Activities
There are many activities to choose from that are included with your visit to Tiskita. As part of our Full Board Experience, guests can choose one of of the following adventures per day.
- Rainforest guided walk (see map)
- Morning Bird watch expedition - Tiskita Birding List
- Guided tide pool walk
- Visit to the local pueblito Punta Banco
- Seasonal trip through the orchard June - Sept
They're sure to help you disconnect from the chaotic modern world and plug into something incredibly special that can only be experienced here at Tiskita.
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Nature Walks
When you travel to Costa Rica, chances are you want to experience the rainforest and you hope to see wildlife. Tiskita has over 9 miles of extensive, well-marked trail systems to help you with that.
Explore the Rainforest
The trails go through Tiskita Private Biological Reserve, which is all rainforest, and into the organic orchard. Maps are available if you would like to explore Tiskita by yourself (guests only).
Guided Walks & Tours
Tiskita has knowledgeable guides that are excellent at spotting wildlife. The guided walks and tours start at the lodge. The large trail system can accommodate any fitness level. Rubber boots and walking sticks are available at the lodge, free of charge.
Guided Walks
There are many options for guided walks in Tiskita. An easily accessible trail is “the stream trail”, a trail that follows a small creek through the rainforest. A longer and tougher hike is “the back trail”, a trail that loops around the reserve.
If you are not a guest at Tiskita, but you would like to go on a guided walk, please contact us.
Night Tour
For those interested to experience the rainforest at night, Tiskita offers a night tour when the conditions are right (moon, weather, animal activity etc.)
Birdwatching
Anybody can go birdwatching at Tiskita, there are so many birds around that you’ll easily spot many different species throughout the day. Tiskita’s guides are well trained in spotting and identifying birds, so they can help you find even more.
Fruit Tasting Tour
Tiskita’s organic orchard is situated in a small valley fringed by the jungle. Over 125 types of native and exotic tropical fruit grow in the orchard, a great location for spotting wildlife.
Sample delicious seasonal fruit, such as Cacao (Chocolate), Anona, South American Sapote, Starfruit, and Mangosteen.
Night Tour
Let one of our experienced guides take you out for a unique night tour! The highlight of the tour is the jungle frog pools, where, with a bit of luck, the Red-eyed Tree Frog can be spotted, calling, mating, or just hanging out.
Nocturnal Creatures
Many secretive creatures like Kinkajous, most owls, Pacas, armadillos, and porcupines are active only after dusk. At night, these animals come out to forage and mate. Tree frogs are active, insects and arachnids lurk around, while bio-luminescent mushrooms glow eerily in the dark.
The night tour is offered depending on the moon cycle, because the moon has an effect on animal activity.
Blacklight
Tiskita’s night tour guide has a black light to look for scorpions. Rubber boots and walking sticks are available at the lodge, free of charge.
Horseback Riding
Tiskita has its own horses and offers guided horseback riding. A horseback riding trail loops through our Biological Reserve offering spectacular views of the Golfo Dulce.
Horses & Rides
Our horses are very well-trained, experience is not necessary.
Rides offered:
- Tiskita Biological Reserve
- Beach ride
- Ride to Pavones
- Custom ride
Tiskita Biological Reserve
The horseback trail that loops through Tiskita takes about three hours. Most of the trail is in the rainforest which is a great way to spot monkeys, sloths, macaws, or other wildlife along the way. When the tide is right, a section of beach can be included on the way back.
Beach Ride
The most popular beach ride we offer is to Rio Coco. Rio Coco is a coconut-fringed river that flows out of a rainforest valley, into the ocean. The river marks more or less the start of the Conte Burica Indigenous Reserve. It takes about an hour and a half to get there, and it is a great place for a swim.
The paradise-like beach is typically very quiet, you may be the only person there.
Ride to Pavones
Another beach ride is to go to Pavones, the small surf town a few kilometers north from Tiskita. Along this beach ride you may see the locals fishing and surfing. When there is a good swell in Pavones, you can watch surfers from all over the world ride the famous wave. Pavones also has some small restaurants and shops.
Custom Ride
For the horseback riding fan we can put together longer, custom rides as well. Please contact us in advance if you are particularly interested in a horseback riding vacation.
Horse Retirement
Tiskita takes animal welfare and equality very seriously. When our horses get too old to work, they retire and spend the rest of their days playing around in our pasture.
Chocolate Workshop
Learn about Caca; its history, spiritual and cultural uses and how we turn this bitter tropical fruit into delicious chocolate!!
