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February 13-19th, 2027

Santa Marta, Colombia

The Heart of the World Yoga Retreat- Colombia

With Juliet and Rachel
Register

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

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

A two-story tropical treehouse with a thatched roof, wooden balcony, and outdoor seating, surrounded by lush green palm trees and foliage.

Treehouse

Double Occupancy

1-KIng Bed

OR

2- Twin beds

$2,600 per person

Beachside wooden porch with woven hanging lamp, comfortable sofa with patterned pillows, round wooden table, decorative wall hanging, potted plant, and two wicker chairs on a circular rug.
A tropical outdoor bathroom with a thatched roof, bamboo fencing, stone flooring, and lush green plants, including a sink area with a carved stone basin and a mirror surrounded by orange flowers.
A cozy bedroom with a bamboo and thatched ceiling, white curtains, a wooden bed with white bedding and gray pillows, a dreamcatcher hanging above the headboard, and a ceiling fan with a woven light fixture.
book treehouse
A bamboo house with a high A-frame roof, large glass windows, and a wooden door, surrounded by lush green trees, under a blue sky with sunlight filtering through the leaves.

Luxury Quad

Sierra

Quad Occupancy

4-twin beds

$2,600 per person

Bedroom with a bamboo ceiling, wooden walls and flooring, a raised bed with pillows, and a sitting area with a gray sofa and striped pillows.
Bathroom with two wooden vessel sinks, bamboo wall decor, and tropical plants in a rustic, natural setting.
A cozy wooden bedroom with two beds, built into a A-frame bamboo structure with a high vaulted ceiling, natural lighting, and a small stage area at the back.
book luxury quad sierra
Interior view of a tropical thatched roof room with open double doors leading to lush greenery outside, decorated with potted plants, a hanging lamp, ceiling fans, and simple furniture.

Luxury Quad

Nukuba

Quad Occupancy

4 twin beds

$2,600 per person

Person doing a headstand in front of a Tiki-style treehouse with wooden deck, chairs, and white curtains, surrounded by green jungle plants.
Interior of a rustic bathroom with a curved concrete wall, wooden ceiling, and small windows, decorated with a round mirror, a vase with white flowers, and a stone sink.
Interior of a tropical-style bedroom with a thatched roof, ceiling fans, a bed, a circular rug with cushions, and large glass doors leading to an outdoor deck surrounded by greenery.
Book luxury quad nukuba
A tropical hut with a thatched roof, surrounded by palm trees and green foliage, under a partly cloudy sky.

Bungalow Suite

Double Occupancy

1-Queen bed

AND

1- Twin bed

$2,400 per person

A rustic bedroom with a white brick wall, wooden ceiling and blinds, featuring a large bed with white bedding and multiple pillows, a small pendant light, and a built-in niche with a bed and decorative wall art.
Open-air bathroom with a toilet, a wooden countertop with a white basin sink, a mirror, a towel, a basket, and tropical plants outside. The ceiling is made of thatch, and the floor is stone.
A cozy bedroom with a large bed, white brick wall, and unique headboard design. Two hanging wicker pendant lights flank the bed. The ceiling is made of natural materials, and two woven baskets are placed on the floor beside the bed.
book bungalow suite
A tropical hut with a thatched roof, surrounded by lush greenery and flowering bushes, under a blue sky with some clouds.

Bungalow Standard

Triple Occupancy

3- Twin beds

$2,200 per person

A bedroom with two single beds, gray bedspreads, and pillows. The wall behind one bed has a green tropical mural, and the other wall features a white brick wall. There are hanging wicker lamps, a small bedside table with a lamp, and shelves with towels. The ceiling is made of wood and thatch, and the floor is polished concrete.
A bathroom with a white vessel sink on a marble countertop, decorated with a colorful flower arrangement and a plant, with a round mirror, a wooden wall-mounted frame, a wicker basket, soap dispenser, towel, and a hat on the wall, illuminated by a woven wall sconce light.
A rustic bedroom with a single bed, gray bedding, a wooden side table with flowers, a white brick wall, and a ceiling with thatched roof. There are wall-mounted lights, a decorative wall with a plant shadow motif, and an open closet with towels and a safe. A wooden door is on the right, and a woven basket is on the floor.
Book bungalow standard

What’s Included:

  • Two heartfelt, all levels, yoga practices each day to regulate and synchronize your nervous system

  • 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
Tropical beach with palm trees, a thatched wooden structure with hanging lanterns, sandy ground, and the ocean in the background under a clear blue sky.
Colombia Heart of the World Retreat
from $500.00
View from inside a thatched beach hut with an open front, showing a sandy beach, palm trees, and the ocean in the distance.

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.

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)