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Destination: Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica

Destination: Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica

What airport do I fly into?

  • First, you can choose to fly into one of two airports in Costa Rica:
    • San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO)
    • Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR)

When does the retreat begin and end?

  • The retreat starts on Feb 2nd and ends on Feb 8th.
  • For additional beach time, consider arriving on Feb 1st.

To arrive at Playa Hermosa and LUA VILLAS on Feb 2nd by 11 am:

Options for Travel:

1. Flying into San Jose Airport (SJO):

  • You can take a 25-minute flight from SJO to Tambor on the Nicoya Peninsula.
  • Alternatively, you can opt for a 5-hour van shuttle or a ferry ride, which can be an adventurous way to reach Tambor.
  • Once in Tambor, a friendly taxi driver can take you to LUA Villas in Playa Hermosa. 

Please send us your travel info:

*Shuttles are offered for the following retreats ONLY:
Sonoma, Vermont, Tuscany, Greece, and Costa Rica 

2. Flying into Liberia Airport (LIR):

  • Arrive on Feb 1st and take a noon or 2:30 shuttle for group travel.
  • The shuttle cost is around $350 divided by 4 people or $87.50 each, and it takes approximately 2.5 hours.
  • Alternatively, you can fly into Liberia and take a Sansa flight to Tambor, followed by a taxi ride to LUA VILLAS.

Recommended hotels for early arrivals:

  • Many travelers opt to arrive a day early and stay near the San Jose Airport. A suggested hotel is The Hampton Inn and Suites. If you need a roommate, contact the organizers to help find one.

When does the retreat officially begin and end?

  • Registration begins at noon on Sunday at LUA Villas with lunch.
  • Check-in to the villas starts at 2 pm.
  • Paddle school begins at 1 pm.
  • Plan yo departure after breakfast on the 10th

More Travel Help:

Traveling to Women’s Quest in Costa Rica:

  • Traveling to Costa Rica is part of the adventure, and it’s straightforward. Most participants are first-time international travelers and find the experience easy and enjoyable.
  • You’ll fly from your departure airport to SJO (San Jose) or LIR (Liberia), both accessible airports in Costa Rica.

Some Travel Options:

Option One: Fly in Feb 1st: Stay in San Jose and Fly Out Early on Feb 2nd:

  • Arrive in Costa Rica one day early (Saturday) and stay near the San Jose Airport.
  • Suggested hotels include the Hampton Inn or the Marriott at the San Jose Airport.
  • This option allows you to catch morning flights to Tambor, which typically depart around 7 am

Option Two: Fly into San Jose or Liberia on Feb 1st and Reach LUA in One Day:

  • Arrive in Costa Rica on Feb 3rd before noon.
  • Take a flight to Tambor on the same day (last flight around 2:00 or 4:00 pm).
  • Stay overnight in Santa Teresa or LUA Villas.
  • Alternatively, fly into Liberia and take a shuttle at noon or 2:30 pm for group travel.

Option Three: Extend Your Visit:

  • Fly into SJO on Saturday and arrive at LUA Villas early on Sunday for extra beach time.
  • Consider staying after the retreat to continue your vacation and work on your surf skills.

Option Four: Van or Taxi from SJO or Liberia to LUA VILLAS:

  • Arrange for a scenic van or taxi ride from SJO or Liberia to LUA VILLAS.

Flight Information for Costa Rica Domestic Flights:

  • Several small airlines operate domestic flights within Costa Rica, including Sansa, Green Air, and Nature Air.
  • The recommended flight is from SJO to Tambor, lasting 25 minutes.

Women’s Quest Shuttle and Individual Taxis from Tambor Airport:

  • Women’s Quest can assist in arranging shuttles to and from the Tambor Airport.
  • The shuttle cost is typically split among participants, making it affordable (around $30 each way or $65 for individual transportation).

PASSPORT! Now would be a good time to check your passport! You must have at least six months left on your passport from your time of departure! If not, visit the State Department’s website

(http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html) or visit your local post office for your renewal. You do not need a visa for your stay.

Payment Policy

A deposit is required to hold your reservation at a retreat. Deposits are $500 for domestic and $1,000 for international retreats. Additional deposits may be required to reserve a single room. All deposits are non-refundable.

We cannot hold your reservation until we have received your deposit. If you would like to reserve an available spot in a retreat 90 or fewer days prior to the retreat date, we require payment in full for the retreat to hold the spot. This is in accordance with our payment policy below.

Payment in full for all retreats is due 90 days prior to the retreat date. If you do not provide payment in full by 90 days prior to the retreat you risk losing your reservation.

A 4% payment processing fee will be added to all payments made using PayPal, Stripe or Venmo.

You are welcome to send in a check or pay by Zelle to avoid this fee.

Cancellation Policy

If you must cancel a reservation, a full refund, less your deposit which is non-refundable, will be provided for any cancellation we receive in writing at least 91 days prior to the commencement date of the retreat. We are sorry but we cannot refund any payments for cancellations made 90 or fewer days prior to the commencement of the retreat.

We reserve the right to cancel retreats with inadequate participant interest. Women’s Quest IS NOT responsible for any personal expenses, such as airline tickets due to changes in schedules or tour cancellations.

