Costa Rica CrossFit & Surf Adventure: Volcano, Rainforest and Pacific Waves

The retreat starts when you land at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO). Someone from the team meets you there and drives you to La Fortuna — about two hours. You check into the hotel, get settled, and meet the group over a welcome dinner. The next three or four nights (depending on whether you're on the 7- or 9-night trip) are based in La Fortuna. Mornings usually start with a CrossFit session at a partner gym in town, coached by a certified Costa Rican CrossFit trainer. On the non-training days you'll hike to a waterfall, walk rainforest trails with a naturalist guide, and visit the hot springs fed by the Arenal Volcano. La Fortuna itself is a small, walkable town with plenty of wildlife around — toucans, howler monkeys, and if you're lucky, sloths — plus optional activities like white-water rafting, hanging bridges, mountain biking, and birdwatching if you want to fill a free afternoon.

Midweek, you're driven from La Fortuna to Santa Teresa — roughly five hours by car. Santa Teresa sits on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula and is known for consistent surf, warm water, and a laid-back town with a growing community of artists and musicians. The remaining four or five nights are here. You'll keep up CrossFit sessions at a local box and add surf lessons with an ISA-certified instructor. The surf lessons happen on a beach with waves that suit beginners — the instructors stay with you the whole time, covering surf etiquette, safety, how to read and pick waves, and how to pop up on the board. There's also a sunset SUP tour in the calm water at Mal País. Beyond the scheduled activities, Santa Teresa has options like horseback riding, ocean kayaking, fishing tours, hiking in nearby national parks, and a bioluminescence tour. On Saturdays there's an organic farmers market, and the restaurant scene covers Argentinian, Thai, Japanese, Italian, Israeli, and Costa Rican seafood.

The schedule leaves breathing room. The 7-night trip has two free afternoons; the 9-night trip has two free afternoons plus a full day off. You can spend that time on a hammock, at the spa, swimming in the pool, or out on an optional excursion — the staff will help you book anything not included. On the final morning, after breakfast and check-out, you're taken by taxi to Tambor domestic airport for a 25-minute flight back to SJO, where you connect to your flight home or onward travel. If you want to extend your stay in Costa Rica, the team will help design that itinerary at no extra cost — places like Monteverde, Osa, Turrialba, San Gerardo de Dota, or the Caribbean coast are common add-ons.

What separates this from a standard surf camp or a fitness retreat is the two-location structure and the coaching credentials. The CrossFit coaches are certified and experienced, and the surf instructors are ISA-certified. You're not just renting a board and figuring it out — you get structured coaching in both. It also suits different trip lengths: North Americans often take the 7-night version because the flight is short, while Europeans tend to book the 9-night version to make the long-haul flight worthwhile.

Accommodation is in double-occupancy rooms across both locations. In La Fortuna the hotel has volcano views; in Santa Teresa you're close to the beach. Breakfast is included daily. Lunches and dinners are not part of the package, which gives you the freedom to eat at the many local restaurants — from sodas serving casados to upscale seafood. The trip is designed for people who want to stay active on holiday without it feeling like a boot camp.

What's included

- 7 or 9 nights' accommodation in double occupancy (hotels in La Fortuna and Santa Teresa) - All breakfasts - Ground transportation from San José International Airport (SJO) to La Fortuna - Waterfall hike - Visit to Arenal Volcano hot springs - Rainforest hike with a naturalist guide - Ground transportation from La Fortuna to Santa Teresa beach - 4 CrossFit sessions with certified trainer - 2 surf lessons with ISA-certified instructor - Sunset SUP tour - Ground transportation from Santa Teresa to Tambor Airport - Costa Rican taxes - Travel agency staff available throughout the week

What's not included

- Airfare to/from Costa Rica - Domestic flight from Tambor to San José (approx. $80-100 USD) - Lunches and dinners - Alcoholic drinks - Travel insurance - Optional activities (e.g., white-water rafting, horseback riding, bioluminescence tour, spa treatments) - Personal expenses - Tips and gratuities