Surf, Yoga & Pilates Wellness Week on Nicaragua's Wild Northern Coast

A typical day here starts early. Depending on the tide, you might paddle out for a dawn surf, then come back for breakfast and a yoga or Pilates class on the shala. The schedule shifts with surf conditions, so some days the class comes first and the surf comes later. There are roughly three classes spread across the day, covering vinyasa-style yoga, Pilates, mobility, and strength work, with meditation and pranayama (breathing practice) built in. Afternoons are mostly free.

The surf is the main draw. Aposentillo is known for uncrowded waves that work for all levels, including mellow longboard-friendly breaks, and Amaru sits right between two of them. Lessons are available one-on-one or in small groups. If you want proper coaching, there's an optional surf package with surf skate training on land, video analysis of your waves, board rental and instruction. If you just want to splash around, that's fine too.

What sets this one apart from a standard yoga-and-surf week is the skate side and the hosts. The hotel has a skate ramp, and surf skate sessions are used to practise turns and pop-ups on concrete before taking them into the water. Ella, the lead host, is a surf and snowboard instructor as well as a yoga teacher, so the coaching in the water and on the mat comes from the same person. There are also guided self-reflection and self-love workshops woven through the week, which is where the retreat's name comes from.

Ela is joined by Melissa Joy Schoeller, founder of Gypset Yoga, who teaches vinyasa, yin, yoga nidra and barre. Ella completed her yoga teacher training in Sri Lanka in 2020 and has taught surfing in New Zealand, Nicaragua, the US and El Salvador.

The location is properly remote. The nearest airport is Managua, about a 3.5-hour drive, and the area has none of the bars and crowds of bigger Nicaraguan surf towns like San Juan del Sur. Around the hotel you can go fishing, hiking, horse riding and swimming. Expect warm water, unpaved roads and a slow pace.

The official itinerary hasn't been fixed yet beyond the Valentine's Day cacao ceremony, so the day-by-day schedule below is a sample. The hosts are clear that the plan will flex around tides, swell and what the group wants.

What's included

- 6 nights accommodation in private or shared air-conditioned ensuite rooms - 3 meals daily plus a snack, served family style - Ingredients from the onsite garden, organic and locally sourced - Unlimited non-alcoholic drinks: water, tea, coffee, juice and kombucha - Daily yoga, Pilates, breathwork and strength classes - Daily meditation classes - Daily pranayama classes - Specialised workshops - Guided self-reflection and self-love workshops - Selected excursions, including tide pools and horseback riding - Valentine's Day cacao ceremony - Sunset beach bonfire - Use of the pool, yoga shala, volleyball court, pool table, trampoline and skate ramp - Daily housekeeping - Professional event photos - Goodie bag - Pre- and post-retreat support from the host team - Luggage storage - Wifi

What's not included

- Flights - Travel insurance - Visa fee (0 USD cash on arrival) - Airport transfers (return transfer available for €267 per person) - Full surf coaching package (optional add-on: surf skate training, video analysis, board rental, instruction) - Additional treatments - Additional activities not in the itinerary