Costa Rica is a wellness destination with a blossoming yoga scene. Antonio Corrales Dobles is a Costa Rican acro-yoga teacher in San Jose. He’s been teaching yoga for a decade and has seen a recent increase in yoga among Ticos and foreigners. He shares that yoga “is becoming more popular and growing every day.” 
 

“The Costa Rican community is committed to personal transformation, regenerative living, and positive social and environmental impact. You'll find us at the organic farmer's market, sharing a cup of fair-trade Costa Rican coffee, enjoying some live music, and participating in yoga classes,” expat yoga teacher Toby Israel says. Israel offers regular yoga classes and leads yoga and other wellness workshops around the country.  

There are several yoga studios in the capital city of San Jose but the easiest way to keep up with your yoga routine while traveling in Costa Rica is to stay at properties that offer classes on-site. Here’s where to practice yoga in Costa Rica.

Rancho Margot

Rancho Margot is a magical place for practicing yoga in secluded mountains. The sustainable farm stay is chemical-free which creates a healing environment that allows you to deeply unite with nature. The open-air yoga shall is located next to a roaring river and surrounded by a lush jungle canopy. During a morning practice led by Israel, I caught a glimpse of a vibrant King Fisher flying by while I was in a warrior asana. 

Complimentary yoga classes offered daily at 7 AM and 4 PM for overnight guests. Professionally certified yogis from around the world lead Hatha or Vinyasa flows. Visitors can drop-in to the yoga sessions for $15. 

The Retreat

Twice-daily yoga lessons as a part of guest packages at The Retreat. The open-air yoga studio offers panoramic views of the quartz mountains. At 8 AM there’s a flow class that borrows elements from Ashtanga and Hatha practices. The afternoon class at 4 PM is restorative—practitioners hold poses for extended amounts of time to reap healing benefits. 

Professional yoga teachers from around the world lead the practices at The Retreat. Specialty courses include aerial and antigravity yoga. One-on-one classes are also available. Outside guests are welcome to drop-in on the yoga classes for $30 per lesson.

Cala Luna

Tamarindo’s leading wellness hub, Cala Luna, offers guests a fitness experience daily including three complimentary morning courses throughout the week. Private classes are available for a fee. The yoga flow is usually Vinyasa or Hatha style. 

The open-air yoga-shala is surrounded by dense jungle where monkeys roam freely and the tropical wind carries the scent of exotic flowers into the shala during Savasana. There are occasionally yoga retreats at Cala Luna, typically in September and October.

Blue Osa

Blue Osa is one of the most popular places for yoga in Costa Rica. The center is self-described as a place for “learning, self-study, and transformation.” Blue Osa offers yoga courses led by trained teachers year-round in addition to meditation, breath-work, and mindfulness classes. The curriculum offers many styles of yoga such as Hatha, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Yin, Restorative, Anusara, Jivamukti, and more.

Guests who join the program with the Spa and Best of Costa Rica packages will enjoy one complimentary yoga class per day at 4 PM. Those who seek a more immersive experience to deepen their yoga practice will want to book the Private Yoga Retreat which allows guests to work one-on-one with a yoga teacher for their entire stay and enjoy twice-daily classes.

Blue Osa also offers comprehensive Yoga-Alliance accredited yoga teacher training throughout the year. The transformational teacher training courses are offered at 200-hours or 300-hours that prepare new teachers to lead safe and intelligently sequenced yoga classes. 

Selina

Those on a budget need to look no further than the Selina hostel chain which offers yoga classes at all 10 of their locations in Costa Rica including San Jose, Manuel Antonio, Jaco, La Fortuna, Puerto Viejo, Tamarindo, Nosara, Monteverde, and two locations in Santa Teresa. The yoga practices are usually a Vinyasa style. 

The beach locations are most popular for those who can’t resist an afternoon yoga session as waves crash nearby and salt lingers in the air. Jungle yoga is also very popular as you might just spot a sloth spying on you as you strike a tree pose. It’s best to reserve in advance either at the reception or the Selina app. Outside guests are welcome to join in. Fees for the classes depend on the location but are usually around $5 or less.