easy to get used to and it forced us to wake up early and enjoy the gorgeous days. No better way to wake up then to have a reaaaaally good stretch, especially when that stretch is in an open-air studio with jungle breezes sweeping through. We would then sit down and eat a healthy breakfast while mingling with the other guests, one of whom had just climbed Mount Everest!
Although the guesthouse was as beautiful and relaxing as it sounds, we wanted to experience as much of the area as we could as well. One of the things we had to explore was the ocean, which was only a 15-minute walk through the Iguana jungle (my name for it because of all the Iguanas wandering about). I’ve seen my share of jaw-dropping beaches (Thailand, Malaysia, Mexico) and Playa Negra is right up there with the best of them. It has just what I want from a beach – Nice sand, decent waves, a turquoise tinge, and no crowds. Due to its remote location and lack of hotels, there’s hardly anyone that makes it here except for surfers who ride the world-class waves. Lucky for us, there’s also an area where the waves are good for beginners and so we rented ourselves a surfboard for $10 and packed in a full day of surfing (read: falling off the board and swallowing seawater). We also spent a day just relaxing in the sun, getting a tan, and then watching one of the most stunning sunsets we’ve ever seen.
We continued on with this tradition during our stay: relaxing on the beach, surfing, and drinking a bottle of beer while watching the sun drop. We’d then go back to Peace Retreat and chill by the blue-lit pool. There’s no TV and no Internet. Just pure relaxation, hence the name Peace Retreat.
It was the perfect way to get away from it all and isn’t that what we all really want from a beachside vacation anyway?
To find out more about the Peace Retreat, visit their website at PeaceRetreat.ca.
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For mor incredible beaches, check out our post on the Perhentian Islands!