YELAPA Dance + Wellness Retreat
2025 YELAPA DANCE + WELLNESS RETREAT
Dance | Yoga | Rejuvenate | Couples | Rustic | Warm
February 23 – March 1 (6 nights)
with Joy Smith & Tom Callanan
~ Yelapa, Mexico ~
known for its wild and natural beauty, slow down into your heartspace at Casa Isabel, a beachfront rustic, warm, and peaceful retreat space
A peaceful retreat for the enjoyment of nature and rejuvenation of the human spirit…
Slow down, unwind, and take a step back into time in this wellness journey to your heart. Connect with natural beauty and wild nature in this simple and peaceful beachfront connected community of warm indiginous people and their beautiful land. Unwind in this simple, no frills peaceful fishing community where slowing into the natural circadian rhythm of nature calls at the corners of your soul.
Yelapa feels like you are on an island, as it can only be accessed by boat (yet it is a short and beautiful ride from Puerto Vallarta). There are no cars in Yelapa. All transport is by boat, feet, horses and donkeys.
Casa Isabel is and feels secluded, yet we are a 7-10 minute walk to town. A gorgeous benefit results in hearing nothing but quiet and ocean sounds.
People in Yelapa are very patient and flexible because they have to be. One feels grateful to be in a place that is not overdeveloped and with that brings adjusted expectations and flexibility as well as the upside of this deep reset only felt once experienced.
Your journey to peace, joy, and rejuvenation begins at our Yelapa Dance & Wellness Retreat.
Casa Isabel:
Casa Isabel offers a variety of unique ocean-view accommodations, their privacy insured by lush shrubs and flowering vines planted a long time ago. It has been fully, sustainably, and artfully reconstructed in 2009. Huge trees form a jungle canopy over an enchanting garden hillside…
Ancestral memory sings “YES¨ walking a trail to a cozy nest. Say hello to a quiet embrace in the bosom of mother nature.
Join us in Yelapa!
~What’s Included~
6 nights of simple, warm, and rustic accommodations at Casa Isabel
Morning Beach Meditation
Daily Morning Classes overlooking the Sea — lead by Joy Smith
(Dance Fitness, Beginner Friendly, Restorative Stretch)
Yoga, Sound Healing & Other Restorative Classes — lead by incredible Healing locals
(Yin Yoga, Meditation, Sound Healing)
Sunset Breathwork, Cacao, & Yoga experience
Sunset ecstatic dance & ocean swimming sessions — lead by Joy Smith
Exploration walks to two local waterfalls
Daily Meals: We will bring food in & dine out together in the connected community with focus on fresh local food
(Early Morning Coffee/Tea, Fruit, Granola, hard boiled eggs)
(Brunch & Dinner: Delicious traditional meals each day prepared in the Yelapan tradition)
(Two off-site Dinner Celebrations at a fabulous local restaurant with live music, dancing and fun!)
Intimate Breakout Circles / Mini Workshops linked to dance, yoga, couples, connection, NVC, + Psychadelic Assisted Therapy Info Sessions
(Optional for Additional Cost: 1 Group Journey led and assisted by Tom Callanan – Release trauma or stuck patterns)
Optional Excursions for Additional Cost:
Horsebackriding
Parasailing
Ziplining
Stand Up Paddle: $20 / hour
On-Site Yoga Classes: 200 pesos per person per class; mats and props included
Bodywork by Beverly: deep sessions of acupressure massage on a cliff-side table overlooking the waterfall
Private Boat / Fishing Excursions with Sefarino can be arranged to beautiful locations close by, including the Marietta Islands, close by villages, and private beaches. Sef knows many excellent snorkelling spots and frequently whales and dolphins make themselves known.
~Airfare, Ferry, & Airport Transfer NOT included~
Fly into Puerto Vallara Airport (PVR) – flight is estimated at roughly $400 to $500 roundtrip. Consider stahing in Puerto Vallarta for a few nights ahead or after our Retreat to experience the incredible artisan community, cobble stone streets, cuisine, beaches, and high quality and afforable SPA services
Then take Ferry from Puerto Vallarta Los Muertos Pier to Yelapa Hotel Pier, which takes 56 min including transfers, and departs every four hours.
COST & ACCOMMODATIONS:
$500 non-refundable deposit to reserve your spot!
Payment Plans Available
~ Casa Isabel Accomodations ~
Casa Isabel offers a variety of unique ocean-view accommodations, their privacy insured by lush shrubs and flowering vines planted a long time ago. It has been fully, sustainably, and artfully reconstructed in 2009. Huge trees form a jungle canopy over an enchanting garden hillside…
Ancestral memory sings “YES¨ walking a trail to a cozy nest. Say hello to a quiet embrace in the bosom of mother nature.
