Sold Out - thanks adventurers!

MYA will be exploring Norway at the perfect time to get in some city vibes, spa bliss Scandinavian style, catching the lights dancing across the skies, and cross-country skiing on beautifully groomed trails (or snowshoeing). We’ll have accommodations in Oslo and further afield to take in the countryside, enjoy having a vegetarian cook, MJ, whipping up delicious meals, and of course daily yoga with Holly. Crossing our fingers for late March snow!

Our first three eves will be spent in a luxury apartment in the embassy district in the heart of Frogner; beautiful placement to explore the city of Oslo. Large windows bring in lots of light into the apartment and the floor heating in all rooms will keep us warm during the chillier days.

Adventurers will have plenty of relaxation space with two lovely living rooms, two fireplaces, two balconies, 2.5 bathrooms, three bedrooms and one office (or small bedroom). The apartment is in a well-kept traditional building from 1910 yet fully modernized; the height and ornamentations of the ceilings pay tribute to the original style of the apartment.

MJ will make full use of the modern, fully equipped kitchen (including a built-in coffee machine). In a short walk we can find restaurants, local food shops (cheese!), the famous Vigeland Park with over 200 sculptures, and public transportation. Within 15-20 minutes walk you reach the castle and the main street Karl Johan. The bus will bring us to the center of Oslo in few minutes.

So much to do in our three eves in the city! We will hit the Oslo Fjord Sauna for sure and decide if we’d like to partake in the Thief Spa or Salt Spa right in the city. Or, we may decide to hop a train for an hour to The Well spa experience (not included in price: $50-$60 plus price of hr long trainride) with 11 different pools, 15 different saunas and steam baths, waterfalls, Japanese bathhouse with onsen, oriental hamam, and rhassoul.

Adventurers will go strolling, visiting the Munch museum, sculpture viewing, sauna drop ins, perhaps skiing, sledding, and park snowga if the weather is right. Let’s hope for SNOW! We’ll soak up all the goodness & fabulousness from Oslo.

Following the city excitement, adventurers will take the train to Lillehammer (incl in cost) to enjoy strolling and lunch. We’ll then switch over to two cars to make the drive, about a 1/2 hr, to the countryside. We’ll have our private dreamy cabin at Natrudstilen, Sjusjøen with fabulous views towards both Jotunheimen and Norefjell, and most importantly, a hot tub!

We can truly enjoy the paradise outdoors knowing that we have plenty of indoor relaxation spaces, another well-equipped kitchen, living room, dining room, and sleeping areas. The cabin is perfectly located for skiing in/out to the alpine slope and to the famous nordic trail network in Sjusjøen; just a short walk away is the ski center where we can get our rentals (skis or snowshoes).

We can explore the little town and the trails alongside the lake; also not far from the cabin is dogsledding! This is another experience along with skiing that will be up to adventurers, MYA can book the dogsledding (about $165 per person) once we have our numbers.

Let’s hope we get three wonderful eves of clear skies with the northern lights dancing just above us! More snowga with lots of soaking in between. All will definitely delight in more yummy hot meals from MJ after we come in from all the fun we can have in the great outdoors.

On Sunday, we’ll leave our cabin behind and head to one more locale that is sure to be unique and cozy. We’ll let our cars go, have another ride on the train to head a little north of Oslo to spend the night in two micro-houses on a historic property with the magistrate’s residence from 1921. The micro-houses of which there are four were designed by architect Benedicte Sund-Matisen, SUMA arkitektur, in Nordic contemporary architectural style. It is green throughout with local labor and the materials used such as green sedum mats on the roof. There is also a sauna on the property that MYA will get access to, yay!

Don’t miss out on a crazy good time in and around Oslo as we drink in all of the Norwegian fabulousness that we can! Please note that if you're coming from the US, we'll be flying out on Sunday to arrive on Monday to Oslo :)

Cost: $2500/single bed; $3400/solo double or queen - sold out; $4400/shared double or queen, price for two adventurers - sold out

Please contact Holly directly if interested in a single - thank you! 207-299-0082

Includes: three fab unique accommodations, all breakfasts, 5 vegetarian dinners, daily yoga, train to Lillihammer and back towards Oslo, saunas, hot tub as per accommodation, good vibes!