We have been growing cacao for more than 30 years but most or our efforts were wiped out in the 90s. We've recently started the replanting process and now, a few years later, we have begun making our own organic farm-to-bar chocolates right her at the lodge!
Learn all about growing, harvesting, sun drying, roasting, grinding and tempering chocolate in this beautiful jungle setting.
Our guests love being able to learn about and participate in the entire process and of course enjoy the fruit of their labour afterward by taking a little piece of Tiskita home with them….in the form of CHOCOLATE!
Participate in a special cooking class and learn all about the magic of making tortillas. A cultural and food staple of the Latin American diet.
Birding or Birdwatching
Are you a serious birder or consider yourself more of a casual bird enthusiast? Costa Rica has a high biodiverity and a high level of endemism, making it particularly attractive for birdwatching. In Tiskita, birdlife is plentiful, from the tiny Little Hermit Hummingbird to the large, majestic King Vulture.
Tiskita’s Bird List
For your convenience and ease of use, we've composed a list 175 species of birds that can be found at or near Tiskita, including a variety of trogons, tanagers, honeycreepers, toucans, hummingbirds, manakins, parrots, and more.
Endemic Species
Some species of birds in Tiskita are endemic to the southwest of Costa Rica (and western Panama). Some of these species, for example the Orange-collared Manakin and Baird’s Trogon, are common in Tiskita.
Field Equipment
Our guides are well equipped including high quality binoculars and telescopes . Printed bird lists are available at the lodge.
Scarlet Macaw Reintroduction Project
Tiskita has hosted an ongoing Scarlet Macaw reintroduction project since 2002. The Scarlet Macaws released in Tiskita were bred in captivity by the Costa Rican macaw conservation organization aka 'The ARA Project'. The macaws and their offspring have adapted to the wild and are now a common sight in the area.
Snorkeling & Bodyboarding
The beach by Tiskita is a wilderness beach stretching for miles. Along the beach there are rock formations with tide pools to explore. Some of the tide pools become like swimming pools at low tide and are ideal for swimming and snorkeling.
The beach by Tiskita has black volcanic sand lined with Coconut Palm and Beach Almond trees. The laid-back surf town Pavones is located a 50-minute walk up north, and to the south of Tiskita lies Punta Burica, the largely undeveloped peninsula that shares a border with Panama.
The beach and the warm ocean are ideal for horseback riding, bodyboarding, surfing, and snorkeling.
!! Note that the safety of our guests is very important to us here at Tiskita. Spending time in or near the ocean is a wonderful way to spend the day but please be aware that there are no lifeguards on duty here. Take a moment to read and learn about the dangers, how to spot, and swim out of and away from Rip Tides before wading out into the water.
Bodyboards and snorkel gear are available at the lodge, free of charge.
Bodyboarding
Want to hit the waves but don't feel like surfing? Bodyboarding may be the activity for you. You can check out a board at the front desk free of charge.
Snorkeling
The tide pools vary in size and temperature. Some of the tide pools that are exposed at low tide are large enough to swim and snorkel in. They can also be explored on foot.
Snorkel gear is available at the lodge, free of charge. More experienced snorkelers may want to bring their own gear.
Tropical Fish
There are many colorful species of tropical fish and other marine life in the tide pools, for example, parrot fish, pufferfish, moray eels, and angelfish. When the tide comes in, bigger fish appear.
Surfing
Tiskita offers surf lessons (surfboard included) from local surfers instructors who know the area and its waves. If you already know how to surf, Tiskita can help you find a surfboard to rent.
Breaks
Right in front of Tiskita is a beach break. It is an excellent spot to surf for both beginners and experts, with little to no other surfers around. Punta Banco has two more beach breaks.
Wikipedia can explain a bit more about the different types of surf breaks.
Pavones
Only seven kilometers away, is Povones; a world-renowned surf destination with one of the world’s longest left breaks. The break in Pavones is a point break.
Golfo Dulce Boat Tour
Explore the Golfo Dulce, one of the only four tropical fjords in the world.
Tropical Fjord
Tiskita faces the Golfo Dulce. The Goflo Dulce, a tropical fjord, is an exceptional biodiversity hotspot. The beaches in the bay, including Pavones, are popular for surfing, and local fishermen use the bay for small-scale fishing.
Summary about the Golfo Dulce by George W. Bassel:
“The Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica is one of three tropical fjords in the world. This unique aquatic habitat is home to a great diversity of marine life including dolphins, sea turtles, tropical fish, and is an important place for humpback whales and whale sharks to both breed and give birth. The beaches surrounding the Golfo Dulce also serve as a major nesting ground for hawksbill, Olive Ridley and leatherback ocean turtles.”