SHARED ROOMS WITH MULTIPLE BEDS:
ANNIE’S TRIPLE ROOM: $2,300 per person (Sleeps 3)
ANNIE’s FOUR to FIVE FRIENDS ROOM: $1,500 per person (Sleeps 4-5)
3 Beds for 3-5 Friends: 1 Queen, 1 Double, 1 Sofa Bed: Share with fellow dancers and friends
Amazing sunrises and a wide view of the bay. Sleeps up to five souls.
There’s a snazzy big kitchen, a shower and bathroom, and open views all around. An upstairs sofa turns into a bed, potential for a fifth person. Ahh, the deep comfort of sunshine….
PRIVATE SINGLE ROOMS / SOLO TRAVELER:
NOOK SINGLE PRIVATE: $1,700 (Sleeps 1)
The nook is a little room with a high ceiling and everything a single needs. The Nook has a single bed (non-hanging), shares the Casa Central shower and bathroom, and is our most economical offering here in the high-rent district.
FOR COUPLES / 2-3 PEOPLE : 2 BEDS
PASSION PALACE DOUBLE: $1,900 per person (2 people)
PASSION PALACE TRIPLE: $1,500 per person (3 people)
Double Hanging Bed + Sofa Bed. Great for couples or friends sharing a bed.
Enjoy sweet dreams in a hanging double bed under the soothing vibes of a passion fruit vine. Look out past a lawn and the fire circle to the sparkling sea where you swim. Gaze in awe at the ever-expanding trunk of the very large huanacaxtle tree at the heart of the property.
Passion Palace is one of the three bedrooms which share the kitchen and living rooms of Casa Central, a few steps away. It has private toilets and shower, a hanging double bed and a single bed tucked on the other side. If glamping is glorified camping, this surely qualifies.
COOL CORNER DOUBLE: $2,000 per person (2 people)
COOL CORNER TRIPLE: $1,600 per person (3 people)
Double Bed + Sofa Bed. Great for couples or friends sharing a bed.
It’s a room with a view, with a raised double bed to insure your wake-up view of bougainvillea blossoms and beautiful blue ocean. Exuberant vines have colonized the outdoor shower, with solar hot water to wash off the day. This is the site of Isabel’s original outdoor shower, and many inspired guests have returned with tales of making one at home.
Cool Corner has a wall of onyx over the private toilets, and other sculptures celebrating shells and stone. Say the words “extra bed” and the sofa becomes one, accommodating a third person. Cool Corner shares the kitchen and living rooms of Casa Central.
PENTHOUSE DOUBLE: $2,100 per person (2 people)
PENTHOUSE TRIPLE: $1,700 per person (3 people)
Hanging Double Bed + Sofa Bed. Great for couples or friends sharing a bed.
Wake up with the view of our giant huanaxtle tree. Enjoy breathtaking views from your casita. Sleeps up to three.
The Penthouse is a self-contained unit atop Casa Central, overlooking the lawn and gardens. It has a hanging double bed and a sofa which converts to an individual bed. Sleeps up to three.
The balcony outside Penthouse is often fabulous for sunbathing, bird watching, or just existing.
A Yelapan Oasis is Calling…..
MEET YOUR RETREAT LEADER: Joy Smith
Owner and director of Santa Cruz Dance Company and Growing Wild (online nutrition courses and retreats). Internationally awarded instructor and choreographer for music videos, film, television and musical artists in France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Brazil, Japan and the US.
International dance and fitness presenter, master trainer and Zumba Education Specialist (ZES) for Zumba Fitness LLC–for France, Belgium, California, Washington and Minnesota. Previously awarded ”Best of Santa Cruz Aerobic Instructor of the year” for Zumba instruction. ACE and AFAA faculty and CEC provider.
Yoga 200hr RYT: Graduated from Pleasure Point Yoga’s The Embodied Breath: 200hr Yoga & Breathwork Teacher Training
Joy’s Weekly Teaching Schedule:
Mondays 10:15am: BREAKDOWN Hip Hop & Zumba (Beginner Level)
Wednesdays 10:30am: BREAKDOWN PLUS Hip Hop & Zumba (All Levels, Beginner Friendly)
Thursdays 9am: Cardio Hip Hop & Zumba (All Levels)
Tuesdays 5:30pm: Street Jazz (Intermediate / Advanced)
Wednesdays: 11:45am: Restorative Stretch for Dancers (60 mins)
Fridays: 10:30am: Restorative Stretch for Dancers (75 mins)
