Savi says, "I spent a week at Peace Retreat for a meditation yoga retreat, and from the very first day everyone was so wonderful and kind, remembering all of our names, helping us with anything that we needed or wanted, and always ready with a smile! not only were all of the staff amazing, the food was unbelievable, so good! as well as the beautiful spaces, so healing and beautiful, peaceful and quiet." See more
Tanya says, "I am speaking as a solo female traveler, I needed some time to escape, relax, and find my peace again, and El Sabanero gave me exactly what I was looking for and so much more." See more
Gal says, "Simply put, pachamama changed my life. It’s raw it’s real it’s beautifully messy and it’s a very very safe place to explore what it means to be human. To shed layers To question everything To celebrate and to heal The more you come clean of ideas and the more you take responsibility for your own journey the better Good people strong tribe " See more
Amy says, "My son and I just returned from a surf school vacation with Safari Surf in Nosara. We stayed at Olas Verdes and I cannot say enough about how beautiful our vacation and experience was! We absolutely loved our time surfing, relaxing, doing yoga and adventuring." See more
A retreat absolutely can spark profound transformation - yet the real magic lies not in the retreat itself, but in how it creates space to recognize what's already present within. Traditional wisdom paths from Zen temples to desert monasteries have long known that stepping away from daily patterns allows inner clarity to naturally emerge. At a typical meditation retreat, participants often experience deep insights simply by sitting quietly and turning attention inward. Yet it's essential to understand that a retreat acts more like tilling soil than planting new seeds - it creates fertile conditions for accessing innate wisdom and wholeness that were there all along. Some seekers notice immediate shifts in perspective or behavior, while others find subtle realizations unfold over months or years after returning home. The key lies in approaching retreat time with genuine openness rather than forcing specific outcomes. When combined with skilled guidance and integration support, retreats can illuminate fresh possibilities while revealing that true change flows from touching what's eternally unchanged at our core.
Retreats can last anywhere from a half-day gathering to months-long immersions, with most spiritual centers offering programs between 2-10 days. Traditional Buddhist vipassana retreats often run for 10 days, while many modern meditation and yoga retreats opt for more accessible 3-5 day formats. Some seekers find that weekend retreats provide just the right pause from daily life, while others feel called to deeper practices like the traditional 3-year retreats found in Tibetan traditions. At established retreat centers in the West, 5-7 day programs have emerged as a sweet spot - long enough for meaningful inner work yet manageable for those with work and family commitments. The most important consideration isn't the duration, but rather choosing a length that aligns with your current life circumstances and spiritual readiness. Some practitioners find profound shifts in an afternoon of practice, while others need extended periods of silence and contemplation. The perfect length is the one that allows you to fully arrive, settle in, and open to what's already present.