Sansara Surf Yoga & Resort

Sansara was everything I hoped it would be. From the rooms, to the staff & service, to the location on a secluded, black sand beach and the delicious, healthy food, all was impeccable. I was looking into a retreat for the new year and found Sansara through my research and was impressed by all of the positive reviews. Our journey began with a pick up from our hotel in Casco Viejo to a small airport for a flight from Panama City to Chitre. Then, we took a 3 hour bus ride to Cambutal and Sansara. All of the transportation was arranged by Sansara and included in our retreat package, which was lovely! Entire coordination leading up to the retreat was friendly and responsive. Our room was the Ganesha room which had an ocean view, front porch and king bed. It was perfect and situated close to the pool and restaurant - great for someone like me who doesn’t want to miss out on anything! While there, my boyfriend and I enjoyed two massage treatments - the Sansara experience and the Swedish massage. Both were fabulous and so relaxing, you float from the spa to the pool and then the beach to a hammock… heaven!! The food was incredible. It exceeded my expectations and I really appreciated having a breakfast and lunch window and a menu to select from, rather than set plates or set times. It felt very luxurious to order whatever we wanted and the friendly staff treats you like family. The quality of the food was excellent- plates were beautiful and the sauces and accoutrements were thoughtful and tasty. Dinners were a mix of family style and set plates, and the staff would always check in if you had noted any food allergies or preferences. We had an Indian and Mediterranean night, and ended the week with a pizza night which was so fun!! Polaroid pics of our retreat group and staff were posted at the Buddha Bar tea and water station so we could all learn names. The staff were so great at addressing us by names - it was so impressive! The yoga shala overlooking the beach and ocean is hands down my favorite place I’ve ever done yoga! The slight breeze and shade from the roof made it comfortable despite hot temps and humidity, and the ocean waves lapping against the beach are the most soothing sounds to guide your breath. What an experience! We were lucky to be there to celebrate New Years with a big party, lovely dinner and DJ dance floor with MC yogi, one of our retreat hosts. It was an unforgettable night, complete with fireworks on the beach! I’ve travelled often, been on several retreats and stayed in countless hotels and resorts. Sansara is a special gem on the quaint coast of Panama and it will be hard for me to find a place that compares to the experience I’ve had this week and I’m already planning to host a retreat there next year! If you’re thinking about retreating at Sansara, you will not be disappointed!

This is the second time I have hosted a yoga and surf retreat at Sansara Resort. I didn't think things could get better after my first time hosting, but they proved me wrong in the best way and surpassed all my dreams of what hosting a retreat could look and feel like. Sansara has the most supportive teams in place to assist with every detail including travel logistics, room coordination, dietary coordination, and adventure planning. Having their support team truly allowed me to leave a lot of those everyday details to them so I was able to focus my attention on what I do best - leading yoga classes, workshops, and building community. The experience was seamless. My guests are still raving about not only the beautiful facility but the PEOPLE behind it all - the staff took time to really connect with each person - knowing them by their first names, sharing stories, practicing Spanish speaking, and pre-meditating their needs. The owners, Mike and Janel, treat everyone like family who walk through their hidden gates in this slice of paradise and it is felt. If you are looking for a getaway - run to this place. If you are looking to host a retreat as a leader - RUN to this place. As a host who has traveled the world hosting experiences - no one does it like Sansara. They are the best in the business.

I joined in on a yoga retreat for my Spring Break and had an amazing experience at Sansara. The staff learned our names the first day, and not only accommodated my rather extensive food sensitivities, but made beautiful and delicious meals for the whole group that I could eat. The grounds are peaceful and clean, and I really appreciated the environmental focus. There was so little trash generated the whole week with stainless steel straws and glass water bottles! I would go back in a heartbeet (misspelling intended since I loved the ginger beet and carrot juice!)