Payment is accepted via Venmo @maineyogaadventures_ or send a check or use the credit card method below for either the full amount or a $1500 deposit.

Please be sure to review the cancellation policy - thank you! Feel free to reach out to Holly with any questions or concerns.

MYA is heading to Deutschland for an incredible eight day adventure of thermal soaking, forest bathing, fairytale castle exploring, beer imbibing, train riding, yoga flows, vegetarian food, and more!

Adventurers will meet up at the Frankfurt International Airport (flying out on Monday, May 9th to arrive the next day) and make our way to southerly realms. We’ll hop onto the train, our favored mode of travel for this adventure, en route to a spa town surrounded by the black forest for two nights, the infamous Baden-Baden, home of therapeutic waters.

Our first accommodations are located in the heart of Baden-Baden’s picturesque Old Town. We’ll stay in two apartments in a beautiful historic building with a terrace and a kitchen for MYA to work their magic. Most breakfasts and dinners will be sourced locally & vegetarian. If you have dietary needs beyond food allergies/sensitivities which will be honored, lunch will be the time to satiate those cravings. Adventurers can walk everywhere in this enchanting town; including a mere five minute stroll to the best soaking venue in town, Caracalla Spa.

MYA loves a good soaking after a long flight! Baden-Baden thermal water comes from a depth of 2000 meters and is the most mineral-rich in Germany. With temperatures between 32° and 68° C it regenerates and stimulates the whole body contributing to health and well-being.

The Caracalla Spa offers up space for soothing relaxation and bathing pleasure in the hot thermal water. A combination of water areas and saunas of five different types, an outdoor area in the picturesque castle garden including two marble pools, a lazy river, massage jets and two whirlpools will surely intoxicate adventurers. There’s even a brine inhalation room.

After a good night’s sleep we’ll take more time to enjoy the fairy tale village. An adventurer option could be to take on another spa, the Friedrichsbad is a nude spa, which focuses on the more classic roman bath culture features. The experience relies on the completion of a 17-step circuit which combines soaking in Roman baths of varying temperatures, with Irish steam baths, and a full-body scrub and massage. There are plenty of hiking trails to take us out of town and into the forest, visiting the old castle will be on our to-do list. From thermal bathing to forest bathing :)

With a traditional breakfast, fruhstuck, in our bellies (coffee or tea and bread presented with various toppings such as butter, nutella, cheese, jam, and honey - perhaps a boiled egg added in as well, yum!); adventurers will get ready to move on to Stuttgart.

Our next accommodations will be close to the super fab old town in a historic hotel with a whole lot of character and coziness for the group to put their feet up and relax. Adventurers will pour into two nicely appointed suites. This will be a night out for dinnertime and taking in the scenery, the culture, the beer…

Sweet spots to investigate in the city are St. John’s Church, a stunning Gothic which can be seen reflected in Lake of Feursee which surrounds it, Old Castle is a must, located on the Schillerplatz, a cobblestone square, and if adventurers are up for it, we may get on the outskirts as well to Schloss Solitude.

From Stuttgart, MYA will be traveling by car to stay in Dornstetten at a lovely home with lots of character and a hot tub and sauna! Plenty of space for adventurers with six bedrooms, an open kitchen, and a terrace with a garden that captures the perfect view of sunsets. For music lovers, there’s a piano in the cottage and plenty of books to linger over. We’ll be close to Freudenstadt, the city in the Black Forest with Germany's largest marketplace. In addition, Strasbourg, France, Lake Constance, Stuttgart, Pforzheim, Freiburg and Karlsruhe are just 1 hour away.

Hohenzollern, a magical fairy tale stunning beauty of a castle will be on the itinerary as well as Lichtenstein castle, the gothic revival built upon an escarpment on the edge of the Swabian Alps looking quite dramatic and otherworldly. We’ll definitely be enjoying some hiking trails throughout these jaw dropping environs.

Another option adventurers can decide upon is trekking down to Titisee to partake in the bathing paradise at Schwarzwald - there will be a bit of yin and yang happening here with galaxy schwarzwald thrills (water slides!) and the palm oasis and palais vital targeted towards ultimate relaxation including themed saunas and textile-free water worlds. We may want to spend some time on the lake kayaking or stand up paddleboarding as well.

