Girls Rip. Costa Rica 2019

We started off the trip by checking in to our beautiful luxury home. It was new in the area, and when we saw it come on the market, we pounced on booking it for our event. We have hosted retreats at many locations, but we must say this was one of the most stunning homes we have ever visited.

Our first full day kicked off with a 2-hour surf lesson, and within the first 30 minutes, all of our girl bees were surfing! After all the years of witnessing firsts for our bee tribe, watching the ladies catch their first waves was one of our favorite experiences. Some of the girls were instantly hooked, and we even squeezed in a second surf lesson early one morning before our hike in Manuel Antonio.

Next up, we made a visit to Kids Saving the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary. Costa Rica is known for its conservation, and there are many sanctuaries and reserves throughout the country dedicated to conserving and caring for the local flora and fauna. It’s amazing to get a closer look at some of the cornerstone species in Costa Rica and to support the important work they are doing to care for some of the animals that so desperately need their help. We even got to see a few squirrel monkeys who joined the tour and provided some great close encounters.

The next day was a full day, and we were up bright and early to make our way to the Savegre River for our white water rafting tour. Costa Rica is an awesome place for white water rafting, and we always love getting to spend some time in the rapids when we are in the country. One of the best parts of the day was taking a detour halfway down the river to explore an incredible waterfall. There is something about the energy of water, and this particular waterfall was a magical vortex of energy. We were all giddy with laughter, and everyone had a special waterfall glow after our visit. 

Each night we carved out some time for stretching and mobility, which made a huge difference to our rest and recovery. Coupled with the incredible gourmet paleo meals prepared by our private chef Javier, the ladies truly were truly pampered.

The next day we made our way to Manuel Antonio, one of the most beautiful and wondrous forests of Costa Rica. Our guides helped us spot several types of monkey, sleeping sloths, and some difficult-to-see frogs, lizards, and birds. We scored big on the animal sightings, and everyone was feeling the full animal immersion. We wrapped the day with a short visit to the beach for a swim and then back to the house for an afternoon of rock painting, temporary tattoos, and cocktails! Our awesome bartender mixed up some killer piña coladas, and we were all giggles as we channeled our inner child with these fun activities. Another mobility session, delicious meal, and guided meditation, and it was fair to say our cups ran over in Costa Rica. 

Our final full day might have very well been our most adventurous one, and it was certainly the one where everyone got to step up to the biggest challenges of the trip. An off-the-beaten-path tour to some of Costa Rica’s most spectacular waterfalls proved once again why Costa Rica is nature’s playground. With so many different levels of challenge for jumping off waterfalls, each of our bee babes got a chance to find her own outer limit. Every single one of the women at the retreat found that they were stronger, braver, and perhaps more resilient than they knew, and these waterfalls were the perfect proving grounds to help them realize their own potential.

We would be remiss if we didn’t give a special shout out to a brand new bee who embodied everything that Bee The Wellness is about. Jackie came to Costa Rica for her first retreat. Jackie has struggled with her health since childhood when she started having debilitating seizures, and in her early twenties, Jackie had a stroke that severely impacted her health and independence. Jackie discovered the paleo diet, and after eating and living in the ancestral way, Jackie has been healthy and seizure free for almost 6 years. Jackie had never before surfed, white water rafted, or experienced any of our retreat adventures. Day after day, we watched her physical confidence grow, and on the last day when it was time to slide down a 30-foot waterfall, none other than Jackie stepped up to go first! To say she inspired us all would be an understatement, and after that slide I told Jackie that in my book, WWJD would stand for “What would Jackie do?”

We say time and time again that places like Costa Rica provide uniquely transformational experiences. Retreats are an opportunity to discover limiting thoughts or beliefs and overcome your fears. Jumping off a waterfall—or doing anything outside your comfort zone—is an amazing way to facilitate this growth.

Every retreat is special in its own way, but we must say that our first women’s retreat will hold a special place in our hearts. It was everything we could have hoped for and more, and we look forward to when the universe aligns to make this happen again!

Check out the full highlight video for all the fun here below!


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Vanessa Lambert