This Year, Say “Yes”: 5 Promises for Women Who Secretly Want to Surf

Most of us have a quiet list we don’t say out loud.

“Someday I’m going to learn to surf.”
“One day I’ll take a solo trip—just for me.”
“When things calm down, I’ll finally do something big for myself.”

And then life fills up again. Work, family, responsibilities. That private wish to stand up on a wave or explore a new country quietly slides to the bottom of the list.

If you’ve been secretly dreaming about a beginner surf retreat for women, this is for you.

At Pura Vida Adventures, a women’s surf and yoga retreat in Santa Teresa, we spend our days with women who decided their promise for this year wasn’t to fix themselves—it was to finally say yes to something they’d wanted for years.

Here are five promises you can make to yourself that could turn this year into one you actually remember.

“I’ll learn to surf—at my age, in my body, as I am.”

You don’t need a six-pack, a twenty-something body, or a lifetime of sports to enjoy a beginner surf retreat for women.

You need:

• A safe, beginner-friendly surf camp.

• Patient coaches who understand women’s bodies and fears.

• Other women who cheer when you stand up, not compare.

On our women’s surf and yoga retreats in Costa Rica, most guests are between 35 and 65. Many arrive saying things like:

“I’m absolutely a beginner.”
“I’m out of shape.”
“I’m terrified—but curious.”

By the end of the week, they’re riding their first waves, laughing in the whitewater, and saying:

“I didn’t know my body could still do this.”

If “learn to surf” has lived on your list for years, let this be the year you stop watching from the shore and join a beginner surf retreat for women designed exactly for you.

“I’ll travel solo—but I won’t feel alone.”

Solo travel doesn’t have to mean wandering around a city with a guidebook and eating every meal by yourself.

For many of our guests, a solo female surf retreat in Costa Rica is the sweet spot:

• You book your own flights and say yes to the adventure.

• You arrive at a small beachfront hotel where the schedule, meals, and activities are already planned.

• You instantly have a built-in group to surf, explore, and share meals with.

You get all the freedom of traveling on your own—with the safety, structure, and community of a hosted retreat.

If this year you’re feeling the pull to travel solo, consider making it a trip where you’re welcomed by name, handed a fresh coconut, and shown your new favorite corner of the world.

If you’re reading this thinking, “That could be me,” you’re right.

Check upcoming women’s surf retreat dates in Costa Rica

See 2026 retreat dates

All ages, all levels – every woman here started as a beginner and said, “I did it!”

“I’ll find friends who truly get this chapter of my life.”

As we move through our 40s, 50s, and 60s, making new friends can feel… complicated. People are busy. Schedules rarely line up. It’s easy to feel like you’re the only one craving something different.

One of the most beautiful parts of our midlife and 50+ surf retreat weeks is watching complete strangers become beach sisters in a matter of days:

• Sharing coffee and sunrise walks before surf.

• Cheering for each other’s first waves.

• Swapping stories over dinner about careers, kids, grandkids, aging parents, relationships, and everything in between.

• Getting teary at closing circle because you don’t want the week—or the group chat—to end.

If “find my people” is on your heart this year, write it down. Then put yourself somewhere other women are looking for exactly the same thing: a safe, beginner surf retreat for women where community matters as much as the waves.

“I’ll choose experiences over more stuff.”

Most of us don’t remember what we bought during last year’s sales. But we do remember:

• The first time we stood up on a wave.

• The night we stayed on the beach to watch the stars.

• The long, laughing dinner where we felt completely ourselves.

A week at a women’s surf retreat in Costa Rica isn’t just a vacation—it’s a collection of memories you’ll talk about for years:

• The morning you paddled out a little farther than you thought you could.

• The friend who sat with you in the tidepools and asked the really good questions.

• The feeling of walking barefoot to yoga, knowing the only thing on your agenda that day is to take care of you.

When you look back on this year, what do you want to remember: another year of “maybe next time,” or the year you actually went on that beginner surf retreat for women you’ve been dreaming about?

Surf, yoga… and a little jungle adventure. Retreat weeks are about play, courage, and trying new things.

“I’ll give myself one week that’s just for me.”

Not a week where you work remotely from a different location.
Not a week where you plan everyone else’s fun.
A week where your only job is to show up for yourself.

On our surf and yoga retreats for women in Costa Rica, that looks like:

• Mornings that start with coffee, ocean views, and gentle yoga.

• Surf sessions in small, women-only groups with beginner-friendly coaching.

• Free afternoons to read, nap, journal, explore town, or book a massage.

• Evenings with healthy, colorful meals and conversations that go deeper than small talk.

You’re still you. You still have a full life waiting at home. But for one week, you’re allowed to rest, play, and receive.

That’s not selfish. That’s fuel.

Sunset margaritas after a day of surf and yoga — because rest and celebration are part of the retreat too.

How to Turn These Promises Into Real Plans

If these intentions are tugging at you—learn to surf, travel solo, make new friends, visit Costa Rica—the next step doesn’t have to be huge.

Here’s a simple way to start:

1. Pick the one promise that feels most alive.
   Is it learning to surf? Traveling solo for the first time? Giving yourself a full wellness week?

2. Explore upcoming retreat dates.
   Look at our women’s surf and yoga retreat calendar and see which weeks line up with your life—midlife-focused weeks, 50+ weeks, or general women’s retreats. Choose a beginner surf retreat for women that matches your season.

3. Ask your real questions.
   Worried about age, fitness level, injuries, money, or coming alone? Send us an email or a DM. We’ll talk to you like a real person, not a sales pitch.

4. When you’re ready, put your name on a board.
   Reserve your spot or book a quick call with our founder to see which retreat is the best fit for you.

You Don’t Need a “New You.” You Just Need a New “Yes.”

This year doesn’t need another list of ways to improve or push harder.

What if your next step wasn’t to become someone new, but to finally give the real you something she’s been quietly asking for?

Warm water.
A surfboard.
A week of laughter and sisterhood in Costa Rica.
Proof that it’s never too late to start.

If there’s a small voice in you saying, “I think it might be my turn,” we’d love to hear from you.

Check out our upcoming beginner surf retreat for women and other women’s surf and yoga retreats in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica—and if you want help choosing a week, reach out.

You don’t just have to dream about surfing.

You can actually do it. 🌊

Still not sure if a surf retreat is right for you?
You can book a quick call with Tierza to ask anything and see if it feels like your next “yes.”

Book a free call

Explore more guest stories, retreat dates, and what to expect at puravidaadventures.com