Back onto the train, we’ll head to our next locale, Bacharach, a picturesque village in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley but not without a stop in the romantic cityscape of Heidelberg on the river Neckar. Adventurers will have an opportunity to stroll through the historic city center's Gothic streets, visit Heidelberg Castle, and Alte Brucke, a beautiful 18th-century bridge. It’ll be the perfect spot for lunch and a beer tasting before heading back on the train to suffer through more beautiful Deutschland!!!

Our final accommodations will be a two night stay in the center of the quaint jewel of a village called Bacharach. A five minute walk from both the train station and the River Rhine, adventurers will stay in a beautiful hotel right in the center of town with a couple of balconies, access to the garden, and traditional Germany breakfasts.

The medieval village of Bacharach surrounded by steep hills planted with grapevines is entered through a gate in the old town walls. The Burg Stahleck fortress looks onto the village of cobbled streets from above. Adventurers will have plenty of time to explore beyond the village - we can pop on and off the hiking paths on the Rheinburgenweg (Rhine castles trail), visit Oberwesel’s Schönburg Castle for a lunchtime excursion, perhaps Pfalzgrafenstein Castle as well and a short train ride to St. Goar for Rheinfels Castle. This area is jam-packed with magical, fairytale beauty and as a group we can go where our hearts lead us…

Don’t miss out on a springtime in Germany adventure!

Cost: $2,300 includes 7 nights accommodations, breakfasts & dinners (unless you want a meaty dinner here and there), transportation in Germany, daily yoga, a couple sweet spa experiences, hiking, castle exploring, good laughs at Holly’s attempts to speak German, and more…

Please contact Holly to book or final payments. Thank you!

Please be aware of MYA’s cancellation policy.

Sold out :) Thanks adventurers!

Join MYA for a super cool overnight adventure in Searsport at the historic Captain Nickels Inn - yes, we will have the whole inn to ourselves! Adventurers will get in plenty of snowga (yoga in the snow, please let there be lots of snow!), hiking, maybe fat biking & skiing, and lounging lazily about soaking in the splendor of the inn with delicious food & drink. This will be one of those adventures where you can choose to do all the things or do as little as possible in a beautiful place :)

Travis & Holly had such a fabulous time at the inn that it became a must-do adventure for MYA…

Our adventure will begin on Sears Island not far from the inn. Depending on the weather, adventurers can decide if they’d like to tackle it on plus-tire bikes or fat bikes (MYA can hook you up with a rental) or hiking or a bit of both.

Sears Island is one of the largest undeveloped islands on the Eastern Seaboard, rich in wild beauty with dazzling views of the water. There are sandy and cobbled beaches, dunes, rugged cliffs and ledges, diverse forests and wetlands, streams and gullies, abundant plants and animals, and a rich cultural heritage dating back thousands of years.

Holly and her family have made many visits in the summertime and she’s looking forward to a wintertime experience :)  

Adventurers will enjoy hot chocolate and snacks post island playtime then head to beautiful Belfast for a visit along pathways and the footbridge for some yoga stretches. Before leaving town we’ll stroll along the harbor pausing for a beverage at a fav local watering hole, the Marshall Wharf Brewing Company.

Ahhhh then the anticipation will be eased as we enter Captain Nickels Inn surrounded by warmth, luxury and historical splendor. Here we will get cozy in our private rooms and deeply relax (or prance happily around the grounds). All of the rooms have their own unique design and special sweetness based upon the cities that are their namesakes.

Adventurers will enjoy a vegetarian dinner lovingly prepared by MYA and followed up by plenty of entertaining evening options of cocktail sipping & storytelling, stargazing, snowga, listening to the sea, playing cards/board games, reading by the fire…

The morning will bring a delicious breakfast served up by the extraordinary innkeepers, a dynamic duo, a mother daughter team. Adventurers will be fully prepped for a magical Sundayfunday. Our adventure will continue onwards to Camden Hills State Park for a winter hike, or bike or ski whatever the group fancies; whatever the weather is serving up will help us decide :) Close by is Moose Point State Park which is also a great stand by for wintertime fun. Again, the more snow, the better as far as MYA is concerned!

