Santa Teresa waves star in Costa Rica surf competition

Santa Teresa’s awesome waves will be in the limelight once again as top Costa Rica surfers roll into the Pacific Coast town at the end of April for the fifth 2014 Olympus National Surfing Circuit competition.

The COPA Unit tournament will be held April 26 and 27 at the spectacular beach of Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, on the southwestern Nicoya Peninsula.

Famous for year-round surf and a friendly, relaxed vibe, Santa Teresa and neighboring Mal Pais attract visitors from all over the world who come to surf, relax, do yoga and enjoy one of Costa Rica’s most stunning tropical beaches. Walking down the nearly white sand beaches, you see no high rises, only jungle, sand, surf and sensational sunsets. Up-to-date surf conditions for Santa Teresa are reported daily by Magic Seaweed.

Costa Rica surfing is in the news with the Costa Rica National Juniors Surf Team, trained by three-time Costa Rica national surf champion, Gilbert Brown, currently competing in the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships in Ecuador from April 5-13. See the surfers compete live on the official ISA website.

Hotels in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

Coming to the Santa Teresa surfing competition? Stay in luxury at one of the finest Costa Rica beach resorts at Pranamar Oceanfront Villas and Yoga Retreat. The holistic boutique hotel presents surfing and yoga holidays on the beach at Santa Teresa. They give surf lessons, and have daily yoga classes and yoga retreats. See their weekly yoga class schedule on Facebook.

Upcoming events at Pranamar Oceanfront Villas include a celebration for Costa Rica’s national holiday of Juan Santamaria Day on April 11, with traditional Costa Rican dishes and live typical music in the Buddha Eyes Restaurant. You can hear live jazz by local musicians every Wednesday from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Pranamar’s Jazz Nights.

Article by Shannon Farley

Jazz nights at Pranamar Villas restaurant every Wednesday.

“Jazz washes away the dust of everyday life.” — Art Blakey

“Jazz does not belong to one race or culture, but is a gift that America has given the world.” — Ahmad Alaadeen

The gift of jazz can be admired weekly on the spectacular beach of Santa Teresa in Costa Rica at Pranamar Oceanfront Villas & Yoga Retreat.

The Buddha Eyes Restaurant at Pranamar Villas is presenting Jazz Nights every Wednesday from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Local musicians David Walker, a saxophonist from California, and trumpet player Luciano from Argentina accompany the sounds of the waves with their own mix of jazz and pop music. Their repertoire ranges from original compositions to covers of jazz legends like Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock.

“Pranamar is a great space for a jazz listening evening,” commented Walker.

Pranamar’s open-air, thatched roof restaurant pavilion overlooks the meandering free-form swimming pool, styled after a Balinese river, with luxurious two-story bungalows at the water’s edge. At night, soft lighting, tropical vegetation and warm sea breezes create an elegant ambiance.

The weekly events are popular and reservations are recommended, noted Pranamar restaurant events manager, Diana Vitola. “It’s a nice treat to have music both for our guests on yoga retreats and local residents,” she said.

While enjoying the live music, you can take advantage of happy hour two-for-one specials on Costa Rican beers (from 7-8 p.m.), or a cocktail or non-alcoholic smoothie from Pranamar’s extensive drinks menu.

 The menu varies for dinner every night at the Buddha Eyes Restaurant with rotating main dishes and appetizers. Mondays, for instance feature freshly-made sushi rolls. Pranamar chefs blend Pacific Rim and Asian cuisine with native Costa Rican fare and Italian touches.

Vitola said the Buddha Eyes Restaurant additionally is staging one or two events per month, such as Flamenco nights, live Latin percussion or acoustic guitar. The hotel even offers taxi service for guests to come from other points in Santa Teresa. “We’re very interested in having people come try our restaurant,” she said.

The next upcoming event will celebrate Costa Rica’s national holiday on April 11 of Juan Santamaria Day, for the national hero who helped conquer invading forces in 1856. The hotel will serve traditional Costa Rican dishes and have live typical music in the restaurant.

Pranamar Oceanfront Villas and Yoga Retreat also offers daily yoga classes, regular yoga retreats and yoga vacations in their magnificent beachfront yoga “shala.” See their weekly yoga class schedule on Facebook.

Article by Shannon Farley

Costa Rica yoga retreats 2014 in Santa Teresa

Costa Rica summer is yoga season at Pranamar Oceanfront Villas & Yoga Retreat on Santa Teresa Beach. Pranamar is offering 14 exceptional yoga retreats between February and June 2014.

Whether you are looking to deepen your yoga practice, or try yoga for the first time, a yoga retreat is an excellent opportunity for both. Retreats also add in fun activities like surfing or stand-up paddling.

Santa Teresa has been named one of the top 10 beaches in Central America and is an idyllic yoga setting at the southern tip of Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula. Host Pranamar Villas welcomes retreat-goers with elaborate oceanfront villas and bungalows in lush tropical gardens, a gorgeous river-theme swimming pool, and gourmet organic cuisine in the Buddha Eyes Restaurant.

See the selection of yoga retreats listed below, and visit Pranamar’s website for more information.

Costa Rica Yoga Retreats at Pranamar

Women’s Quest Adventures: Feb. 2-8 and May 4-10, 2014: Surf and yoga adventure retreat; yoga classes taught by Pranamar Villas yoga instructor, Nancy Goodfellow.

Vajra Sol Yoga Adventures: Feb. 16-22, Mar. 16-22, Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, Apr. 6-12, Jun. 22-28, 2014: Yoga retreat with surfing or stand-up paddling (SUP).

Yoga and Visioning Retreat: Feb. 22 to Mar. 1, 2014: Yoga, meditation and visioning retreat led by Chantal Russell.

TrueFlow Yoga Vacation in Costa Rica: Mar. 3-8, 2014: Yoga retreat led by Brynn Rybacek.

Soul Arch Yoga Retreat: Mar. 9-15, 2014: Yoga retreat and community philanthropic project

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Yoga Toes Retreat: Mar. 23-30, 2014: Yoga retreat led by MC Yogi and Amanda Giacomini with meditation, dharma talks, restorative yoga, storytelling and music.

Costa Rica Yoga Retreat with Colleen O’Brien-McFall & Kate Mak: Apr. 12-19, 2014: Yoga retreat in nature’s beauty at Pranamar Villas.

Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica with Cathy Daley: Apr. 29 to May 4, 2014: Retreat with daily yoga and meditation sessions.

Article by Shannon Farley