Alua Retreat 1 — Nosara, Costa Rica

The week

Alua's first retreat. Five nights in a villa on the sand in Nosara, Costa Rica.

Two things anchor the week. Breath and surf. Both of them put you in your body and out of your head, which is where most of us spend the day.

There's no curriculum and no performance. We breathe in the morning. We eat. We surf. The afternoon belongs to you. In the evening, we come back together for movement, for breath, or for a space where men say what's true for them.

Beginners welcome, in the water and on the floor.

If you've been looking for something quieter than what men's work usually offers, yet still impactful, this is that.

What a day looks like

One day, start to finish.

Mornings start with breath. Before the heat, before anyone picks up a phone. An hour on the deck in front of the villa with the ocean going in the background.

Then we eat. Then we surf. Lessons if you want them, every day. If you'd rather paddle out on your own, do that instead.

Afternoons are open. Sleep. Read. Go back out for a second session. Sit on the porch with someone and talk about nothing in particular. Some of the best conversations with men happen in that stretch of the day where nothing is scheduled.

Evenings we come back together. Some nights that's movement and recovery, because paddling all day will find muscles you forgot about. Some nights it's breath. Some nights we gather and share openly and honestly about what's real for us.

Then dinner. Then bed, earlier than you'd think. The ocean does that to you.

The core of it

Breath

We breathe every day, usually twice. Morning and evening.

Breathwork is the one practice that moves you out of your head and into your body faster than anything else. Some sessions are big and transformational. Some are slower and quiet and leave you feeling like you got a nap you didn't know you needed.

You don't need any experience. You need to be willing to lie down and follow along.

Surf

Nosara is one of the friendliest places in the world to learn. Warm water, no wetsuit, a beach break that lets you fall without consequence.

Boards and rash guards are covered. Lessons are there every day if you want them, and so is the option to just paddle out with the guys and figure it out.

If you've surfed for years, there's plenty of water for you. If you've never stood up, you will by the end of this week.

The villa's thatched palapa and hammock deck

The nine

We keep it to nine so it can actually become something. Nine men in one villa for five days turns into a small community, where you're not introducing yourself on the last night.

You surf together, eat together, breathe together, and somewhere along the way the walls come down. That's the whole reason for the number. Connection needs a room small enough to trust.

The villa

We're right on the beach. You'll hear the surf from your bed, and you'll walk to the water with a board under your arm instead of getting in a van.

Two catered meals a day plus food around for whenever you're hungry. Shared and private rooms. Space to be around people and space to be alone, which matters more than people think on a trip like this.

Who this is for

Men who want to get in the ocean and out of their heads for five days.

You don't need to have done breathwork before. You don't need to have surfed before. You don't need to be in the middle of a crisis or have a story ready about what you're working through.

This retreat fits well if you've been curious about men's work but kept your distance from how loud and performative most of it seems. For men who aren't in crisis and don't want to be treated like they are, but who just want to slow down, feel more, move their bodies, and be around other men without an agenda.

Where it might not fit

If you're looking for an intense, cathartic, break-you-open experience, that's not what I run. If you're in acute crisis and need clinical support, a retreat isn't the right container for that, and I'd rather tell you now than take your deposit. And if you want a surf trip with no other layer to it, there are better and cheaper ways to do that.

Logistics & booking

The details.

Dates

October 27 – November 1, 2026 (5 nights)

Location

Beachfront villa, Nosara, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Group size

9 men

Experience level

All levels, beginner friendly

Shared room

$1,850 Early bird

Full price ~~$2,150~~

Book — shared room

Private room

$2,450 Early bird

Full price ~~$2,850~~

Book — private room

Early bird pricing runs through August 10, 2026. A $500 non-refundable deposit holds your seat; the balance is due September 15, 2026. Prices are per person.

Included

5 nights' accommodation in a beachfront villa
2 catered meals daily, plus snacks and light food throughout
Daily surf lessons or free surf sessions
Surfboard and rash guard rental for the week
Daily breathwork sessions
Movement and recovery sessions
Airport transfer

Not included

Flights
Travel insurance (required)
Personal expenses, additional meals, and gratuities

Getting there

Arrival and departure times and transfer details will be confirmed and sent to all confirmed guests ahead of the retreat.

Facilitation

The retreat is led by Tim Krause, founder of Alua. A guest teacher may join for select movement and recovery sessions.

Alua Founders Retreat