Costa Rica Recap - Pt 1

As many of you know, I took off for a quick trip to Costa Rica last week. One of the things I've learned in leading luxury yoga retreats around the world, is that you never want to host a retreat in a venue you've never personally visited. After a few mishaps, I've learned the hard way! So this trip was a scouting trip, and also meant as a little mini getaway because I've been going full steam ahead since the book tour. However, you know what they say about the best laid plans? Well I wound up getting food poisoning and was pretty miserable for the duration of the trip. It was annoying, but it happens. Every extensive traveler I know has been there at some point. 

Anyway, that aside, I wanted to share some pictures and thoughts from the first part of my trip. The second installation will come next week. 

Grounds at El Mangroove

I started off at El Mangroove Hotel, a boutique, luxe hotel in its own little corner of paradise. Pros of this hotel included:

• gorgeous, lush grounds
• extremely comfortable beds
• indoor/outdoor living space in the bedrooms
• incredible outdoor yoga space
• healthy, fresh meals
• excellent customer service

A post shared by Candace (@yogabycandace) on Feb 18, 2017 at 5:27pm PST

The indoor/outdoor living space in the hotel room was pretty amazing. The outdoor part was inexplicably cool despite the temps being in the 90s, I don't know how they did that! At one point, I fell asleep on the hammock and woke up to monkeys in the trees, literally right outside my window. That was pretty magical. 

Pool at El Mangroove

The pool at El Mangroove is a gorgeous dark tile lap pool. Adjacent is the restaurant and bar area, and behind is the restaurant for breakfast and dinner. On the opposite side is the beach!

Pool at El Mangroove

Yoga space

One of the things I really loved about this boutique hotel was the yoga space. Can't you just envision yourself here first thing in the morning practicing? This space was completely enclosed by vegetation and trees, and the grass was vibrant and lush. The birds were chirping and the monkeys could be heard in the background. Truly, it'd make an unforgettable spot for a yoga retreat. 

At the very end of my stay, I created a short yoga in bed video for you guys to enjoy. Give it a try below and let me know your thoughts in the comments section.