Covid-19 Policy

Cancellations by Women’s Quest: Women’s Quest reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel or reschedule any retreat due to concerns over Covid-19. As a small company Women’s Quest is unfortunately not able to provide refunds of payments for retreats cancelled by Women’s Quest due to the Covid pandemic. This is primarily due to our financial commitments with the various retreat venues. As a result, in the event Women’s Quest cancels or reschedules a retreat due to Covid-19 Women’s Quest will apply all payments to the rescheduled or following year’s retreat, or to any other Women’s Quest retreat of your choosing through the end of the next year after the year in which the retreat was cancelled by Women’s Quest.  Because of the unforeseen and unprecedented circumstances of the outbreak, this policy supersedes earlier policies.

Cancellations by You: If you need or desire to cancel your reservation due to Covid-19, or failure to comply with the requirements of a negative test and being symptom free, this cancellation is subject to the Cancellation Policy above.  This is why we urge everyone to purchase travel insurance when signing up.

Covid Waiver and Release
This waiver, release and acknowledgement of responsibilities is unfortunately necessary during this unique time of the Covid 19 pandemic. By signing up for and or attending any Women’s Quest retreat you agree to be bound by the terms of this document. We understand these times are challenging, however, these provisions are necessary to protect all attendees and staff members of Women’s Quest.

Testing For and Symptoms of Covid 19.  Irrespective of vaccination status you are required to provide a negative test for Covid 19 taken within 3 days of the commencement of the retreat. This test can be either a PCR test or a home antigen test. Also, irrespective of your vaccination status, you agree you will not attend the retreat if you have any symptoms of Covid 19 immediately prior to the beginning of the trip. These symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea (these, along with symptoms outline in the following link and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control shall be collectively referred to as the “Symptoms”.) More information on symptoms of Covid 19 can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

Symptoms During the Retreat. In the event you develop any Symptoms during the retreat you must immediately leave the retreat and follow protocols outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and all local regulations. We understand this may result in you incurring significant expenses associated with separate accommodation and travel, however, you understand these expenses are not the responsibility of Women’s Quest and must be incurred by you. You agree to be fully honest with Women’s Quest staff in regard to any Symptoms you may develop and agree to comply with a request by Women’s Quest staff to depart as determined by Women’s Quest staff in their sole discretion. As provided below, this is why we strongly urge everyone to get travel insurance covering these and other expenses prior to departure.

Procedures During the Retreat. During the retreat Women’s Quest may, but need not, endeavor to practice social distancing and wearing of masks when traveling in close proximity. You agree to comply with all requests of Women’s Quest staff during the retreat related to these procedures. Any such procedures implemented by Women’s Quest are not a guaranty you will not be exposed to Covid 19 and you understand you are responsible for taking any precautions you deem necessary and providing your own personal protective equipment during the retreat. You also agree to comply with any reasonable requests by other attendees to respect their social distancing and other protective measures (“Participant Requests”.) Notwithstanding the foregoing, you are responsible to comply with all laws and regulations of the locality visited relating to protections against Covid 19.

Waiver of Coronavirus Related Illness; Indemnification. You understand that irrespective of protective measures that Women’s Quest or you may or may not take, you may be exposed to Covid 19 by another retreat attendee, a Women’s Quest staff member and or an individual to whom you may be exposed during, or traveling to or from the retreat. You agree to waive and release Women’s Quest, its officers, directors, staff, employees, contractors, and partners from any claims, liabilities or damages you may incur in the event you contract Covid 19 at any time during travel to, attending or after attending the retreat. You further agree to indemnify and hold harmless Women’s Quest, its officers, directors, staff, employees, contractors, and partners from any loss, liability or damages it or they may incur as a result of your failure to receive a negative test for Covid 19 prior to the retreat as provided above, attending the retreat with any Symptoms, not respecting Participant Requests, and not immediately departing the retreat if you develop any Symptoms.

Cancellation. In the unfortunate event you need to cancel your trip, cannot attend due to contracting Covid 19 or developing Symptoms prior to the retreat, or must leave the retreat due to contracting Covid 19 or developing Symptoms, Women’s Quest cannot provide any refund of any amounts you paid.

Travel Insurance. As provided in this document you could incur significant personal expense in the event you contract Covid 19 or develop any Symptoms during the retreat. As such, you are strongly urged to obtain travel insurance that provides adequate protections against these risks.

Additional Waiver. This waiver is incorporated into and made a part of other waivers you agreed to in connection with signing up for the retreat. In the event of a conflict between these terms and the terms of any other waiver, this waiver shall govern.

Purchasing Travel Insurance

We highly, highly recommend you get travel insurance to cover your expenses and losses, in the event you cannot make the Women’s Quest retreat for any reason or if  you test positive or come down with Symptoms prior to the retreat, develop Symptoms during the retreat, or cannot return home due to Covid related issues.  We recommend getting insurance that covers the cost of your trip, medical care while at the retreat, and coverage to pay for the necessary quarantine period if you test positive or come down with Covid.  Please remember, if you have to cancel your trip in the unfortunate event you come down with Covid, test positive, or suffer Symptoms prior to or during the retreat and need to leave, Women’s Quest cannot provide a refund since we have to pay your trip expenses well ahead of time.

If you are concerned about travel and the changing environment in which we are living irrespective of your Covid status, we recommend getting travel insurance that allows you to cancel for any reason. This coverage is more expensive, however, may provide you with the coverage and flexibility you desire.

Irrespective of the travel insurance you get, please make sure you talk to a travel insurance agent prior to buying any insurance and make sure you have the coverage you desire and that the policy will cover trip cancellation, medical expenses and trip interruption due to Covid. 

You can do your own investigation by checking out Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison company that helps travelers search, compare and buy travel insurance online https://www.squaremouth.com/22393