Don’t miss out - there’s limited space on this fabulous inn adventure jam-packed with wintertime fun!

Cost: $300/solo adventurer; $500/couple adventuring

To register, please choose to add to cart below or payment is available via VENMO or a good ol’ check in the mail :)

Sold Out. Please contact Holly at 207-299-0082 with questions & possibilities :)

Join MYA for a much needed retreat, a mindful escape, an adventure designed so that you can choose your own level of physical activity: take it up, slow it down, or a bit of both at a gorgeous location full of wonderful possibilities.

Adventurers will converge at Santosha on the Kennebec, a very special gathering place by the river, a peaceful space. All will enjoy outdoor yoga both under the sun and the stars, vegetarian food with fresh seasonal and local ingredients, meditation, beautiful accommodations with plenty of space to spread out, a wood paneled library, three indoor fireplaces, lovely surroundings, a hot tub, a fire pit, views of the Kennebec River, what more could you possibly need? Well, you could add on any services you may be craving such as massage, reiki, tarot readings, etc. And, our experience is not limited, close by is lovely Popham Beach (yoga in the sand and polar dip?!), hiking (Morse Mountain to Seawall Beach), forest bathing trails (Phippsburg Land Trust), mountain biking trails (rentals nearby if you don’t have your own); we can do all the things!

Please note that adventurers can join in for either a one-night or two-night stay with a flexible time of arrival. Adventurers can choose to pour on the activities with Holly leading the way, or choose to chill on the deck, in the library, in the meditation room, in the hot tub, it’s all good. Regardless of your chosen activities, vegetarian meals, dinner, breakfast and lunch will be lovingly provided by Santosha. Yoga practices will be an MYA specialty.

All covid-19 precautions will be taken. Before arrival, Santosha would prefer that adventurers get tested and also mask up when indoors. Please know that MYA is hoping to be mainly outdoors and putting out the vibes for awesome weather :)

Join in on a fabulous adventure in so many ways in such a beautiful place! Santosha, Sanskrit, संतोष: Complete, settled contentment without striving. Truly take some time for yourself, to luxuriate, to relax, to enjoy, to laugh and experience all that there is in every moment.

Cost: $350/one night; $650/two nights

To register, choose to add to cart below or payment is available via Venmo or Paypal or a good ol’ check in the mail :) Feel free to call 207-299-0082 with any questions.

Sold Out - thank you adventurers :)

Maine Yoga Adventures is off to explore new territory in Costa Rica! Adventurers are heading to an awe-inspiring private home in the rainforest of Nuevo Arenal…

Nature is abundant in this peaceful place - the Costa Rican sunsets are gorgeous, like none other!

We’ll be soaking up all of the goodness for four blissful nights of yoga, nature immersions (finding a sloth or two!), excursions, rainforest rambling, stargazing, birding (toucans visit the house), delicious vegetarian food, playing in the pool and more!

Our home, is going to be unbelievable! Located in the rainforest rather than a gated community, surrounded by nature, a 500 hundred acre preserve to the east and thousand acres of protected rainforest encompassing Tenorio National park to the North and West. A spot of peace and privacy with access to amazing excursions both in the forest and on the lake.

The entire property is a showcase of Costa Rican art, decorative tile, stone and craft work. Six beautifully appointed bedrooms featuring artwork, hand carved beds and doors with bathrooms en suite, and two decorative fireplaces are all for MYA. The master suite bathroom features a hot tub built for two (Holly promises to share!). There’s a chef’s kitchen, library/living room area, dining area, and a unique indoor pool with jacuzzi. We can play billiards and ping pong - lounging areas, an inversion table, and a massage table are also at our disposal.

Taylor and Katie Ashley will be the dynamic duo, our cooks, making magic in the kitchen! Adventurers will enjoy vegetarian dinners and breakfasts with local ingredients with a nod to local tico flavors. Fresh fruits and veggies - yum! Lunches will be on the go and up to adventurers but there will be a few delicious leftovers no doubt.