Tropical fjords are extremely deep:
“The topography of the Golfo Dulce is such that the mouth of the gulf has a depth of 50 meters, while the interior region of the gulf reaches depth of over 200 meters.”
Boat Tours
Tiskita offers boat tours to explore the Golfo Dulce.
Whale & Dolphin Watching
Sometimes, depending on the season, whales and dolphins can be observed. The most common whales in and around the bay are Humpback and Pilot Whales.
Sea Fishing
It is possible to go fishing with the local fishermen for Red Snapper, Yellowfin Tuna, Roosterfish, Kingfish, Dorado, Mackerel, and more.
Whale Watching Tour
Embark on a seasonal whale watching tour in the Golfo Dulce, where humpback whales breed and make their nursery.
Dolphin Tour
Head out into Golfo Dulce to spot dolphins swimming alongside your boat.
Deep Sea or Sport Fishing
Is your idea of fun and excitement to go fishing with the local fishermen for Red Snapper, Yellowfin Tuna, Roosterfish, Kingfish, Dorado, Mackerel, and more?
Tiskita can help you manifest your Angler dreams!
Bicycle Rentals
Rent a bicycle and peddle your way to Punta Banco or Pavones or any beach in between.
Yoga
&
Meditation
Tiskita has a brand new yoga deck! Our yoga deck is embedded in the rainforest and has a view of the ocean and sunset through the trees.Â
We have a certified yoga teacher on-site or you can lead your own practice. It doesn't get better than this for peace of mind, tranquility and flexibility.
Yoga classes are offered daily at Tiskita for our guests. Walk-ins are welcome as well for an additional fee.
Massages are also available. Reserve your session today!
300 HR PROFESSIONAL YOGA TEACHER TRAINING
Join us March 22nd- April 26th for a 36 Day 300hr Yoga Teacher Training
http://www.pranaluz.com/300yttcostarica/
36 days March 22nd- April 26th
Unfold your highest potential and feel inspired
The 300hr program
- Learn and/or expand your studies and understanding of : Yoga, Buddhism, Hinduism, Vedanta, and Yoga Therapeutics.
- Explore and study advanced anatomy and mind body skills: craniosacral and myofascial release techniques for fascia mostly based on osteopathy, and adjustments based on Thai massage practices.
- Learn advanced asanas focused on alignment, modifications, use of props, and adjustments, all geared to provide you with individualized techniques to use when teaching in the future.
- Deepen your spiritual practice through meditation, mindfulness, Yoga Nidra, and Yoga of dreams. Discover old wounds and how to release them.
- Study and practice how to adapt your teachings for different audiences such as prenatal & postnatal, children and teens, and also for students suffering from injuries, asthma, scoliosis, back pain, etc.
- Spend time in nature and the ocean, enjoying time sunbathing, surfing, hiking, bird watching and relaxing in one of the most biologically diverse places on earth.
- Enjoy learning and practicing music and arts; singing, dancing, painting, while awakening and exploring your artistic side.
- Unleash your highest potential as a Yoga Teacher by exploring your professional career opportunities and advancing in your personal projects with useful business and leadership tools.
- Have the opportunity to do either modules at your own pace; given our flexibility in allowing you to take any 100 hr module building towards your 300 hr program. This program is also available in Bali.
- Surf in Pavones, one of the most famous and longest wave in the World, just within walking distance of the retreat.
Your instructors
Ana Lucía Fariña- LEAD LOCAL TEACHER
E-RYT 500 – Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher 500 hours
Ana Lu is native of Costa Rica, a musician and a yoga instructor graduated from Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa Rica where she received her 500hrs certification in 2009-2010. She has also trained in Aerial Yoga in Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A. and deepened her Yoga studies in India and the west with diverse teachers focusing mainly on Iyengar and Hatha. She currently teaches YTT 200 and 300 hour YTT programs in Bali.
Coming from a musician family, she has been playing piano, guitar and singing since early age. She currently practices bhakti yoga through devotional mantra chanting, kirtan and bhajans. She plays harmonium, guitar and sings.
She is the founder of Pranaluz: Conscious Living- offering classes, workshops, coaching, retreats and conscious yoga travel vacations in diverse parts of the world like Bali, India, Costa Rica, Guatemala and other exotic and sacred destinations.
Analu has an MBA from Costa Rica and a Masters in Environmental Leadership from Naropa University (a Buddhist inspired university) located in Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.; where she also had the opportunity to deepen her spiritual practice in meditation, mindfulness and Tibetan Buddhism. She has dedicated the last decade of her life to studying self-inquiry through Advaita Vedanta and Buddhism.
