Welcome to the Five Parks Yoga Nosara Retreat!
We have created this page to help guide you through the process of making final plans and what you can expect on your retreat experience
The Basic Information
The Retreat will be from April 06, 2024 – April 12, 2024
Location: Casas Kismet
Check-In Time starts at 4:00 pm on Saturday
Check-Out Time is at 11:00 am on Friday
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Information We Need From You
Final Payments & Information about your Travel Plans
As a reminder, we will send you an email request for your second payment around 11/01/23
(if you did not pay in full when you registered)
Please complete the Forms below as soon as possible
Travel Information
If you are flying to Costa Rica, we highly suggest that you fly to Liberia (LIR) as it is much closer than the airports in San Jose.
You will need to make arrangements (we can help!) for transportation to and from the airport to Nosara. Here are the basic options:
1) Take a Shared Private Shuttle to Nosara (best option)
Shared Private Shuttles will be scheduled for the best times based on multiple attendees’ arrival times. The shared shuttles are $50 in each direction ($100 round trip) and that includes all taxes. If your flight does not land between 10:45 am and 3:30 pm, or if you are not being picked up at the Hilton Garden Inn the morning of your retreat, there will be an additional charge if your shuttle has less than 5 people. Departure flights should be between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm or there may be an additional fee as well. The maximum rate will be $160 for an individual traveling alone on a shuttle.
2) Fly to Nosara from Liberia on a Sansa Flight
The LIR to Nosara Flights are typically around 3:00 pm – Once you arrive in Nosara, the ride to the Yoga Spa is around 5 minutes and will cost around $10 with local transportation.
3) Arrange your own transportation to Nosara
We are happy to provide names and information for our suggested local transportation options if you need to arrange transportation outside of our standard timeframes.
If you would like to be booked on one of the shared private shuttles to the retreat the Travel Form above will ask about that information.
For our Private Shuttles, it is common to tip around $5 per person, but this is completely optional and up to you and your group.
If you are taking a private shuttle, you can also ask the driver to stop at a convenience store on the way to pick up some water, snacks, etc. They would be happy to make a quick stop for you.
The drive to Nosara from Liberia (LIR) will be between 2.5 and 3.5 hours depending on road conditions, weather, and traffic. It’s a beautiful drive and you are sure to enjoy it.
If you arrive in San Jose (SJO) the drive to Nosara is around 4.5 to 5 hours.
Arriving From Other Locations
If you will be coming to Nosara from a different location or timeframe we can provide you with contact information and details on suggested transportation options. Just let us know if you need help with transportation options and we’re happy to send you information!
Travel Day Planning & Timing Information:
We know that not everyone can arrive and depart at the “perfect” time, so here is a quick schedule for the first and last day to help with your travel planning.
The first day will begin around 5:00 pm with an introduction to the yoga spa, then dinner at 6:30 pm, and the first Yoga Class will be around 7:30 pm.
The final morning will start with a 7:00 am final Yoga Class and then 8:30 am Breakfast.
Shuttles will typically depart approximately 5 hours ahead of the first departure in your shuttle group. So for example, your shuttle will leave around 8:00 am for a 1:00 pm departure from Liberia Airport (LIR).
Lodging Information for Pre & Post Retreat
If you are flying in early or staying a day or two longer, here are a few lodging options we highly recommend looking at
Many of our attendees fly into Liberia the day before due to flight schedules or pricing options and a number of our attendees fly out of Liberia a day or two after the retreat for the same reasons. If you are in need of a few suggestions for either pre or post retreat, these hotels are our top suggestions to consider.
The Hilton Garden Hotel at Liberia Airport
The Hilton Garden Hotel at the airport is a very convienient place to stay if you have a flight arriving in the evening or departing in the early morning. It’s just across the street from the airport. We can arange to have our shuttles pick you up or drop you off at the Hilton at no additional charge, so it’s very convienient as well. Note that the Hilton (and the airport) are not near the beach, so there is not a whole lot to do at this location as far as attractions & activities go.
The Mangrove Hotel in Papagayo
The Mangrove Hotel in Papagayo is one of our favorites and very popular with our attendees for a post-retreat treat before hopping on your plane. It is located about 20 minutes from the airport on a beautiful black sand beach with lush tropical gardens and jungles surrounding the property. They have fantastic food, tropical drinks and impressive service for their guests. They can arrange a quick shuttle for you to the airport the next day at the front desk. There is a small additional fee for the shared shuttle to be dropped off in Papagayo if you would like the group shuttle to bring you to this amazing hotel.
What to Bring to Your Retreat
Here are a few ideas and suggestions of things you might want (or need to) bring with you to Costa Rica
All of these items are suggestions and ideas of what you might want to bring with you to Costa Rica for your retreat. We hope you will find this list helpful and please let us know if you have questions about any of this.
