Yoga Retreat in Yelapa, Mexico
Pura Vida Wellness Center
January 2024 (Specific dates coming soon)
Meditation – Hiking – Beaching
$1,395 (jungle view)
$1,495 (water view)
Theme of this Retreat: Slowing down and Being
Where is Yelapa, Mexico and why would I want to go there?
On our Yelapa Yoga Retreat we offer yoga, meditation, 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. The donkeys used for transport make their own noise and pollution, but we’ll manage! 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.). Fresh fruit beverages. Yum!
“Thank you for all that you did to make our week in Yelapa magical. I had a great time and it truly changed my life for the better.”
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 Saturday 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 walk 10 minutes to our home for the week, Pura Vida Wellness Center. Located a nice beachfront, rustic walk from town, we enjoy an incredible view of the bay, sometimes spotting whales while we dine on the patio, or as we stretch with our patio yoga. Note: There are uneven paths and steep steps to our hotel, so please talk to us about any physical challenge you are concerned about.
Pura Vida Wellness Retreat Center
Pura Vida is a beautiful newer retreat center, with most rooms that open up to the bay. All rooms have hot showers, and private bath. Security boxes in each room. They also have a wonderful new hot pool as well as infinity swimming pool. Hotel has wifi. Included are two meals each day, which gives us freedom to explore town for some delicious local foods. Priority rooms with water view, double room per person price of $1,495. Jungle view $1,395. There is also one dorm style room for four people, which lowers your overall price per person to $,1295. Single, if available, $1,995.
Yoga on the Patio or indoor Bamboo Deck
Overlooking the bay, accompanied by the birds. We generally do sunrise and sunset yoga, and various profound teachings, meditations, processes 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. 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 and oneness classes to help create a sacred energy for the group.
“The trouble with the rat race is, even if you win, you’re still a rat.” (nothing against rats!)
Theme: Being, and Slowing Down
I asked a local during our 2020 visit to Yelapa: “Do you have police in this village?” He responded: “No es necesario.” It’s not necessary! Isn’t that cool? A place in this world where police are not needed!
Our theme this year is slowing down, ahhhhhhh ……. being still, being who we are, stepping outside the rat race and remembering what is important: breath, community, consciousness. We will apply this to our slow food eating, to our slow yoga, our slow days on the beach ….
What does a typical day look like?
Sunrise yoga (sometimes with an optional meditation beforehand), 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 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 (open to suggestions, possibly meditation, breath, healing, etc.). We also include a trip to a beautiful little beach with good snorkeling. Also included in your price is a traditional temescal, or native sweat lodge, to purify and heal.
Roy Holman and Liz Gross
More about Teachers click her
e. Roy has taught yoga, meditation, and healing for over 15 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, take a taxi to the hotel (to be announced in details later), and plan to fly home on or after Saturday. Some of us pay for an extra night (Saturday) and fly home Sunday.
What is included:
- 7 Nights Hotel (double or triple occupancy): 6 nights at Pura Vida in Yelapa and 1 in Puerto Vallarta. I can
match you with others ($1,395 or $1,495 each for double room), or single room may be possible for additional fee of $500 ($1,995). Share room with 3 others, $1,295 each. - Meals in Yelapa : Healthy buffet breakfast each morning after Yoga, and one other delicious buffet meal each day (lunch or dinner). Open to food requests and suggestions.
- Classes: All Yoga, Meditation, & Playshops
- Guided hike to waterfall up beautiful river valley
- Boat trips to Yelapa & return included.
- Traditional Temescal sweat lodge for all levels, not too too hot!
- Infinity pool and hot pool (salt water, no chlorine!).
- Snorkel and beach trip to Majahuitas (extra fee)
COVID 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
It may be advisable to purchase Travel Cancelation insurance, as there is much uncertainty and change these days (you may have noticed!). We request a $500 deposit ($100 for Washington Retreats), balance due 30 days prior to trip–when possible. 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 ($20) or bus ($2) from and back to airport in Puerto Vallarta, other meals (eating out), souvenir shopping, tips, massage or watzu (water massage, about $70), optional extra activities (island trips, parasailing, mule trips, etc.) Price: $1,395 or $1,495 NOT including air, $1,995 INCLUDES AIR from Seattle. Single room $1,995 – if available.
