Bienvenidos a Costa Rica! I found myself invited by my friend Brook to photograph her yoga retreat.

Let me take a step back and mention this conversation happened a week before she was set to depart. Thanks to my travel agent connections, I was able to secure the same flights as my friend at below market rates, so I took this as a sure sign it was my destiny to attend. This was the first time I left Sebastian and Cliff for more than just a few days and I sure missed them! Our flights started early on a Saturday taking us from DFW to FLL, Ft Lauderdale to San Jose, Costa Rica and finally SJO to the tiny
Upon our arrival in Puerto Jimenez, we met our driver and he took us to Boca Sombrero. Boca Sombrero is a property owned by two German families and managed by Monika & Walter. There are three, multi-room, open-air houses and seven ‘glamping’ tents. The houses have kitchens, outdoor showers, toilets and sinks, one large bedroom with multiple beds, a sitting area and the house I stayed
The tents are a raised bed with tent and patio with seating.
All living quarters are open-air, meaning, no air-conditioning, but the temperatures are moderate (80-90’s) and at night lower paired with frequent swimming and finding shade, acclimation is not difficult. The property is on the ocean, specifically the Pacific side in the bay of Osa.
After arriving
Beautiful assortments of salads, fruits, homemade dressings,
My first morning was spent at the pool getting to know a fellow guest that had arrived overnight. Later in the day, Brook had arranged a Thai massage for me. Thai massage involved lying flat on a padded floor mat while the
Monday morning started bright and early with a Brook-lead yoga session. I observed through my lens. Processed photos, chatted with my new housemates, enjoyed amazing healthy, meals by the staff at Boca Sombrero and shot the late day cool-down yoga class.




Tuesday morning after yoga, a guest lead a ‘Following your Passion’ talk and I enjoyed a great brainstorming session afterward with the group. After lunch, seven of us left the property by horseback with the staff of Rancho Tropical for an afternoon’s journey. Several in the group repelled a 125ft tropical fig and later a waterfall. I enjoyed photographing the group and exploring the terrain. We rode the horses back to Boca Sombrero and enjoyed
Wednesday morning we enjoyed a several mile
Thursday took us out on the Golfo Dulce by boat on the La Sirena. Josh taught us about the
Part of the group split off and toured a local animal sanctuary where we met, Sweetie the monkey and Rose with her baby. Sweetie loved to be scratched and would jump on the back of the men. She is partial like that. 😉 We also met a tayra, an ocelot, a kinkajou, a peccary, a few more monkies and sloths. We had up close and personal encounters with each which made the experience one to remember.
Each day offered yoga classes, pool time, surfing on some days and lots of eating and socializing.

Friday was a great day for everyone to relax, have massage, acupuncture or
Over the course of the
While I am not a morning person the sounds of the jungle start early and whether you want to or not you learn to live with nature. I found myself up one morning enjoying the sunrise and the macaws.
During the retreat, we were eached given a ‘secret santa’ person that we were to observe and grace with some sort of small gift. It could be in the way of words like a poem, small token or something found or handmade. I elected to gift a photo shoot to my friend, Katie.
Saturday found everyone making their way home back to California, New Mexico, Texas or Pennsylvania. The traveling day can be a long one, but Costa Rica is a beautiful country with unique
If you would like assistance booking a trip to Costa Rica, let’s chat! I’d love to use my inside knowledge to help you have the best experience possible! Contact me to get started. To view all the pictures from Costa Rica and the Retreat, click the provided links. Adios!
Natalie, Founding Author
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