The Basic Needs
- Yoga Clothing of your choice
- General Clothing – expect weather between 75 and 85 degrees most days
- Light Jacket / Long Sleeve for a cool evening
- Rain Jacket (or other protection from rain)
- Swim Suit & Sandals (beachwear)
- Yoga Mat (optional, the Retreat Center provides mats as well to our guests)
- Shoes for walking/hiking/adventuring
- Small Bag or Pack to bring to the Beach
- Bug Spray (you’ll want this, especially in the morning and sunset)
- Passport (with at least 90 days remaining before expiration)
- Visa/Paperwork if traveling from a Country requiring additional info
- Flashlight / Headlamp (here’s our favorite headlamp)
- A Mala for chanting (if you have one, we will provide you one also)
- Hair Dryer (not provided if you need one)
- A Great Book
- Good Water Bottle (Hydro Flask is our Favorite)
We will provide you with:
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A Journal, so that you can participate in writing activities throughout the retreat. We will provide you with pens and a mala to keep as a souvineer.
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The Retreat Center has yoga mats available to you if you do not want to bring a mat. And of course, your own mat is always welcome! They also have blocks, straps & blankets that you are welcome to use in your practice.
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The Retreat Center will provide you with shower towels, pool towels, and beach towels each day, you do not need to bring your own.
- Costa Rica uses the same plugs as the United States so adaptors are not needed if you are from the USA.
Financial & Monetary Items to Consider:
- Costa Rica accepts US Dollars or Colones (local currency) equally, so no need to exchange cash if you are bringing USD.
- If you are booking your own transportation, more than likely you will need to pay your invoice in cash.
- You may need cash for our dinner out at La Luna Restaurant. We will pay for all meals and appetizers, but you will be responsible for paying for any alcohol, wine or beer purchases in cash (USD or Colones)
- We suggest a tip of around $75 to $100 that is shared amongst the Casas Kismet Staff (kitchen, maids, grounds, etc) – this can be paid in cash or with a credit card at the end of the retreat when you check out. This tip is optional.
- We suggest a small tip ($5 or so) when you go on any adventure outings (zip line, turtle tours, surf trips, etc) that is paid directly to the guide/driver in cash. We suggest the same for any massage services you schedule. This is optional.
- Adventure outing fees (Surf Lessons, Zip Line, Turtle Tours, SUP), and any wine or beer you purchase at meals will be paid directly to Casas Kismet when you check out. These invoices can be paid in cash or credit card. Massages will be paid in cash only. Most adventure trips run between $60 and $100 and most massage services are in the $100 range. The Turtle Tour is around $35. These prices are not completely accurate but will give you an idea of the range.
- Laundry Services are available at the Retreat Center for a small fee.
- Beer & wine are available in the evening and can be added to your invoice at the end of the week. No need to bring cash to meals.
What to Expect Your Days to Look Like
Each Day will be different during your retreat, but this will give you an idea of what a typical day might look like during your retreat.
Every day will be a different adventure, but if you are curious about the basic structure of our days during the retreat, this should give you an idea of what you will experience.
7:00 am – Morning Yoga
8:30 am – Breakfast
9:30 am – Beach Trip / Free Time or Adventure Experience
12:30 pm – Lunch
2:00 pm – Spa / Free Time / Beach Trip
4:30 pm – Yoga
6:30 pm – Dinner
8:00 pm – Evening Program
Additional Activities and Bookings
You do not need to book additional optional activities in advance of the retreat but we do ask for information on what you are possibly interested in via the Yoga Survey listed above. Our first morning in Nosara will provide you with an opportunity to learn more about what is available and you can book adventures, massages, etc. that morning. You can pay for the additional activities via Credit Card or Cash directly to the Yoga Spa.
Wine & Beer – Meals – Dietary Needs – Allergies
Wine and Local Beers will be available at dinner and in the evening for a small fee from the Retreat Center.
You can add any added alcohol purchases to your invoice and pay when you check out, no need to bring cash to any meals.
As you have probably seen, the food is incredible at the Yoga Spa. Our Dietary Survey (see above!) will provide you the opportunity to specify any dietary restrictions and/or allergies you may have in order to customize the menu’s as needed.
We can’t wait to meet you in Nosara!
We are so excited to spend a week with you in Costa Rica and to spend time getting to know you and enjoying yoga and Nosara together. See you soon!
Please Note: As of this moment, COVID vaccines are not required to enter Costa Rica or to participate in this retreat. In the event that the Costa Rican Ministry of Health changes its requirements to enforce vaccinations or to require additional insurance for non-vaccinated travelers, we will also modify our requirements for vaccines. Please be aware of this if you are not yet fully vaccinated. We will communicate immediately in the event that vaccines become required for travelers so that you are aware. Thanks for your understanding.