Lake Arenal has so much to offer adventurers - windsurfing, canopy tours, boat tours, jungle hiking trails, kite surfing, horseback riding, kayaking, swimming in an extinct volcanic crater, spelunking and more. We can decide as a group our fav excursions, definitely hanging bridges and hot springs, and still have the option to simply relax and enjoy the tranquility and majesty of your surroundings.

To help the Costa Rican National Park system finance education, outreach and protection, the manager of our home devotes 50% of each commission gained through sales of adventure tours towards the park. With the benefit of access to individuals in the tour system that make it all work - tribal leaders, guides, and park directors; MYA will take advantage of a couple tours for sure!

This will be MYA's 5th journey to Costa Rica via the airport in Liberia. Flights from Boston are in the $500-$600 range.

Adventure cost including four nights of fab accommodations, daily yoga, nature explorations, stunning sunsets, vegetarian dinners & breakfasts, pool dipping, wildlife viewing, airport transport & more...

$2,200 shared queen ($1,100 per adventurer); $1,700 solo queen; $1,200 bunk bed

Please feel free to contact Holly for a payment plan if need be, MYA doesn’t like to turn down adventurers :)

SOLD OUT :)

Maine Yoga Adventures is partnering again with outstanding nonprofit conservation organization, Earthwatch Institute, to assist on a 9 day Costa Rican Sea Turtles Expedition.

Following volunteer work, adventurers will head to an awe-inspiring private home in the rainforest of Nuevo Arenal for yoga, healthy vegetarian food, hiking, sightseeing, playing in the pool and more!

Adventurers are free to choose just the sea turtle expedition with Earthwatch Institute or just the adventure with MYA or both!

Lead scientist Frank Paladino, Professor of Biology, Indiana-Purdue University, has a research team to help gain a better understanding of the ecology of endangered turtles that nest on the beaches of Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas. These beaches host the largest remaining population of leatherback turtles in the Eastern Pacific as well as important populations of olive ridley and East Pacific green turtles. (pics below by Jeff Morey)

The work will consist of... 

• Observing and monitor nesting leatherbacks. Those working on the beach at night will visit each nesting leatherback to take measurements and record any unusual markings or injuries—in other words, you’ll get as close as a person can to these majestic animals.

• Release hatchlings in the ocean. When babies start to emerge from the eggs in the hatchery, our team will take the tiny turtles down to the water's edge and release them into the wild.

• Survey the beach. During the day, our team will count sea turtle nests on the beach, take nest temperatures, and look for signs of erosion that could put nests in danger.

Accommodations are at the Goldring Marine Biology Field Station perched at the edge of the beach. Team MYA will share a bedroom with bunk beds. We'll have plenty of space to lounge at the pool or in the hammock. Typical tasty Costa Rican breakfasts and dinners of beans will be served up as well as ingredients for simple delicious lunches. 

Adventurers can create an expedition fund through Earthwatch to receive tax-deductible donations to cover volunteering costs ($2,845 accommodations & food are included; flight is not included) or use another contribution platform such as GoFundMe. If you can’t commit but are interested in supporting endangered sea turtles, make a donation to support MYA founder, Holly, in her volunteer work.

The former Principal Investigator for this project, Nathan Robinson, is the scientist seen removing a straw from a turtle’s nostril in what is considered to be the viral video responsible for straw bans! More needs to be done in terms reducing the plastic threat in oceans but banning straws is a good place to start. Tamarindo, across the way from Playa Grande, could do with more education in both light reduction and reducing their disposables that end up in the waters that these turtles return to every year to lay down their future generations. The risks are many for turtles, humans can do more to help their plight by refusing plastic and considering options other than convenience.

Nature is abundant in this peaceful place - the Costa Rican sunsets are gorgeous, like none other! Volunteers will have some time to relax on the beach, explore, and soak in the beauty. There will be time for wildlife watching, howler monkey families reside there, anteaters, crocs in the slower waterways, and more!

Post-research expedition, MYA will adventure to Nuevo Arenal for four blissful nights (January 17-21) of yoga, nature immersions (finding a sloth or two!), excursions, rainforest rambling, stargazing, birding (toucans visit the house), and delicious food!

