FAQ

YTT FAQs

 

What is included in the YTT?

The price for YTT includes tuition, meals, and accommodations for all 24 days at the resort. It also includes three day-trips, one cooking workshop, one massage, laundry, printed material, and a gift box.

The price for a Week Retreat includes accommodation and meals for 6 days/5 nights. You can personalize your retreat by adding the experiences, classes, workshops, and tours you would like to do.

The price for the Digital Nomad Experience includes accommodation and meals for a month. You can personalize it by adding the experiences, classes, workshops, and tours you would like to do.

Can beginners attend this yoga teacher training course?

We ask that you have practiced yoga regularly for at least one year prior to attending this course.

What COVID protocols are in place at the resort?

To comply with sanitary recommendations by CDC and Ministerio de Salud in Costa Rica, Aves will disinfect with products that don’t make the list of sustainable products in the market but guarantee proper Disinfection from the COVID19. 

At your arrival, we have installed stations for hand washing and sanitation, providing clean water, soap, and alcohol gel, disposable towels, or any other authorized hand drying implement in the shared spaces, as well as their replacement and cleaning. We summarize In-depth details on our protocols by the department as follows. 

  • Temperature screening at check-in. 

  • Keep your distance 6 feet apart from others at all times. 

  • Wash and disinfect your hands previous to entering our front desk, at our designated station, outside our front desk. 

  • Please help us follow the guidelines and behavior expectations to ensure all our Team and other guests’ wellness during these times. 

  • Pool time is scheduled in advance to guarantee safety; only one pod at a time will be allowed 

  • Staff will wear gloves, face shields, and mask. 

  • Guests must wear a mask in common areas unless they are eating or in their pool-time. 

  • Team Members Protocols: 

    • Temperature screening when entering work. 

    • Hand sanitizing when entering work 

    • Paid leave for each of our collaborators: if they don’t feel well, they can stay home. 

    • Use of masks, disposable gowns, face shields, and gloves for housekeepers to enter rooms and do laundry. 

    • Protective gown for Team Members handling trash. 

    • We are keeping the 6 feet distance rule. 

    • Disinfection of rooms after each check-out. 

    • Upon request, daily room cleaning for the guest; if you prefer no one going into your room during your stay, we understand. 

    • Cleaning products: chlorine and alcohol as the primary disinfectant for surfaces. 

    • Team Members will have PPE when cleaning your room: mask, face shield, gloves, and disposable gowns when cleaning your room. 

  • Our cleaning products guarantee effectiveness in eliminating COVID-19. 

  • Team Members cannot enter your room if you are in it. 

  • Restaurant Guest must sanitize their hands upon arrival. A face mask is encouraged unless you are eating. 

  • Team Members wear face masks and face shields at all times. 

  • Cutlery and dishes sanitized. 

  • Tables distanced to Social-distance guidelines. 

  • The tables are sanitized after each guest. 

  • Paper napkins 

  • Our sanitizing products guarantee effectiveness in eliminating COVID-19. 

  • Fitness Studio Equipment and surfaces disinfection after each class Classes of a maximum of 6 people 

  • Public Areas High contact surfaces like railings, doors, counters, among others, are periodically sanitized. 

  • Swimming Pool Schedules for each room, please be sure to schedule your pool time at check-in to avoid frustration. 

  • Disinfection of chairs and common areas at least four times a day Social distancing of each pod. 

  • Hand sanitizing for providers staff. 

  • Suppliers must comply with cleaning and disinfection measures

  • The use of PPE is encouraged. 

  • Transactions need to be speedy for unnecessary socializing. 

  • Suppliers must abide by the health guidelines defined. 

  • Our Team Members will ensure to clean and disinfect products supplied as well as the reception.

What is not included in the YTT?

Books, travel expenses, insurance, more than one laundry batch a week. Also, we don’t offer meals on Sundays.

What style of yoga will I learn?

Our YTT training is based on the teachings of Hatha, Ashtanga, Ashtanga Vinyasa, and includes elements of yin and restorative yoga.

What is the cancellation policy?

  • If you need to cancel your reservation more than 60 days before your scheduled arrival date, then we will refund half of the money you paid for the deposit.

