This past November, seven of our Lead Planners flew to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua for a bit of rest and relaxation. We put our feet up, explored, ate our fill of fresh fruit and avocado toast and twice a day we practiced yoga led by our incredible instructors at Eden on the Chocolata.
Why Nicaragua?
When Emma first visited Nicaragua in January 2022 she knew that within the year she would return. Having spent time at the incredible eco-lodge and yoga retreat Eden on the Chocolata Emma decided to invite the team to join her for some much needed R&R at the end of a very busy wedding season. Several of us jumped on board and we even found room for our newly crowned “honorary TGP” ladies to join the group chat. Enter: Kim and Danielle (follow them here: Ethos Imagery) and SIL Luanne.
Making our way south
Arriving at Eden!
Eden on the Chocolata is a yoga and wellness focused resort located just outside of San Juan Del Sur in Nicaragua. Eden is owned and operated by Kelly and Remi and our day to day hosts were Melissa, Alex and Carla. After a long few days of travel our team gathered to spend 9 glorious days together in paradise.
(Professional photography by Ethos Imagery)
A day in the life at Eden
Our morning yoga sessions were vinyasa flow and even with a few fans overhead we worked up quite the sweat each morning. Thankfully nothing a dip in the pool couldn’t fix! We have yet to find a yoga studio in Victoria whose view compares to the one at Eden but don’t worry, we’re manifesting it. The view, the warm air, and the mindset we all shared to focus on well being and rest set the tone for our yoga practice. Our lovely instructors also led us through yin classes each evening perfectly timed with the sunset.
(Professional photography by Ethos Imagery)
Time for food!
The rancho, where we enjoyed freshly made vegetarian meals each day, shared a similar view and we tried our best to name all the fruit trees and spy any wildlife while we lounged. When we say the food was incredible we mean it sincerely. Fresh fruit juice and smoothie bowls greeted us each morning followed by gallo pinto, eggs or avocado and fried plantains. For lunch we often ordered smoothies or avocado toast for a midday snack. The day came to a close not long after dinner and each night we gathered around the big table to enjoy a dish inspired by a different country each night of the week. All vegetarian, mostly vegan and simply delicious. Thank you to our wannabe food bloggers for documenting every single thing they ate (Grace and Cassie that’s you).
Our daily schedule was very easy to follow as we dug into novels, enjoyed siestas in one of the many hammocks, lounged in or by the pool or played with Eden’s cats. That said, we had traveled quite the distance and were eager to explore! Our fearless leader Emma lined up a few outings to help us check out the area. First, we ventured above Eden and spent the day lounging at the amazing TreeCasa Resort located on the same mountain just at a higher elevation. The photos really say it all so take a look below. Oh, and we highly recommend the slide!
Out on the town!
Next we went a bit further afield and explored the town of San Juan Del Sur. Located right on the coast, lots of restaurants lined the harbor and although the weather was perfect by our standards we were some of the only tourists in town! We found a very instagrammable donut shop, ‘Simon Says’ a great place for smoothies, and a cute store called Bella Home where several of us bought new swimsuits (made locally by a company called Hilo Apparel). Plantain chips were also purchased by the armful and since we’re making recommendations we’d say these are a 10/10 when in need for a salty snack.
Setting sail on the ocean blue
On day six we decided it was okay to take a break from our evening yoga class and booked ourselves an afternoon and sunset cruise aboard ‘Shooka’, a 47’ Leopard Catamaran. Carley and Chloe created the perfect playlist, we applied our SPF, donned our sailing ‘fits and off we sailed! It was the perfect afternoon filled with motorsailing, swimming, snacks, and even a bit of beach walking at our anchorage. The sun set on our dreamy day at sea and we returned to our home away from home for a good night’s sleep.
(Photography by Ethos Imagery)
Just like that epic dance party at the end of a magical wedding day everythings gotta come to an end and so did our time in Nicaragua. Despite our best efforts to make it last forever (or at least a few more days) it was time to start packing our bags.
At our final yoga class we were led in a closing ceremony where we were able to reflect on our experience together in San Juan del Sur. Whether it was in our classes, during our time by the pool or in moments of self reflection we had all gained something special from our time in Nicaragua.
(Photography by Ethos Imagery)
Although our trip had come to an end we were already excitedly chatting about and dreaming up ideas for the following winter. As I mentioned above, our time together was really special and really our biggest dream for next time is that more of our team members can join us, so that they too can experience the magic of Eden.
—
If you’d like to learn more about retreats at Eden or have any questions feel free to ask any of us! Alternatively just check out Eden on the Chocolata’s website for upcoming opportunities.
Also, a cute reminder that our friends Kim and Danielle took all of the incredible professional grade photos used in this blog post. They were such an amazing addition to our trip, were so fun to be around and would be a fantastic choice for photography for your business, creative endeavour, or wedding.
Find their joint venture here: Ethos Imagery
Find Kim here: Kim Jay Weddings
Find Danielle here: Danielle Lindenlaub Photography