Taylor and Katie Ashley will be the dynamic duo, our cooks, making magic in the kitchen! Adventurers will enjoy vegetarian dinners and breakfasts with local ingredients with a nod to local tico flavors. Fresh fruits and veggies - yum! Lunches will be on the go and up to adventurers but there will be a few delicious leftovers no doubt.

Our home is going to be unbelievable! Located in the rainforest rather than a gated community, surrounded by nature, a 500 hundred acre preserve to the east and thousand acres of protected rainforest encompassing Tenorio National park to the North and West. A spot of peace and privacy with access to amazing excursions both in the forest and on the lake.

The entire property is a showcase of Costa Rican art, decorative tile, stone and craft work. Six beautifully appointed bedrooms featuring artwork, hand carved beds and doors with bathrooms en suite, and two decorative fireplaces are all for MYA. The master suite bathroom features a hot tub built for two (Holly promises to share!). There’s a chef’s kitchen, library/living room area, dining area, and a unique indoor pool with jacuzzi. We can play billiards and ping pong - lounging areas, an inversion table, and a massage table are also at our disposal.

Lake Arenal has so much to offer adventurers - windsurfing, canopy tours, boat tours, jungle hiking trails, kite surfing, horseback riding, kayaking, swimming in an extinct volcanic crater, spelunking and more. We can decide as a group our fav excursions, definitely hanging bridges and hot springs, and still have the option to simply relax and enjoy the tranquility and majesty of your surroundings.

To help the Costa Rican National Park system finance education, outreach and protection, the manager of our home devotes 50% of each commission gained through sales of adventure tours towards the park. With the benefit of access to individuals in the tour system that make it all work - tribal leaders, guides, and park directors; MYA will take advantage of a couple tours for sure!

This will be MYA's 5th journey to Costa Rica via the airport in Liberia. Founder, Holly Twining, will fly from Bangor, if adventurers feel more comfortable with a travel buddy. Flights are in the $500-$600 range.

To secure your spot on the sea turtle expedition team, Earthwatch will receive an initial contribution, a nonrefundable $300 deposit. Adventurers can use the fund for the deposit as well. If you're ready to commit to the expedition call Zach Zimmerman at 978-450-1226.

Adventure cost including four nights of fab accommodations, daily yoga, nature explorations, stunning sunsets, vegetarian dinners & breakfasts, pool dipping, wildlife viewing, airport transport & more...

$2,200 shared queen ($1,100 per adventurer); $1,700 solo queen; $1,200 bunk bed; secure your space w/ a $600 deposit

Please feel free to contact Holly for a payment plan if need be, MYA doesn’t like to turn down adventurers :)

MYA is headed to Canada to the loveliest spot, St. Andrews by the sea, with the most fabulous accommodations at the Algonquin Resort. Adventurers will get in plenty of exploring, hiking, a ghost tour, yoga, yummy food, hot tubbing, pool splashing, and more…

Adventurers will gather on Friday at the resort, arrival time is flexible, and settle into our rooms. Please keep in mind, that the rooms will be shared, the beds don’t have to be! We can hit the pool (with waterslide!) and the hot tub to shake off the drive and head off to the sweet little seaside town on historic Water Street to watch the sunset. Perhaps we’ll find some lovely yoga postures to mix into the experience. There’s a quaint stroll along the rocks if the tide is right. MYA will bring along a tasty vegetarian soup for dinner that we’ll enjoy back at the Algonquin.

Saturday will be a big exploration day. So many sites! We’ll head to Indian Point, the sacred grounds of the Passamaquoddy Nation, located at the tip of the peninsula in St. Andrews. Adventurers will get take in marine life in a diverse inter-tidal zone. Nearby is Pagan Point Nature Preserve with coastal spruce forest and salt marsh. After a break for lunch, MYA will provide yummy eats, adventurers will hike Chamcook Mountain, an easy hike with splendid views from the top.

We’ll need some relaxing in the hot tub, poolside yoga, and happy hour at the MYA suite post hiking. As a group we can decide where we’d like to eat dinner, keeping in mind that this meal is not included in the adventure cost. Saturday night, get ready, we’re going to get in on the ghost tour led by a resort staff member, they spin great stories! The Algonquin opened in 1889, there’s plenty of history there and a few spirits as well.

