The southern jungles of Costa Rica have always been our respite from the world when life gets too loud. The place we go to find quiet among the rainforest where, paradoxically, there is no such thing as silence. Where vibrant scarlet macaws squawk in flight over the stone-cobbled coastline against a verdant background of coconut palm, cecropia, ceiba and cedar. Where the howler monkeys growl in concert at dawn, and the cicadas buzz their wings in harmony at dusk. Where steady rain tins the rooftop and rushes into rivers en route to the sea. And where the waves wash across the smooth round rocks, dragging them over one another and down the shore as the tide recedesIn the steady din of the jungle, loud and soft, we find inner stillness, the peace we seek, ourselves again. 


It calls us back, like moonlightAnd when conditions conspire, we listen. We return. Like an ocelot tiptoeing among the leaves, we arrive in the dark. It’s less a discovery, and more of a homecoming. Wild and restless, or tired and vulnerable, we’ve roamed these forests, surfed these shores, before. Many times, before. But this time felt a little bit different. 



 
This time, we were here to welcome the wild within, among and alongside other women from near and farto our inaugural Jungle Solstice Surf and Wellness Retreat, a dream we had been conspiring for yearsGathering our collective talents, expert local instructors, guides and professionals we are blessed to know as friends, we planned an itinerary intended to nourish our bodies, inspire our senses, and calm our chaotic minds. 


We hosted new friends from North America and the Caribbean, and deepened friendships among our creative jungle-to-sea-loving Dkoko family. Artists in our own right across a spectrum of multi-media – paint, textiles, designpoetry, watercolor, prose, sketches – we settled into six days of pure paradise, inspired by the wild beauty around us. 


The Summer Solstice, in the northern hemisphere, is the longest day of the year, when the sunlight is the brightest and we bask in its powerful energetic illumination. In Costa Rica, June is when the rains kick in and the south swells light up our mermaiding meanderings with the waves we’ve been waiting for. And on this specific solstice we had a full moon rising, coinciding perfectly with the dates we chose for our very first Wild by Dkoko retreat.


 

   
On retreat in the southlands, premiering fresh surf bikinis, chic one-pieces, colorful rashguards,super cute boyshort onesies and comfy surf leggings from the UNTAMED ’24 swimwear collection, we surfed sunny and stormy seas to our hearts’ content, sharing stoke and smiles on diverse surf craft. The waves cooperated all week with playful conditions, light winds, and (thanks to us!) women-dominated crowds. We received video-review pro tips from our coachesto improve our surfing style and technique, and a souvenir pack of photos and videos from our talented resident photographers. 


  

We indulged in farm-to-table fare sourced locally and produced regeneratively by our off-grid eco-lodge, which also boasts the largest endemic species restoration project in the regionThe freshest fish straight from the gulf, organic eggs and poultry from the farm. Seasonal tropical fruit, homemade vanilla bean coconut ice cream and that signature flourless chocolate cake. Divine. Our accommodations were comfy, well-appointed and cozy, with wide-terraced views to the forest and visiting wildlife, and the sexiest freshwater pool in the jungle


In the open-air yoga shala, at tree-height, we released stuck energies through a powerful breathwork practice, and stretched sore limbs in the asana styles of hatha and vinyasa.Meditation comes easy amid blue morpho butterflies, squirrel monkeys and toucans, vibing in their element.


We savored the flavors of Ayurvedic nutrition and explored our unique dosha constitutions in an interactive workshop over homemade chai and gluten-friendly coffee cake. We found modern relevance in ancient health philosophy, learning new ways to care for our bodies through the foods we eat and the lifestyle choices we make. 


We savored the flavors of Ayurvedic nutrition and explored our unique dosha constitutions in an interactive workshop over homemade chai and gluten-friendly coffee cake. We found modern relevance in ancient health philosophy, learning new ways to care for our bodies through the foods we eat and the lifestyle choices we make. 


We inspired our creative side through a daily writing program to honor the introspective revelations that emerge when we encounter the elements of both shadow and light, within us and around us. Finding our flow, the solstice energy illuminated spaces in our lives ripe for death and rebirth, and we wrote stories of personal transformation, decomposition and symbiotic relationship.


 
We traipsed through the jungle on a night hike in the pouring rain, watching whip-tail scorpions, frogs, and spiders in their nocturnal habitat, stepping soggy boots across sodden earth, laughing through our adventureAnd come morning, we played in the sunlight and dug our toes into the sand beneath the shade of those picturesque palm trees, paradisiacal as a dream. 


  
We relaxed into natural spa treatments at the waterfall, sourcing blue clay from the riverbed to exfoliate, cleanse, shed, and renew. And after our final dinner together, we celebrated the solstice beneath the spinning light of the disco ball, dancing bachata, merengue, cumbia, and salsa untilthe full moon beckoned us back home. 
 
 
In surf and sunshine, jungle magic and nurturing practices for the body and mind, WILD was aluminescent journey shared among surfer-artists that we’ll always remember across our unique horizons of time, this sweet, ocean-illuminated life
Oceans of gratitude to our local instructors, service providers, guides, and friends.

Written by: Tara Ruttenberg. 

Would you like to join us for our next retreat in Costa Rica? Send us an email to info@dkoko.com and we will contact you for our next adventure.