Costa Rica·December - March
A Radical and Soulful Experience for Women
This is the original AWA Experience, what we call “our greatest week at home”. You’ll be hosted at all times by an amazing local community of like-minded women that will share only good vibes and inspire through their simple and mindful way of living. We’ve put together a program supported by the most experienced and fun team of surf instructors that will adapt to your personal goals and work daily by your side to help improve your skills and take your surfing to the next level. We will practice yoga focused on supporting your surfing and share empowering workshops to connect with our highest selves, create mental space and become more in tune with the body. All of this will be framed by the most nourishing, local and organic flavours of Costa Rican food prepared daily by our in-house Chef. AWA will leave you overwhelmed with joy and expand your body, mind and soul while living the relaxed lifestyle of this unique laid-back destination. Get the Women Surf Adventure program here
Experience the true flavors of Costa Rica in the most healing and nourishing way by our in-house chef. From exotic fruits to local fish caught that morning we will enjoy decadence and rejuvenation with every meal.
Whether you are ready to catch your first waves, gain more confidence in the water, transition to riding a different board, learn new maneuvers and tricks, or cross-step on a longboard, our fun team of instructors will adapt to your level and goals working daily by your side to take your surfing to the next level.
This experience is about supporting each other in nurturing ourselves around surfing, meditation, movement and self-care practices. With every journey we host we learn, evolve and expand this beautiful global community through our shared love of surfing, adventure and togetherness.
After so many years of living in this town and with the support of an amazing welcoming community, we’ve decided to shape what we call “our greatest week at home” to share the beauty and magic of this remote paradise with you.
Italian chica who left behind the fashion world in the big cities for a barefoot and raw new life in the jungle. Giulia is the team mamma, who can effortlessly drive around through the jungle large groups of women with one main goal in mind: make everyone have the freaking most unforgettable time of their lives. And she does it, gracefully, over and over again. Buckle up and let yourself adventure with the most radical and fun amazonian queen out there.
giulia_vallotto
Argentinian surfer, creator soul and ultimate jungle warrior reshaped her life by the Costa Rican sea over a decade ago on her search for a more simple life. She is the embodiment of fun and adventure and brings the high vibes and stoked into whatever she does. Be ready for some loud laughs, deep ocean conversations and a life-long friendship with who will turn your surf trip into a radical life-changing experience.
mona.picasso
6 nights jungle lush accommodation.
5 surf lessons adapted to your level, with certified local instructors.
Photo & Video sessions.
All surf and yoga equipment.
Yoga, stretching, guided meditations or sound journey.
Daily local breakfast and lunch adapted to all diets.
4 special dinners.
Daily drinks and snacks.
2 dinners in town.
Massage treatment.
Adventure experience.
Transportation to activities.
Ground transportation from/to Tambor or Liberia Airport.
Concierge services.
Overnight security guard.
Daily cleaning services.
Goodie bag.
A real good time.
International airfare.
Alcoholic beverages.
Medical Insurance.
With A/C, King-size bed, cathedral ceilings, large fully equipped kitchen, private bathroom and a spacious private terrace with ocean view.
FROM$5,300.00/pp
With A/C, King-size bed, private bathroom, and kitchenette. The room overlooks the infinity pool and Pacific Ocean.
FROM$4,900.00/pp
With A/C, Queen or King-size bed, shared connecting bathroom, kitchen and private balcony. The Suites are like small apartments offering more space and privacy than the Double Rooms.
FROM$4,600.00/pp
With A/C, Queen-size bed & twin bed, private bathroom, and small fridge. The room overlooks the infinity pool and Pacific Ocean.
FROM$3,900.00/pp
The AWA Villa
The AWA Villa is a boutique style hotel in Santa Teresa situated on a mountain slope on the Pacific Coast. It consists of 8 separate and unique units surrounding an infinity pool overlooking the coast and the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, the very first national park in Costa Rica. The Villa provides panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by lush jungle gardens. It’s centrally located in town and is within walking distance to the beach, stores and the most charming restaurants and shops in the area.
This AWA Villa is located in Playa Carmen, on the south western coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, about 5 minutes south of Santa Teresa.
Our location is relatively remote - it's what makes the area so stunning, and while this means uncrowded beaches, take into account travel time to reach us.
