Soca Dance & Yoga Wellness Retreat in Negril, Jamaica

The retreat runs 26–30 June 2025 in Negril, on Jamaica's western tip, an area known for its long sunsets and Seven Mile Beach. You sleep at a luxury property in Negril for the duration and eat all three meals there or with the group. Days are structured but not packed: morning movement sessions get you up, then Soca dance fitness and Vinyasa yoga classes run through the day, with excursions slotted in so you're not just in a studio the whole time.

What separates this from a standard yoga retreat is the dance element. Soca dance fitness is the core of Selena Watkins' Socanomics programme — high-energy Caribbean dance cardio rather than slow flow — and it's paired with Vinyasa yoga and sound bath therapy so the week alternates between working hard and winding down. The schedule also includes a ganja field tour and a tea ceremony, which are specific to Jamaica and not something you'd find on a retreat in Portugal or Bali.

The excursion list is concrete: Mayfield Falls, Seven Mile Beach, and a sunset catamaran cruise. Mayfield Falls is a guided river walk up a series of natural pools in the hills inland from Negril; Seven Mile Beach is the long stretch of sand the town is known for; the catamaran goes out at sunset. These are group outings, included in the price, and they take up a good chunk of the afternoons.

Selena Watkins is an Antiguan-American entrepreneur and fitness expert who created the Socanomics format. She leads the retreat personally, and the programme is deliberately framed around Caribbean culture — the point being to expose guests to the region's music, food and landscape rather than to run a generic wellness week with a tropical backdrop. The previous edition was held in Nevis.

Group size is small and the guest mix skews towards women travelling alone or with one friend. Testimonials from past retreats describe arriving without knowing anyone and quickly falling in with the group — one guest notes she hadn't even done the online workouts beforehand. If you're weighing this against a larger resort-based retreat, the main difference is that this one is run as a single group with a fixed itinerary rather than a menu of optional classes.

All meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner — are included, as are the accommodation, the excursions and the sessions. Flights to Jamaica and travel insurance are not. You'll want to fly into Montego Bay (Sangster International) and arrange the transfer to Negril, which is roughly 90 minutes by road.

What's included

- 5 days / 4 nights luxury accommodation in Negril - Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily - Morning movement sessions - Soca Dance Fitness classes - Vinyasa Yoga sessions - Sound bath therapy - Ganja field tour - Tea ceremony - Mayfield Falls excursion - Seven Mile Beach visit - Sunset catamaran cruise - Group community sessions with Selena Watkins

What's not included

- International flights to Jamaica - Airport transfers to and from Negril - Travel insurance - Personal expenses and souvenirs - Alcoholic drinks and extra beverages - Optional spa treatments - Anything not listed as included