Jonathan Matahi Lefevre (Tahiti) D.O.
– Anatomy, Meditation, Buddhism & Philosophy
Jono/ matahi was born in Tahiti and grew up with hippie parents between Polynesia, Bali, and India. After a long formative period of traveling across Asia and studying meditative practices with Theravadan monks and Earth medicine with Indonesian shamans, he eventually went into more academic training. He graduated from the Kimura Shiatsu Institute in Japan, studied biology at the University of San Diego, and became an osteopath at the British School of Osteopathy. His work combines various elements and techniques from all these different traditions, but he specializes in myofascial osteopathic work and shamanic emotional release. When not working in his private practice or surfing, Jono also teaches various bodywork seminars, and both anatomy and philosophy aspects of yoga.
Nango Murray – Costa Rica – Asana, Ayurveda and Yoga Philosophy
Costa Rican born Nango Murray
is a certified Yoga Teacher in
Interdisciplinary Yoga.
She combines in her classes different Yoga styles of Iyengar and Anusara Yoga in a Vinyasa style.
Nango has received training at the Teacher´s Interdisciplinary
Yoga Program (200 hours) from the renowned
Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa
Rica (2004), an Iyengar course in Bali, Indonesia (2013), as well as over 500 hours in multiple imersions and workshops in Anusara Yoga in Costa Rica. She has also received courses in Yin Yoga, Tibetan Meditation, Reiki, Pranic Healing, Qi Kung and has been certified as an Ayurveda practitioner by Maa Yoga Ashram in Rishikesh, India. Nango has been a professional classical and modern dancer, choreographer and director at her own Studio “Danzarte School of Dance” in San José, Costa Rica from 1980 to 2006.
Nango is a Yoga teacher in her home country of Costa Rica and she hosts several Yoga Retreats throughout the year at 5 different locations in Costa Rica. Also hosting yearly yoga/cultural /spiritual trips to India, South East Asia, Bali and French Polinesia. Her Karma Yoga Project involves teaching yoga at Centro Penitenciario El Buen Pastor, Costa Rica´s Womens Penitentiary. She shares her passion for art, dance, music, nature and ecology with her husband, renowned Costa Rican pianist and ex-Minister of Culture and Youth, Manuel Obregón (www.manuelobregon.com) and 5 children.
GUSTAVO GRIJALVA- COSTA RICA –Advanced Asana Workshops
Introduced to Yoga in 2010 and certified as a Hatha-Vinyasa teacher since 2015, with over 500hrsTT in different methods. Gustavo has dedicated completely to teach yoga for over four years, leading classes, workshops and retreats, inside and outside of Costa Rica. His teachings are primarily focused on applying healthy biomechanics, combined with pranayam and meditation techniques, in order to create an overall holistic experience.
Manuel Gomez Solera, M.A. (Costa Rica) – Somatic Counselor, Mindfulness & Neuroscience
Manu was born and raised in Costa Rica. He graduated from the School of Psychology at the Universidad de Costa Rica, and received his Master’s degree in Somatic Psychology from Naropa University, a Buddhist inspired university in Boulder, Colorado, where he currently resides with his wife and dog. Passionate about the intersections between body and mind from a psychological perspective, Manu focuses on this functional unity of the mindbody, which is grounded on the premise that what happens in the mind reflects in the body, and vice versa. Manu bases his approach on neuroscience and mindfulness to guide clients towards developing the capacity to better observe themselves, and the interactions of their mindbody; in order to focus, heal, and grow as an integral human being moving towards that which is most fundamental, inspiring, and powerful in their lives.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Our 300hr Sat Citt Ananda Training consists of 3 -100hr Modules
SAT MODULE 1: Advanced Yoga Teacher Tools(March 1st- 13th, 2019)
CITT MODULE 2: Self Inquiry – Conscious & Subconscious (March 14th-25th, 2019)
ANANDAMODULE 3: Mind, Body & Bliss (March 25th – April 06th , 2019)
- Would you like further information about our program syllabus? HERE
- A 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification approved by Yoga Alliance will be awarded upon completion of the 3 – 100 hr modules.
- Each 100 hr module can be done on its own as a complete study unto itself; modules 1, 2, or 3 can be taken separately or together.
- The 3 – 100 hr trainings combine together as 300 hr making you eligible to register with Yoga Alliance as a RYT 500.
SKILL LEVEL
- For 200 hr certified teachers who want to take their education to the ne