February 13-19th, 2027

Santa Marta, Colombia

The Heart of the World

Colombia Yoga Retreat

With Juliet and Rachel

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Escape to the breathtaking retreat center of Gitana del Mar, in Santa Marta, Colombia for a restorative yoga retreat led by Juliet Casso and Rachel Dirks. Set on a quiet stretch of Pacific coastline, this intimate retreat blends daily yoga classes, guided meditation, and restorative workshops with time to wander palm-lined beaches, swim in warm waters, and savor fresh, nourishing meals.

Juliet brings fluid vinyasa sequences that open the body and build strength; Rachel offers calming restorative and breathwork sessions to deepen relaxation and presence. Suitable for all levels, the program balances movement and stillness, creating space for renewal, reflection, and connection with fellow travelers.

Leave the noise behind and return home grounded, energized, and inspired.

February 13-19th, 2027

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A wooden A-frame house surrounded by lush green trees and plants, with steps leading up to the entrance, in a forest setting under a bright blue sky.
Colorful edible arrangement with blue rice, fruits, vegetables, and decorative flowers on a dark plate.
People swimming in a natural pool near a waterfall in a lush green forest.
Two small boats floating in clear turquoise water near a tropical shoreline with lush green trees and a rocky wall, under a bright blue sky.
Ancient stone steps leading up a mountain in dense jungle, with tall trees and lush greenery, under a clear blue sky.
Colorful street with European-style buildings, balconies with flower boxes, and a tall ornate church tower in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
Woman in floral dress and hat walking down colorful street with vibrant buildings and flags.
People practicing meditation inside a beach hut with a thatched roof and hanging lanterns, facing the ocean.
People practicing yoga or meditation in a large open-air, thatched-roof pavilion with a wooden floor, surrounded by lush greenery.
View from inside a large open-front hut with a wooden floor, overlooking a tropical beach with palm trees and ocean in the background. Inside, there's a mat with candles, seashells, and percussion instruments for a meditation or sound bath session.
Tropical beach scene with tall palm trees, a sandy pathway leading to a thatched-roof hut with hanging bells, and the ocean in the background under a clear blue sky.
A river flowing through a lush green forest with colorful red, pink, and yellow algae or moss on rocks in the water, under a partly cloudy blue sky.

Accommodations

Treehouse Treehouse Treehouse
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Treehouse
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Booked

Luxury Quad Sierra Luxury Quad Sierra Luxury Quad Sierra
Luxury Quad Sierra
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One Female Space Left

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Luxury Quad Nukuba Luxury Quad Nukuba Luxury Quad Nukuba
Luxury Quad Nukuba
Bungalow Suite Bungalow Suite Bungalow Suite
Bungalow Suite
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Bungalow Standard Bungalow Standard Bungalow Standard
Bungalow Standard
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*Gentlemen, we welcome you and would love to have you join us, however, if you are traveling independently, please note that for this retreat, only the Bungalow Suites are available for booking. Your reservation for this accommodation is based on double occupancy, and we will do our best to find you a suitable roommate.

*We do not offer private accommodations for this retreat. All Bungalow Suites are based on double occupancy. If you are set on booking a room for just yourself, you will need to pay for two guests.  Any single booking into the Bungalow Suites will be paired up on a first come first serve basis. In the event that a roommate is unable to be found, we may need to move your accommodation to a triple or quad occupancy.  If you prefer not to move, you will be subject to an additional booking fee of $500.

What’s Included:

  • Two heartfelt, all levels, yoga practices each day to regulate and synchronize your nervous system (one flow and one yin/slow flow)

  • 3 nourishing, abundant farm to table vegetarian meals each day

  • Guided meditation and breathwork circles to turn inward and expand your awareness

  • Sacred, connecting and intuitive opening and closing ceremonies

  • Beautiful harmonizing sound healing session

  • Devotional and connecting cacao ceremony

  • Roundtrip ground transportation from Santa Marta International airport

  • Unlimited coffee, tea and juice

  • Exclusive, private access to the beach front property of Gitana del Mar

  • Oceanfront yoga shala surrounded by lush jungle

What’s NOT included:

  • Roundtrip airfare from home airport to Santa Marta International Airport (SMR- Simon Bolivar International Airport)

  • Gratuities to retreat staff

  • Additional activities/excursions

  • Alcoholic beverages

Payment Details

At the time of booking, you will be expected to pay a NON REFUNDABLE deposit of $500. Once this deposit is received, you are considered booked into the retreat. This deposit is NON transferable and NON refundable. Payment plans are available and customizable. By booking into our retreat, you are confirming you understand these policies. For further information at anytime, please visit the terms and policies page linked below.

Terms and Policies

Your Retreat Guides:

A young woman with long red hair, wearing a sleeveless reddish-brown top, poses against a plain light-colored wall. She has a tattoo sleeve on her left arm and is raising her arms with her hands together, looking slightly upward with a serene expression.

Juliet Casso

Founder of Jem Yoga Retreats

Juliet (Jules) Casso is a mama of 7 wild kiddos and a lover of all things nature, travel and wellness. With over a decade of teaching, Juliet brings her enormous passion of yoga to every class she has the honor of teaching. Trained in various styles of yoga including: Hatha, Restorative, Yin, Baptiste Power, Prenatal, Acro and Bikram, you can expect to be energized, uplifted and deeply connected to your inner world after taking one of her yoga classes. Juliet loves to combine her knowledge of applied anatomy, the playful joy of partner yoga and the profound stillness and peace from yogic and Christian philosophy to weave together a tapestry of fluid movement, deep inner wisdom and physical strength. To compliment Juliet’s yoga background, she is also a master reiki practitioner, sound healer, massage therapist and certified homeopathic medicine practitioner.

