Location Spotlight - Costa Rica, Pura Vida Adventures

I recently learned about an amazing girl getaway founded by a woman that visited Costa Rica, fell in love with the location, tried her luck with surfing…and instantly became hooked! Any woman with enough guts to fall in love at first “sight” with Costa Rica and build a business around the beautiful location and surfing, I just had to meet. Here's a peek into the life transforming active escape:

I “met” Tierza Davis, founder of Pura Vida (Pure Life) Adventures, via telephone and while we weren’t able to physically connect, I immediately felt her positive energy and inspiration through the time zones.

Where did the vision for Pura Vida Adventures come from?
In 2002, Tierza, found herself in Costa Rica, on a mission to relax and regroup after her dot.com company went bust. She says that while she’d never visited the location before, she immediately found solace in the warm breezes and ocean waters, and knew her life had been changed. As Oprah might call her “Aha! moment”, it was her courage to try and master surfing that sparked the idea for the Adventure company.

What makes surfing so attractive?
Tierza says that surfing is much like a metaphor of life – battling water symbolizes your fight with life. Surfing for Tierza and the women that visit her camp is about self-confidence and believing in oneself. She strongly believes that while surfing (and during life), if you listen to your heart, you’ll find your direction.

Who’s a typical Pura Vida visitor?
Most women that visit Pura Vida Adventures are busy professionals and visit the retreat not just to unplug from their stressful lives but to try a new activity as well. Tierza says that surfing is one way women can conquer their fear…of basically anything. There are skilled surfing instructors ready to train and guide visitors every step of the way. What’s also cool is while women tend to visit the camp solo, they often meet new friends. One group of 3 solo visitors arrived as strangers and left as traveling buddies, creating their own girlfriend getaways, visiting new places together like Brazil and Dominican Republic.

How does the yoga fit in?
Incorporating yoga into the retreat was a natural fit. Tierza actually instructed yoga for years, well before she became hooked to surfing. While surfing is quite rigorous, yoga provides the perfect balance with focus and stretching. The camp’s Yoga Master also incorporates mantras into the classes, so women are encouraged to truly get in touch with their center.

What do women take away from the Adventure?
Costa Rica is simply beautiful. The combination of the natural beauty, animals, plants along with the adventure of surfing and yoga is like heaven for women. And often times, women tend to find themselves on a spiritual journey during the retreat. The amazingly beautiful location paired with newfound rejuvenation can often provide spiritual balance, that many didn’t even realize was missing.

What’s the most rewarding part of owning Pura Vida?
Tierza says that she’s been transformed since the start of the business. She loves meeting cool, inspiring women and enjoys seeing repeat visitors that choose her camp as their annual vacation. Tierza also works very closely with her Mom, whom she calls her “office guru” that handles several tasks for the retreat and is amazing to work with.

Pura Vida Adventures is designed to empower women during the revitalizing week long camp. Each package includes an amazing beachfront villa or bungalow, surfing and yoga instruction, as well as a beachfront massage! Also included is a taste of the local culture with Tropicana Salsa Night, introductory Spanish classes, as well as fresh, gourmet meals. Convinced and need your own retreat? Visit Tierza and her amazing vacation at http://www.puravidaadventures.com/