Costa Rica Beach Fitness & Surf Retreat: Santa Teresa

The villa sits right on the sand in Santa Teresa, on the Nicoya Peninsula's west coast. It has seven bedrooms, an infinity pool that looks out over the jungle and the ocean, a shaded yoga deck, hammocks, outdoor showers, massage tables, and space set up for tropical ice baths. Daily housekeeping and laundry are included, and there's purified still and sparkling water on tap. Check-in is from 16:00 on the Sunday; checkout is 10:00 the following Saturday.

A typical day looks like this: a sunrise workout on the beach, breakfast at the villa, then a recovery flow. The middle of the day is free — pool, town, hammock, or a massage. Late afternoon there's often a second workout, followed by a swim and a group dinner cooked by the private chef. Tuesday switches things up with an early surf session with local instructors at Playa Hermosa; Wednesday is the waterfall hike; Thursday includes yoga, ice baths and beachfront massages plus a group dinner in town; Friday finishes with a beachfront BBQ.

The training is HIIT-focused group programming led by the Salt Escapes coaching team, and guests who've been on multiple trips describe it as challenging without being a boot camp. Sessions are designed so mixed abilities can take part, and recovery is treated as part of the schedule rather than an afterthought.

Salt Escapes was founded by Amy and Mike, who run these trips themselves and appear in guest reviews by name. The company has run escapes in Greece, Sardinia, Ibiza and Costa Rica, and reviews frequently mention returning guests — one reviewer was on their fifth trip, another their third. The guest feedback average is 5 out of 5 across 430+ reviews.

The location is the main thing that separates this from a European fitness week. Turtles nest on the beach at sunset, howler monkeys are in the trees, and the Pacific is warm enough to swim in after a workout. You fly into San Jose (SJO) and make your own way to Santa Teresa — airport transfers aren't included.

What's included

- 6 nights in a luxury beachfront villa - Ensuite bedrooms with ocean and garden views - Infinity pool surrounded by jungle & overlooking the ocean - WiFi throughout the property - All meals & snacks at the villa (aside from one group meal out) - Private chef cooked meals - Daily workouts led by expert coaches - Daily recovery & mobility sessions led by the recovery team - A day hiking through jungle to swim in waterfalls - Group surf lesson with local instructors - Purified still & sparkling water on tap - Daily housekeeping and laundry service

What's not included

- Flights - One evening meal out at a local restaurant - Airport transfers - Alcohol - Massages