  • If you need to cancel your reservation 60 days or less before your scheduled arrival date, then you will lose your deposit. If we are able to find someone to take your space, then we may be able to refund a portion of your deposit.

  • For Yoga Teacher Trainings, after the deposit is paid, the remaining balance is due 2 weeks prior to arrival. Once the balance payment is made it is non-refundable.

  • If you need to leave your retreat or yoga teacher training early, you will not receive any refund on the remaining time of your scheduled stay.

  • Our policy is pretty much the same as every other hotel or retreat center in Costa Rica. We’re a small place and if you book with us, and we hold your room or the entire villa for you, then there’s not much chance of a walk-in client being able to fill your space if you cancel. So please be 100% sure that you want to attend our YTT before sending us your deposit.

  • Please understand that if you don’t show up to take your room, that even though we keep your deposit, we lose the other portion that you would have paid when your space sits empty, so we share the loss equally with you. This applies in all situations, whether it’s caused by your own fault, medical emergencies, or acts of God.

We highly recommend you get trip insurance in case something happens and you can’t come. We’ve had people be unable to attend due to injuries, bad weather closing airports, passport issues, etc. In many cases, the travel insurance will reimburse you for your expenses including the deposit you paid us.

What should I bring?

We recommend bringing your personal yoga mat, yoga clothes, bathing suit, casual summer clothes, personal health items, a laptop and surge protector, topic-related books, water bottle, and a towel.

A more detailed list will be provided upon registration.

What are the COVID travel requirements for Costa Rica?

Costa Rica currently does not require the PCR or the Antigen test for entry, nor are quarantine procedures in effect.  

  • The insurance requirement has been dropped for those who have chosen to get the vaccine. 

  • Non-vaccinated travelers are required to have travel insurance and airline officials may verify proof of either vaccination or travel insurance before allowing you to board flights to Costa Rica.

Click the Entry Requirements link to learn more about travel to Costa Rica.

How do I get there?

  • Internationally, you can fly into the Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) near San Jose or Liberia International Airport (LIR). From both airports, there is a three-hour and a half drive to Montezuma. You can coordinate a shuttle with us or take private transport.

  • Please keep in mind that you need time to go through customs, security, and immigration to exit the airport. A three-hour window between your International flight arrival at the airport and the local transportation departure time is the minimum we recommend you allow.

  • Tambor (TMU) airport is located approximately 35-45 minutes driving from our hotel, at your request we can arrange a taxi to pick you up and bring you to Mantra. The price of the taxi is $40 + tax (13%) each way 

  • There is a daily shuttle departing from the SJO International airport at 6:00 am and 2:00 pm (mid-December to April), or at 8:00 am (May to mid-December). The price is $50 + tax (13%) per person each way, and the approximate travel time is 3.5 hours (2.5 hours from the airport to Puntarenas + 1 hour on the ferry + 0.5 hours from Paquera to Mantra).

  • The shuttle back to SJO departs from Mantra at 7:00 am and 3:00 pm (mid-December to April), or at 9:00 am (May to mid-December).

  • From the LIR, there is a daily shuttle at 9:00 am and 3:00 pm (the afternoon one with a minimum of 4 passengers, this is from mid-December to April) or at 9:00 am ( May to mid-December). The price is $50 + tax (13%) per person each way, and the approximate travel time is 3.5 – 4 hours. 

  • The shuttle back to LIR departs from Mantra at 6:15 am all year round. An afternoon shuttle is available from mid to December – April with a minimum of 4 passengers and departing at 3:15 pm.

  • Depending on where you are flying from and the flights you can find, sometimes flying one day early and staying overnight near the airport is the best option to make the necessary connections, the same applies for your departure. 

  • If you want us to assist you with arranging a shuttle from either of the International airports, or taxi from the local one, please send us your flight information (airline, flight number, and arrival time) or the name of the hotel where you’ll be staying if you are planning to fly a few days before the retreat/YTT. 

  • If the international flights you can find do not align with the shuttle times above, other options available include car rental, direct bus, private shuttle from the airports, charter flights, helicopter, a water taxi from Jaco. If you are considering any of these options, we would be happy to provide additional information.