How to Host a Retreat in Costa Rica: 4 Simple Steps + 7 Incredible Venues

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Whether you’re planning a casual retreat with friends or a retreat for your professional following, we have a few tips to help you host a retreat in Costa Rica. And by that, we mean a successful, everything-you-hope retreat that exceeds guest expectations and has them clamoring to sign up for the next.

Step #1: Name Your Retreat Style

To host a retreat in Costa Rica, you’ll first need to lay out the structure and basic parameters: From your retreat focus to how many people you’ll host, this is the first stage of planning: What does your retreat look like? How does each day play out?

There is no right or wrong but there is a right for you. Find it!

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Costa Rica Group Travel: 9 Tips for Planning the Perfect Vacation

Golfing - Things to do in Tamarindo Costa Rica

Group travel – be it a family reunion, friend groups, couples, or multiple families traveling together – can be an incredibly enjoyable, unforgettable experience. It can also be a tad (sarcasm alert!) tricky to plan. Luckily, we’ve pulled together the 9 expert tips for your Costa Rica group travel planning:

Tip #1: Give Yourselves Time to Plan

To minimize planning stress and maximize your available options, ideally, you’ll begin planning your Costa Rica group trip at least a year in advance.

We know – someone, somewhere, is reading this and saying, “but I’ve planned a group trip just three months out!” And, you’re right: Given the right circumstances, the right conditions, and just a bit of luck, you can plan group travel on a tight timeframe. We just wouldn’t recommend it.

The benefits of planning in advance are several, but they mostly revolve around your stress levels and getting everything you want: The narrower the timeframe, the harder it is for your entire group to plan for time off of work or other commitments, the fewer group-sized vacation villas are available, the more booked are your desired tours and excursions, the higher the airfare (typically), and so on. And with all that on your plate, you’re more likely to feel pressured than excited. And you want to feel excited!

So, if you can, start planning group travel 9-18 months (preferably 12+ months) in advance.

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Looking for Show-Stopper Tamarindo Event Venues? Here are 5 Favorites

Table Setting for an Event in Tamarindo

Don’t just plan an event. Plan a show-stopper at these five outstanding Tamarindo event venues!

Anyone who has ever planned an event, knows – there are event venues and then there are Event Venues. You know the ones: They mark the difference between a place to host your event, and a show-stopper that will serve as precedent for all future events.

Host the second. Choose one of our favorite Tamarindo event venues, and plan on being a show-stopper.

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Treat Yourself: Hiring a Tamarindo Private Chef

mahi mahi from private chef tamarindo costa rica

Relax. Indulge. Treat yourself. Our favorite Tamarindo private chef is here to serve. Literally.

Sometimes, you just don’t want to eat out. You don’t feel like getting dressed up, or piling into the car for dinner, or any of the restaurant routine. You’d much prefer sunset drinks on the balcony, appetizers by the pool, and a low-key evening. You’d prefer the luxury and bespoke services of our favorite Tamarindo private chef (and surrounds).

Welcome to paradise. Truly. Because, if there’s anything more indulgent than a vacation in Tamarindo, it’s a vacation in Tamarindo, upgraded with the luxury of your own private chef – a personal chef who visits your vacation home, understands your palate, and crafts fabulous meals from fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

In other words – yum. All the yums. Whenever and however you want.

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One-of-a-Kind Oceanfront Vacation Rentals in Tamarindo: Part 2

Flamingo Blu oceanfront vacation rentals in Tamarindo

Where sky meets sea, where sea meets infinity pool, where you meet your dreams: 5 striking oceanfront vacation rentals in Tamarindo (Pictured: Flamingo Blu)

Last month, promised you a list of the best oceanfront vacation rentals in Tamarindo – and we delivered. Well, partially. We shared the first part of our list, which highlighted 5 beachfront vacation rentals in Tamarindo, with some help from Playa Langosta, Playa Flamingo, and Playa Potrero – the “greater Tamarindo” area, as we know it.

Today, we’re bringing you the grand finale – grand, not in the sense of overshadowing our first list, but grand in its true meaning: luxury, oceanfront estates, grand in both size and style. Because, these homes are truly something more: Perfect for that once-in-a-lifetime wedding, event or celebration, they promise more than the space you need; these vacation homes deliver on the luxury experience.