Sunday funday we’re gonna get the tides just right for Ministers Island Trails, a 500 acre island only accessible at low tide. There we’ll explore fields, forest, and shoreline, oh la la! Before heading home, adventurers may want to check out Caughey-Taylor Nature Preserve with some dramatic cliffs on the way to the peak of Chickahominy Mountain.

You don’t want to miss out on this opportunity to explore St. Andrews with MYA! Please register as soon as possible, just in case we need to book an extra room or two…

Cost per adventurer: $350/sharing double bed; $400/sharing queen bed; $450/solo double bed; $500/solo queen bed

Please contact Holly directly for booking this adventure at 207-299-0082 or maineyogaadventures@gmail.com. Thank you!

Maine Yoga Adventures is coming together with outstanding nonprofit conservation organization, Earthwatch, to assist on a 9 day Costa Rican Sea Turtles Expedition. Following our volunteer work, adventurers will spend extra time in Playa Grande with plenty of yoga, healthy vegetarian food, surf time and more!

Adventurers are free to choose just the expedition or just the adventure or both :)

Lead scientist Frank Paladino, Professor of Biology, Indiana-Purdue University, has a research team to help gain a better understanding of the ecology of endangered turtles that nest on the beaches of Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas. These beaches host the largest remaining population of leatherback turtles in the Eastern Pacific as well as important populations of olive ridley and East Pacific green turtles. 

The work will consist of... 

• Observing and monitor nesting leatherbacks. Those working on the beach at night will visit each nesting leatherback to take measurements and record any unusual markings or injuries—in other words, you’ll get as close as a person can to these majestic animals.

• Release hatchlings in the ocean. When babies start to emerge from the eggs in the hatchery, our team will take the tiny turtles down to the water's edge and release them into the wild.

• Survey the beach. During the day, our team will count sea turtle nests on the beach, take nest temperatures, and look for signs of erosion that could put nests in danger.

Accommodations are at the Goldring Marine Biology Field Station perched at the edge of the beach. Team MYA will share a bedroom with bunk beds - if our numbers are 6 or more we're working solo with researchers. We'll have plenty of space to lounge at the pool or in the hammock. Typical tasty Costa Rican breakfasts and dinners of beans will be served up as well as ingredients for simple delicious lunches. 

Adventurers can create an expedition fund through Earthwatch to receive tax-deductible donations to cover volunteering costs ($2,845 accommodations & food; flight is not included) or use another contribution platform such as GoFundMe.

Be sure to mention to possible donors that the former Principal Investigator for this project, Nathan Robinson, is the scientist seen removing a straw from a turtle’s nostril in what is considered to be the viral video responsible for straw bans!

Post-research expedition, adventurers will head to their own beautiful private space located further south. Also directly on the beach in close proximity to the estuary. It's the perfect site for hammock lounging, yoga, meditation, group meals, playing in the surf...

Nature is abundant in this peaceful place. Nicely secluded in our backyard the glorious Costa Rican sunsets will reveal themselves!

As a delightful contrast, we're not far from the bustling town of Tamarindo with restaurants, boutiques and art galleries. We'll hit the the dance floor at the disco for a well-rounded adventure! So much more than a yoga retreat... 

Casa Mandarina boasts a fully equipped kitchen that Rachel Hicks, our cook from Virginia, will work her magic in. Rachel comes to MYA with a vibrant passion for the outdoors, sustainability, food, and wellness. A yoga teacher with a masters in nutrition, Rachel has led retreats and workshops in her wheelhouse of health and well-being.

This will be MYA's 4th journey to Costa Rica via the airport in Liberia. Founder, Holly Twining, will fly from Boston, if adventurers feel more comfortable with a travel buddy. Flights are below $500.

To secure your spot on the team, Earthwatch will receive an initial contribution, a nonrefundable $300 deposit. Adventurers can use the fund for the deposit as well. If you're ready to commit to the expedition call Zach Zimmerman at 978-450-1226.

Adventure cost including three nights of fab beach front accommodations, daily yoga, stunning sunsets, vegetarian dinners & breakfasts, airport transportation & more...

Cost: $1300/shared king or $1100/solo king available

Please be aware of MYA's Cancellation Policy prior to booking...thanks!