A smiling woman with long brown hair, tattoos on her left shoulder, wearing a black top, outdoors near rocks and trees during sunset or sunrise.

Rachel Dirks

Rachel defines yoga as a place where life can be invited to take a breath, while you engage in active movements and positive mindsets; a decompressing act of self-care and self-connecting. As a mom of three boys, she fondly refers to yoga as her “happy mat”. Rachel’s classes are light-spirited in their nature. She evokes a mentality of non-judgement with a gentle smile. Welcoming all levels, she strongly feels that anybody doing yoga is a perfect yoga body. Rachel received her 200 RYT Yoga Alliance Certificate in March of 2018 through School Yoga Institute in Costa Rica. She specializes in Vinyasa, Hatha, Restorative and Yin Yoga. She is a master reiki practitioner and sound healer.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • There are several airports in Colombia, but ground transportation will be provided from the Santa Marta International Airport also know as Simon Bolivar International Airport (SMR). Most arrivals will be into Bogota Airport. From Bogota, you will take a jumper flight (approx. $90 RT) to Santa Marta Airport.

  • You do not! We encourage ALL LEVELS including those who have never practiced yoga before! You have the option to participate in as much or as little as you wish.

  • Only if you wish! The retreat center will have all necessary props and yoga mats available for use throughout the duration of your sray.

  • The closest ATM is in Santa Marta (over 1 hour away). Please get cash out in the airport or in the city of Santa Marta on your way here.

  • Here in Colombia we use Colombian PESOS (COP). Please bring Cash in Pesos with you.

    Between $500,000 – $1,500,000 COP PER PERSON. This will help cover your tours, transports, tips for staff and guides, some of your bill upon check out etc.

    WE DO NOT ADVISE TO BRING US DOLLARS OR EUROS. IT IS EASIER TO USE YOUR ATM CARD AND TAKE OUT COLOMBIAN PESOS.

    *PLEASE BRING CASH FOR ALL TOURS AND TRANSPORTS. IF YOU PAY THE TOURS AND TRANSPORTS WITH CREDIT CARD TO GITANA DEL MAR THERE IS A 15% ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE.

  • Please refer to our terms and policies page for more information on cancelling your retreat.

  • After we receive your deposit, we can set up a personalized payment plan. We always host a virtual meet up approximately 3 months before we depart to answer any questions and to coordinate travel plans.

  • The weather is warm and tropical all year long. Most of the months of the year are very dry. The months where we are likely to have some rain are: April, May, October, November, early December. It will typically rain in the early morning or in the evening/overnight. There can be days where it will rain all day, but they are few and far between. The months of December – Feb. tend to have the most favorable weather (not so hot during day with little humidity and a little cooler at night).

  • No. Gitana del Mar is an eco resort and only a few of the rooms have hot water. Those rooms are Bungalow Sierra, the Treehouse and the bungalow suites

  • NO, we do not have Air Conditioning (A/C). Gitana del Mar resort an eco-resort, with a focus on lower energy consumption. Each room has high quality ceiling fans and good ventilation.

Testimonials

  • "Nicaragua was my first trip with JemYoga and my first time meeting Juliet. She treated me like a friend from the first moment. I am in my 70s, so I had lots of questions. She made me feel very capable. When we arrived, we were a multi-generational group that blended beautifully. There were always many yoga levels presented, and it felt very inclusive. Rachel and Juliet complemented each other's styles with grace and beauty. I look forward to joining them again on another adventure. -Karen Yost

    (Nicaragua)

  • Juliet has a gift for being able to teach at a level that works for all experience levels. Between the beautiful retreat center, whole nutritious foods at every meal, yoga sessions multiple times a day, and daily options to explore the country or just unwind at the retreat center, we had the most amazing time! Juliet is such a grounded yoga instructor, fun travel companion, and deeply caring human. This may have been our first yoga retreat, but it won’t be our last! Thanks Juliet, you are absolutely the best!

    -Heather and Jim H. (Peru)

  • We weren’t sure what to expect when our daughter invited us to join her on a yoga retreat led by Juliet and Rachel in Nicaragua. In addition to being with our daughter and visiting a new part of the world, we chose to go because of her high regard for Juliet’s approach leading yoga classes. The retreat was all that we hoped it would be and more. 

    The setting, food, and local cultural activities available were great, and, at 80 years old, we enjoyed connecting with the other group members of all ages. Juliet and Rachel were knowledgeable, creative, and intuitive, allowing each of us to personalize our own practice and experience without judgment or unrealistic expectations. We encourage anyone interested in a unique, enriching experience to check out JEM Yoga Retreats! -Margarite and Jerman R.

    (Nicaragua)

  • A yoga retreat with Juliet will not disappoint!! I had the pleasure of accompanying Jules to Tuscany in Italy in 2019. The retreat experience was phenomenal! Every day was filled with morning and evening yoga sessions, day trips to explore the surrounding sites, and time to just be still and meditate. I came away from the experience refreshed, rejuvenated and oh, so blessed! Nothing is better than yoga in a magnificent setting! Juliet truly knows how to make the magic happen!

    -Pam D. (Tuscany, Italy)