Days start early and quietly. There is a silent morning from 6:00, then energising yoga and meditation, then a plant-based breakfast. On day two you head out to climb strangler figs with Palo Vivo's guides and take a dip in the river afterwards. Day three is the big walk: a private guided tour of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 2–4 miles with local naturalists, followed by lunch out and optional coffee tasting. Day four offers ziplines, hanging bridges or the sloth sanctuary, then yin yoga and the Temescal sweat lodge in the late afternoon. Day five is free until the "Discover your dosha" Ayurveda workshop at 3:00. Day six has a second chance at tree climbing, an optional inversions and arm balances workshop, and closes with a cacao ceremony and ecstatic dance. Day seven is a final practice, breakfast and departure by 10:00.

What separates this from a generic Costa Rica yoga week is the tree climbing. It is run with Palo Vivo, a conservation nonprofit, using proper climbing gear and expert guides, and it puts you up in the canopy next to orchids and epiphytes growing straight out of the branches. The second difference is the food. Chef Zach wrote the Plants on Plates cookbook and cooks with local organic produce; Sous Chef Selena is local. Everything served is vegan, mostly organic, and built on whole foods rather than soy-based substitutes. New for 2027, an optional plant-based cooking class with Zach and Selena is included for anyone who wants it.

The centre itself, Finca Camino Nuevo, was hand-built with sacred geometry and natural materials. Rooms have one double and one single bed, private bathrooms with solar hot-water showers, and either a balcony or a patio with a hammock. Every room looks down the San Luis Valley to the Gulf of Nicoya. Monkeys turn up outside the balconies. There is a heated pool, a jacuzzi, a ceremonial sweat lodge, an art-filled yoga shala and forest trails, including a short path to a sturdy tree net strung up in the canopy.

Carrie leads the yoga. Guests who have travelled with her describe her classes as some of the safest spaces they have practised in, and the teaching is deliberately non-hierarchical — she teaches from "us", not from the front of the room. She and Zach also lead the yoga philosophy, Wim Hof breathwork, Ayurveda and meditation workshops, and they weave in bhakti songs and Latin indigenous music through the week.

The group is alcohol-free and recovery-supportive. You do not have to identify as sober to come, but you do have to be willing to go a week without alcohol or substances. Past groups have mixed people in recovery, people who simply prefer travelling without drinking, vegans looking for a kitchen that matches their ethics, and a wide range of ages — one recent guest came to mark her 70th year. There are no formal recovery meetings, but people talk to each other a lot.

What's included

- 6 nights accommodation at Finca Camino Nuevo in a private or shared room - Private bathroom with solar hot-water shower and biodegradable soap in every room - Daily or twice-daily yoga and meditation (Vinyasa, Yin, Yoga Nidra, Restorative) - Daily sunrise meditations - Yoga philosophy, Wim Hof breathwork, Ayurveda and meditation workshops - Tree climbing adventure with expert guides from Palo Vivo - Private guided walking tour of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve with a naturalist - Temescal traditional sweat lodge ceremony with an expert facilitator - Cacao ceremony and ecstatic dance - All plant-based meals and desserts by Chefs Zach and Selena - Coffee and tea each morning - Optional plant-based cooking class with Zach and Selena - Use of the heated pool, jacuzzi, tree net, ceremony space and trails - Transportation to and from all activities

What's not included

- Flights to and from Costa Rica - Transport to and from Finca Camino Nuevo (shared shuttles from San Jose are about $60 per person) - Travel insurance - Optional excursions such as ziplining, hanging bridges, the sloth and butterfly sanctuary and the night tour - Massage, craniosacral therapy, Watsu water therapy, Reiki and personal Ayurvedic counselling - Gratuities for Finca Camino Nuevo staff (suggested $30 per person) - Flight booking assistance ($50 add-on)

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