Gap Year Yoga

A gap year is time out between school and university, or between jobs, to work, travel, volunteer or learn something new before the next step. For a lot of people that now includes yoga: a few weeks or months of daily practice somewhere warm, often alongside surf lessons, Spanish classes or volunteer work.

Why Costa Rica works for a gap year

Costa Rica is a popular choice because it's easy to get around, it's peaceful, and several beach towns have built up a real yoga scene. Towns like Santa Teresa, Montezuma and Uvita have hostels and simple hotels as well as resorts, and drop-in yoga classes, so you can stay a while without booking a full retreat package. Costa Rica isn't the cheapest country in Central America, though, so plan your budget carefully.

A few tips if you're staying a month or more:

• Pick your season. On the Pacific side the dry season runs from about December to April and the rainy season from May to November. The rainy months are greener, quieter and often have bigger surf.
• Mix it up. Many gap-year travelers pair yoga with surf (see our yoga and surf guide), a Spanish course or a volunteer program.
• Try a training. If you want to go deeper, a 200-hour teacher training can be a structured, month-long base. Our guide to yoga teacher training in Costa Rica explains how to choose one.

Santa Teresa

Santa Teresa, at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, is a surf town with lots of yoga, cafes and a young, social crowd. More on the town itself is on santa-teresa.com.

Nautilus. The former Nautilus Boutique Hotel now runs as Nautilus Surf & Yoga Villas, with yoga and surf classes near the beach. Its old website no longer works; see our Nautilus profile for the latest.

Horizon Hotel and Yoga Center. A hillside hotel above Santa Teresa whose wooden yoga deck, at the top of the property, looks out over the ocean. It's a short climb up from town, which makes it quieter. The hotel posts its current class schedule on its Instagram page. More in our Horizon profile or at horizon-yogahotel.com.

Hotel Tropico Latino is another Santa Teresa option, with daily yoga on an oceanfront deck.

Montezuma

Montezuma is a small, laid-back village with waterfalls, beaches and a long-standing bohemian streak. More about the town is on montezumabeach.com.

Hotel Lucy. A simple, long-running hotel by the beach in the village, still listed on major booking sites, that suits travelers on a budget. When we first wrote this, guests walked across the road to classes at Montezuma Yoga, but that studio closed in 2021; its founder still teaches privately and runs pop-up classes and retreats (see our Montezuma Yoga profile).

Ylang Ylang Beach Resort. A beachfront resort a short walk north of the village that offers daily yoga in an open-air studio. Our Ylang Ylang profile has details on its public classes, or see ylangylangbeachresort.com.

Uvita

Uvita, on the southern Pacific coast, is quieter and greener, next to Marino Ballena National Park and its whale-tail sandbar.

Bodhi Surf + Yoga. A small, eco-minded surf and yoga camp that runs 7 and 14-day camps for adults, with surf lessons in the national park and yoga in an open-air jungle shala. Groups are small, which suits solo travelers. See our Bodhi Surf profile or bodhisurfyoga.com.

Cascada Verde. A family-run hostel in the forest near Uvita's waterfall, popular with backpackers and still well reviewed on hostel sites. It doesn't run its own yoga classes, but Bodhi Surf and other Uvita studios are a short drive away.

For more places to base yourself, see our guide to where to do yoga in Costa Rica.

Frequently asked questions

Is Costa Rica a good place for a gap year with yoga?

Yes, for many people. It's easy to travel around, and towns like Santa Teresa, Montezuma and Uvita have drop-in yoga, hostels and surf schools close together.

Which town is best for a young, social yoga trip?

Santa Teresa has the busiest yoga, surf and cafe scene. Montezuma is smaller and more laid-back, and Uvita is quieter and closer to nature.

Do I need to book a retreat package?

No. You can stay in a hostel or small hotel and pay for drop-in classes, or book a week at a surf and yoga camp. A teacher training is the most structured option.

When is the best time to go?

The Pacific dry season, from about December to April, has the most sun. May to November is rainier but greener, quieter and often better for surf.

[Updated on: 4 November 2026]