Oceanfront infinity pools. Full-time staff. Bubbling Jacuzzis. Multiple master suites. Gourmet kitchens. High design. And oh, those views. These homes represent the apex of oceanfront vacation rentals in Tamarindo: the nexus of upscale living, exclusive location, and dreams made reality. And we are so excited to share them!

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Property of the Month: Casa Costa Blanca

Casa Costa Blanca beachfront Tamarindo vacation rental-min

Casa Costa Blanca is one of the most prestigious luxury vacation rentals in Tamarindo

Step into another world – into a beachfront paradise, a luxury community, an exotic wonderland. Step into Casa Costa Blanca, one of the most prestigious and spectacular vacation rentals in Tamarindo. In Costa Rica, even!

This seven-bedroomseven-bathroom beachfront villa is equipped with the full menu of luxury amenities (including air conditioning, WiFi and cable television, among others), but what really pulls your spirit is That Ocean. Yes, the wide open Pacific is on full display here – overlooked from every common area, almost every bedroom, and the custom infinity pool and heated Jacuzzi.

And, what is paradise without a full-time housekeeper and groundskeeper? Monday through Saturday, your housekeeper even cooks up a delicious Costa Rican-style breakfast (you provide the ingredients).

It’s the perfect choice for Tamarindo weddings, family reunions, and other groups and celebrations for up to 24 guests. We look forward to welcoming you!

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Business Retreat in Costa Rica? Here’s What Your Employees Need (& Want) to Know

Zip Lining Group

Are you ready to plan the best ever business retreat in Costa Rica?

So, your company’s taking a business retreat in Costa Rica… and you’re considering Tamarindo! Or, perhaps you’ve already decided on Tamarindo. Congratulations! Costa Rica is a great choice for a corporate retreat and in Costa Rica – okay, call us biased – Tamarindo is the perfect home base.

After all, greater Tamarindo – Tamarindo, Langosta, Hacienda Pinilla, Conchal, and even out to Flamingo – is one of Costa Rica’s most popular destinations. Not just for a business retreat in Costa Rica, mind you, but for vacation, destination weddings, honeymoons, and more. In other words, Tamarindo is paradise amidst paradise.

Our main claim to fame? Beautiful beaches, for starters. And then, there’s our world-famous surf, eclectic adventure activities, plenty of water sports, and spectacular sunsets. And, of course, there’s much geared toward your business retreat in Costa Rica, too: sprawling luxury mansions, an excellent restaurant scene, and plenty of team building, bonding, and fun. If you’ve chosen Tamarindo, then your company must be a great one! #TamarindoOrBust

But okay, after the initial excitement and general euphoria subside, you start to wonder: Where is Tamarindo, exactly? Where are you all going to stay? (And will there be any privacy?) What’s the weather like? And, how much should you budgetfor out-of-pocket extras?

Well, the first thing you should know – this corporate retreat/vacation is going to be epic. As for the rest of your questions, we have you covered:

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Your Costa Rica Corporate Retreat: 7 Signs That It’s a Terrible Idea

plan a Costa Rica corporate retreat

Planning a Costa Rica corporate retreat? Then, here are a few things you should know.

If you’re planning a Costa Rica corporate retreat, STOP RIGHT THERE. Because, there are a few things you should know. A few things that should give you serious pause.

Costa Rica may receive a lot of praise – it’s spectacularly beautiful, environmentally forward and has perfect weather, right? Right?! – but there’s a dark side to this slice of tropical paradise. A very dark side.

Here are 7 signs that you and your team are absolutely, positively not made for a Costa Rica corporate retreat:

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Planning A Corporate Retreat in Costa Rica: Why Tamarindo (+ 3 Incredible Venues)

plan a corporate retreat in Costa Rica

Talk about an incentive: Plan your next corporate retreat in Costa Rica!

What better way to thank your employees for a job well done – for outstanding performance, superior leadership, and everything else they do to go above and beyond – than with a corporate retreat in Costa Rica?

This is the out-of-the-box incentive, whether it’s a well-earned corporate getaway, an annual meeting, intimate tête-à-têtes, or management/leadership retreats. There’s sun. There’s sand. And there are endless opportunities for bonding: surfing and snorkeling, ziplines and sunset sails, volcano hikes and hot springs soaks.

And so, we’re going to kick off our Guide to Corporate Retreats in Costa Rica with this post. But, we promise – there’s so much more to come!

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