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52 places to practise yoga in Costa Rica

Retreat Centers

Women’s Quest

Women's Quest is a women-only adventure retreat company from Boulder, Colorado, founded by former world champion triathlete Colleen Cannon. Its Costa Rica surf and yoga week has moved from Santa Teresa and now runs at Matapalo on the Osa Peninsula, with the next dates in April 2027; it suits women of any age and surf level.

By Monirul Hoque · Published · Updated

Update, November 2026: Women's Quest still runs a Costa Rica surf and yoga retreat, but no longer in Santa Teresa or at Pranamar, as we first described. Its 2025 week was at Playa Hermosa near Santa Teresa, its 2026 week at Matapalo on the Osa Peninsula, and its next week, in April 2027, is at Encanta La Vida in Matapalo.

Women on mountain bikes cheering on a hillside

Women's Quest is a retreat company for women based in Boulder, Colorado. It was founded in the early 1990s by Colleen Cannon, who won the world triathlon championship in 1984, and it runs active retreats that mix sport, yoga and time outdoors. Its trips change location over the years; Costa Rica has long been on the calendar for a week of surf and yoga.

The Costa Rica surf and yoga week

Two women in dancer pose holding hands on a beach at sunset

The 2027 retreat runs from 18 to 24 April 2027 at Encanta La Vida, a beachfront lodge in Matapalo at the southern tip of the Osa Peninsula. The week includes:

  • 5 surf sessions with instructors from Matapalo Surf School, starting with a "ground school" for beginners, with about 2 students per instructor.
  • Daily yoga and movement, including restorative yoga sessions, on a beachfront yoga deck at Pan Dulce Bay.
  • A boat trip to look for whales and dolphins and to snorkel, and a waterfall hike.
  • Afternoon talks with Colleen, plus crafts and a forest-bathing walk.
  • 6 nights' lodging and most meals.

Women's Quest says the retreat is open to all ages and abilities, from beginners to advanced surfers, and groups are formed by fitness, experience and goals. Check their website for current rates and spaces.

Getting there

The group meets in Matapalo, so most guests fly into San José, then take a short domestic flight to Puerto Jiménez and a shared taxi to the lodge. For more on the region, see the South Pacific section of where to do yoga in Costa Rica. If you'd rather surf and do yoga in Santa Teresa, look at Pura Vida Adventures, which runs women's weeks there through most of the year, or Shaka Costa Rica.

Website: Women's Quest

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Women's Quest Costa Rica retreat held?

The April 2027 week is at Encanta La Vida in Matapalo, on the Osa Peninsula. Earlier weeks were in Santa Teresa and Playa Hermosa on the Nicoya Peninsula.

Do I need to know how to surf?

No. The week starts with a beginners' "ground school", and surf groups have about 2 students per instructor.

Who founded Women's Quest?

Colleen Cannon, a former professional triathlete and 1984 world triathlon champion, who started the company in Boulder, Colorado, in the early 1990s.

Is it only for women?

Yes. Women's Quest runs retreats for women only.

[Updated on: 4 November 2026]

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