Wellness Adventure Retreat

Yelapa, Mexico

January 3-11, 2026

Yoga – Meditation – Hiking – Beaching

Packages range from $1,595 up to $2,495, depending on room.

Returning Clients please take $100 off!

Includes 8 nights lodging, most meals, classes, boat transport, guided snorkel trip, guided waterfall hikes, and a massage

Theme of this Retreat: Balanced Living

Where is Yelapa, Mexico and why would I want to go there?

On our Yelapa Yoga Retreat we offer yoga, meditation, sunning, hiking, swimming and much more for every body, an affordable, wonderful opportunity to relax, renew, and rejuvenate. Yelapa is a delightful Mexican fishing village, located on a sleepy little bay just south of Puerto Vallarta. Since there are no roads to Yelapa (one of the things we love most about the town!), we take a 45 minute boat ride from Puerto Vallarta to the village. As there are no roads in Yelapa, there are no cars, less noise, less pollution and less stress. There are now some small ATVs that help residents transport people and materials, so not as pristine as the old days, but still charming. Temperatures in January: refreshing 60-65 at night, 75- 85 in the day. Note: This is the dry season, so normally lots of sun. The food is fresh and delicious, including local fish, chicken, enchiladas, tortillas, ceviche, beans, avocado, pies, fruit (papaya, banana, pineapple, melon, etc.). Yum!

Upon Arrival in Mexico

We meet for one night in romantic old town Puerto Vallarta, staying right on the beach at the Emperador Hotel. On Sundday morning, we walk right across the walkway to the pier and boat that takes us on a beautiful 45 minute ride to Yelapa, often visited and welcomed by dolphins or whales enroute. In Yelapa, we are dropped off by boat on the main dock, and get some help carrying our bags along the path and up 150 steps! Located in jungle above the town and beach, a short walk from town, we enjoy peace among the trees and an incredible view of the bay.

Note: Yelapa is a rustic village, so if you need a 5 star experience, this is not the trip for you. You will experience the challenging yoga practice of making peace with donkey and dog poop! There are uneven paths and steep steps, so please talk to us about any physical challenge you are concerned about. We also take a fairly small boat to Yelapa, so be ready for some adventure!

Our Retreat Center

This year we are actually staying at two neighboring Hotels: Las Parotas, and Casa Alegre. Las Parotas is named after the two huge and beautiful trees overlooking our yoga deck. And Casa Alegre means “Happy House”. Each hotel has about 5 rooms, so we will split the group up between the two spaces, which each have a beautiful yoga patio and kitchen.

Yoga on the Patio

Overlooking the bay, among the trees. We generally do sunrise and sunset yoga, and various teachings, healings, meditations and workshops. We will have plenty of activities scheduled, yet keeping things as flexible and open as possible to allow people to create their own experience, with free time to relax, swim or snorkel every day, roam the village, hike the river valley, play in waterfalls, sip from coconuts, or drink fresh fruit juices on the beach. We include a snorkel boat trip, short waterfall hike (2) and longer, guided river to waterfalls hike (7 miles round trip). There are extra options available for a very reasonable fee, including massage, whale watching, fishing, snorkeling and other boat trips, island visits, parasailing, etc. Note: Everything is optional, but we encourage you to attend as many of the yoga or meditation classes to help create a sacred energy for the group.

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Theme: Balance

Our theme this year is …. balance on all levels: balancing inner healing (spiritual healing and healing emotional trauma) with taking care of our body (hiking, yoga, swimming, sunning, etc.) This will be about our 20th year in Yelapa, and it is always deeply healing simply being in sunshine, water, community, eating great food, stretching, meditating ….

Healings available: 1) Inner emotional spiritual healing, 2) NeurOptimal Brain Balancing and Trauma release, 3) Rapid Release to clear pain and scar tissue. There is also local massage available. Above healings range from $30 – $60).  AND the best osteoptath and structrual release healer we have ever met offers her services in Yelapa (Canadian woman Jodie, $65).

What does a typical day look like?

Sunrise meditation, then seaside patio yoga, then breakfast. Then we either have an activity (playshop, hike, island or beach visit), or just leisure time to stroll town or visit the beach for swimming, sunning, eating lunch, etc. Then sometimes a second yoga class before sunset.

Then dinner, usually at the hotel, but a couple times we will go out to sample some of the excellent local restaurants. We will also offer a couple playshops and healings. We take you on a barefoot “reflexology river roam”.  We also include a short boat trip to a beautiful little cove with good snorkeling, with a short waterfal hike (about 1.5 miles each way). And we guide you on a nice long hike up the river valley and swim at a magical series of waterfalls.

Who should (or should not) attend:

If you seek a winter sun break. If you like to swim and hike and do yoga and meditate. If you seek to grow, heal and awaken, and deepen your spiritual connection. If you like dogs (lots of friendly dogs in Yelapa!), and if you like to laugh and be real and connect with fellow adventurers, we’d love to have you join us.

On the other hand, if you need 5 star accomodations, if you are disgusted by donkey poop, or are not up to walking and climbing some 150 steps up to the hotel, this might not be a good fit for you. Furthermore, if you feel a need to drink alcohol daily, this is not a party retreat. We ask that there be no alcohol at the retreat center, but an occasional drink off site is fine. But we have found that even with this guideline and boundary, some folks need to drink daily margaritas and other alcohol, and after over 100 retreats, we have found that it can disturb the energy of the group, which we are trying to raise and uplift, not lower.