There are a few options for getting to us from San José or Liberia airport depending on your time and your budget. Flying from San José to Tambor (closest local airport) and then taking a cab is significantly quicker but also more expensive. In the intermediate price range is to travel via private shuttle, a door-to-door service. If your budget is limited and/or you are not in a hurry, take the public bus. Each of these options are detailed below.
PLANE
There are currently two airlines providing daily flights from San José to Tambor on the Nicoya Peninsula. The flight is approximately 30 minutes and it costs something between $100-$130. If travelling with friends, we recommend booking these flights together, in order to avoid changes to one of the reservations and not the other (rare, but just in case).
We recommend Costa Rica Green Airways which operates out of the separate domestic airport, a five-minute walk from San Jose's main terminal (SJO). As they operate out of a different airport, you are not connecting, instead, you’ll first need to go through Immigration and collect your luggage. Upon leaving Arrivals, walk straight ahead to the main boulevard, turn left, and you will see the Domestic Terminal located 500 feet ahead. If in doubt, an airport official will be able to point you in the right direction. Book here: CR Green Air
Sansa is another Costa Rican airline operating out of the domestic terminal; it also offers multiple flights per day. Sansa also flies into Tambor from the Liberia International Airport. Book here: Sansa
On arrival into Tambor, grab a taxi to Mal País – approximately 40 minutes and $60. We recommend the services of Miguel Delgado (on booking, we’ll be able to put you in touch).
Alternatively, Sansa offers a shuttle service from Tambor to Santa Teresa at the time of flight booking, which while shared, does end up more cost-effective than a taxi for solo travellers and smaller groups.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The above options won’t work for those who are travelling with surfboards bigger than 7’0.
PRIVATE SHUTTLE
There are a number of companies that provide a private shuttle service to the AWA Villa; we frequently use the services of Montezuma Expeditions. Additional options are available with Tropical Tours, or with Montezuma Adventure. You'll be collected from San José and driven to the Puntarenas ferry (approximately 1.5-2 hours). At Puntarenas, you'll leave the van and board the ferry, taking your bags with you. The ferry crossing is approximately 1.5 hours and on arrival you'll be met by another van, which will drive you the rest of the way to the AWA Villa (approximately 1.5 hours).
The quoted cost of the shuttle includes all legs of the journey (shuttle > ferry > shuttle).
DIRECT BUS
Departing from the bus terminal (7-10) in San José, the direct bus makes the same journey as the private shuttle (ferry included). The bus leaves the station twice daily (6am and 2pm). You can see the bus schedule here. The schedule shows San José to Cóbano as Cóbano is the nearest big town but that bus will take you all the way to town.
Let the driver know that you’ll get off as the bus arrives into town, at “El Cruce” (the crossroads) between Mal País and Playa Carmen. From here, grab a taxi to us (taxi drivers are usually hanging out right on the crossroads) – approximately 3 minutes and less than $10. During the day, there are generally plenty of taxis at the corner where the bus arrives in town so you should have no problem waving one down. Alternatively, you can walk into any one of the restaurants or cafes and ask them to call a taxi for you. When taking the afternoon bus (arrives between 8-9pm), we suggest booking a taxi in advance. We recommend the services of Miguel Delgado (on booking, we’ll be able to put you in touch).
Let us know if you need assistance booking any legs of this commute. We are here to support you and can’t wait to meet you!
YES! You can bring your own board or pick your perfect match from our quiver. We suggest you travel with your own board if you are feeling comfortable surfing with it. Have in mind that the internal flights in CR won't allow you to travel with a board bag bigger than 7 feet.
At 2pm.
At 11am.
We recommend you make your reservation ASAP to make sure you secure your spot as we have limited availability and we fill up fast.
All reservations are made via the AWA Website. In order to secure your spot, we request an initial 25% deposit and the remaining is due a month from arrival. Check out our new Payment Plan option.
None! AWA is for all levels of surfing, from the lady that has never felt confident in the ocean to those who have been surfing all of their lives.
A large amount of our retreaters are solo travellers who are about to meet their new favourite friends.
No. We host fully immersive retreats so we encourage everyone to share the same space and that way deeply drop into the whole experience.
There is one coached surf session a day and an optional free surf (for the extra stoke).
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