Room Options:  Various Accomodations

Choosing a Room: It is very helpful to let us know a few things: your first, second and thrid choices from options below. Equally important, tell us what you need. Do you snore? Are you traveling alone, with a friend(s), partner. Do you need your own bathroom, or to be close to a bathroom? Stairs okay (all have some stairs however). Are you okay sharing a room with others? If available, do you want a single room? We will do our best to meet your needs and first or second choice. Bascially, prices vary depending on view, size of room, bathroom, etc. Single, private rooms are of course the most pricey, and these also vary, depending on the room. It’s a bit of a ijgsaw puzzle, but fonrtunately, all the rooms are nice, with similar yet varying amenities, views, etc.

Las Parotas: 

Rooms one, two and three: These are all similar interior rooms, enclosed, safe, with double bed. These three rooms share a nice bathroom on the same floor. Couple: $1,495 each. Single: $1,995

Rooftop Patio Room: your own rooftop room, very private, (except when we do yoga on the patio). Queen bed, small bathroom with shower, small kitchen, view from patio. Couple: $1,895 each, Single: $2,495

Private Casita: (Taken) Rustic but all your own: Stand alone palapa with double bed, kitchen, bathroom, small patio. Couple: $1,795 per person, or Single $2,495

Casa Alegre: 

Casa Armadillo: This room has a queen bed, hammocks, small kitchen, shared bath, small patio with view. Open air style (but of course with roof and half walls). Couple: $1795 per person, Single: $2,395

Casa Selva: This stand alone cottage has two floors, with a queen bed and a twin bed upstairs, and an enclosed room with queen bed in a separate room downstairs, bathroom for both rooms shared, small patio with view. Open air style (but of course with roof and half walls). 4 people: $1,595 per person, 3 people: $1795 each. Or 2 people for just upstairs (queen and single): $1,995 each. Just downstairs single room with queen, sharing bath with upstairs room: couple $1,695 each, single $1,995

Palapa: Rustic and intriguing. Above large kitchen and dining area, which is all yours for most part. Two upstairs rooms with a queen bed in each. You have to ascend up a small spiral staircase. Open air style casita or palapa (but of course with ful roof and thatched walls, with bathroom downstairs nearby. The beds are about 40 feet away from each other, but not closed off or separate from each other by walls, but a bit of space. For two people: $1,695 per person

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Roy Holman and Liz Gross

More about Teachers click here. Roy has taught yoga, meditation, and healing for over 20 years, and Liz is not only a wonderful yoga teacher, but also is a wonderful vibrational energy healer. Roy is 500 hour certified in viniyoga. Both Roy and Liz teach with joy and passion, a grounded, flowing Viniyoga-inspired style of yoga, and includes pranayama (breathing) and meditation.

Note: Please contact Roy prior to making air reservations for details. Basically, you fly into Puerto Vallarta by the 3rd, take a taxi to the hotel (to be announced in details later), and plan to fly home on or after the 11th.

What is included:

• 8 Nights Hotel: 7 nights in Yelapa and 1 in Puerto Vallarta.
• Meals in Yelapa: 2 meals a day in Yelapa. Healthy buffet breakfast each morning after Yoga, and one other delicious meal each day (lunch or dinner).
• Classes: All Yoga, Meditation, & Workshops
• Guided hikes to pools and waterfalls up beautiful river valleys
• Boat trips to Yelapa & return included.
• Snorkel boat trip and beach trip to Majahuitas and Quimixto
• One Massage by an outstanding Canadian Osteopath, Jodie

Non-Discrimination Policy

Yoga is about unity and oneness, not divisiveness and polarity. All are welcome on our retreats. We do not discriminate for any reason, including sex, gender, race, age, vaccinated or unvaccinated, masked or unmasked. We trust you to take care of yourself, and to decide first, if this trip is for you, and second, how to take care of yourself. We will do our part to keep everyone safe and honor all our needs, but ultimately, your health is your responsibility. May this retreat be a healing experience for all.

Payment and Refund Policy

For those visiting from afar, we highly recommend trip and travel insurance. In rare cases, we have to cancel trips, and we cannot be responsible to cover lost airfare or other fees.  The global uncertainty and change of late (you may have noticed!) is another reason to purchase travel cancelation insurance.

We request a $500 deposit, balance due 30 days prior to trip.  Note:  Deposit is generally nonrefundable. 3/4 of later payment may be refunded if you cancel > 30 days prior to trip, 1/2 refund if you cancel 15 – 30 days prior to trip (depending on retreat center refund policy), no refund under 15 days prior to trip–unless I can get some money back from hotels and retreat center.  Note: In these wild, COVID times, we do our best to expand our refund policy, being fair to all involved.

Extra expenses and Options

Taxi ($25) or bus ($3) from and back to airport in Puerto Vallarta, other meals (two meals in Puerto Vallarta, and eating out), souvenir shopping, tips, massage or watzu (water massage, about $85), optional extra activities (island trips, parasailing, mule trips, etc.)

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