LOCATION: Malibu Popoyo, Nicaragua
Where jungle hush meets Pacific pulse
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On Nicaragua’s Emerald Coast in the coastal hamlet of Popoyo, Malibu Popoyo sits between quiet beaches, dry-tropical forest, and small fishing villages, a place designed for harmony, connection, and creativity. This is an eco-conscious surf & yoga retreat with a warm, homelike welcome the moment you arrive. Expect a slower rhythm, ocean air, and nights full of stars.
We’re surrounded by 10+ world-class surf breaks within ~30 miles from playful beach peaks to hollow reefs with frequent offshore winds thanks to the Papagayo wind patterns. Minutes from the famed Popoyo reef, this stretch is Nicaragua’s most consistent surf zone.
Life on property is simple and elevated: daily yoga in our open-air palapa, a 16-meter pool to cool down after sessions, and farm-to-table cuisine sourced from our neighboring orchard La Quinta (mangos, dragonfruit, coconuts, plantains, fresh eggs). Massages, ice-cold drinks, and sunset music round out the day.
When you’re not on the mat you’ll find yourself in the water, hiking, riding horses, exploring tide pools, or taking a boat out to scan the coastline.
Getting here is straightforward: ~2.5 hours from Managua (MGA) and ~3 hours from Liberia, Costa Rica (border crossing required). But we are here with all the details to ensure your journey is easy from door to dune.
Malibu Popoyo is a Nicaraguan yoga and surf haven where you can reset your nervous system, deepen your practice, and feel part of a real community, received with open arms, just as you are.
THE 200HR PROGRAM
BECOME THE TEACHER THEY REMEMBER
YogaKoh Teacher Training — Malibu Popoyo, Nicaragua
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Trade winter layers for salt air and sunrise sessions. YogaKoh invites you to complete your teacher training on the wild-beautiful Pacific coast of Malibu Popoyo, a boutique surf and wellness sanctuary shaped by a global community of creators, travelers, and longtime friends. Think open-air practice spaces, ocean breezes, nourishing local cuisine, and a coastline that calls you outside between sessions.
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This month-long immersion is designed to stretch you from day one. We go deep into the pillars of the practice philosophy, asana, pranayama, meditation, energetics, and specialty topics while keeping the art of teaching front and center. By the end of the month you’ll have the voice, confidence, and practical tools to lead a class of your own. We honor tradition, celebrate creativity, and lean on modern science. Your experienced mentors are hands-on and fully invested in your success.
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Yoga is a way of life. Our YTT gives you the framework to find your way and the encouragement to share it.
Discover why this is training with a difference: we laugh, learn, sweat, and grow together. Arrive solo; leave part of the koh-mmunity.
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Step beyond your comfort zone, catch your first wave, kick up to handstand, wander palm-lined paths at golden hour and feel how the rhythm of Nicaragua leaves a lasting imprint on your practice and your life.
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Join us in Malibu Popoyo.
More Program Details
ACCOMODATIONS
Settle into your own sanctuary at Malibu Popoyo. Our single-occupancy Master and Garden Rooms blend boutique design with beachside ease, king beds with organic linens, sun-washed interiors, semi-outdoor lounges and rain showers, handcrafted tile, and natural textures. Air-conditioned and quiet, each room opens to palm-lined paths and the pool, with Santana Beach a short wander away refined, restorative, and perfect between practice sessions.
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In addition to the yoga teacher training, we will be offering room and board packages for students to choose between.
INCLUSIONS IN ALL PACKAGES:
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Course certification with manuals
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27 nights accommodation at Malibu Popoyo
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3 organic healthy meals a day + tea and coffee
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Unlimited use of Yoga Shala
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Access to beach and skate bowl
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Free wifi
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Towels and linens
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Opening and closing ceremony
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Airport transfers from/to MGA international airport
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Continued guidance from YogaKoh faculty
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Yoga photos
AVAILABLE AT EXTRA COSTS:
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Surf lesson
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Local Excursions​
RATES FOR THE MONTH
The Suite —
Your Private Sanctuary
Our largest room pairs a king bed with glass walls opening to a semi-outdoor, Latin American–style lounge. Indulge in a walk-in rain shower set with handmade tiles, then unwind in the calm indoor living area curated with natural, local furnishings. It’s spacious, quiet, and deeply restorative your place to journal, recover, and wake ready to learn, lead, and glow.
The Loft — Light, Air & Two Levels
Designed for a double share, the Loft opens with soaring ceilings and sliding windows that frame lush, green views, filling the space with soft, natural light. Your private semi-outdoor lounge features a walk-in rain shower and handmade concrete tiles, a cool retreat after long training days. Downstairs, a king bed anchors a calm living area; upstairs, a queen bed on the mezzanine. The Loft blends comfort with a daily connection to nature, ideal for friends or trainees who want space to exhale and reset.
MORE ABOUT INCLUSIONS + EXTRAS
YOGA
What was once a simple coastal structure has been lovingly upcycled into our place of peace: a light-filled yoga studio with wooden floors and a high, airy ceiling—beautiful for practicing, learning, and teaching. Step outside and you’ll find spacious porches with cozy seating and hammocks that sway above lush tropical gardens and the gentle rhythm of the Pacific.
FOOD
Savour vibrant, healthy meals crafted from a true fusion of Central American and Western cuisines, flavour-packed dishes designed to sustain your energy and vitality throughout your stay. Our on-site restaurant sources fresh, local ingredients from La Quinta, the neighbouring organic farm. Three nourishing meals daily are included for our yogis.
SURFING
With more than ten world-class breaks within 30 miles, surfing is at the heart of Malibu Popoyo.
From longboard peelers and playful beach breaks to deep, hollow reefs, there’s a wave for every level and mood.
Your stay includes dedicated surf time, with windows to paddle out between training sessions.
EXCURSIONS
For the adventurous and the curious, your time off is an invitation to explore. Chase sunset on horseback, wander on cultural tours and summit treks, or sink into restoration with massages and spa experiences.
There’s a plethora of options to match your mood energising, grounding, or a little of both. Add activities during days off.
MEET THE TEACHERS
CECILY SMITH
Cici Smith is a grounded guide with a playful edge , part movement enthusiast, part surfer, she turns intelligent sequencing into accessible, feel-good flow.
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Trained across Vinyasa, Rocket, Somatic Yin, Mobility, and Thai Massage, she blends evidence-based insight with real-world warmth to meet each student’s needs.
Expect classes that restore, strengthen, and spark curiosity, inviting you to find ease without losing fire. A long time Nicaragua enthusiast she will show you her favorite local fare.
GALLERY
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TESTIMONIALS
Runa Sophia Diggelmann
Yogakoh offers a very profound and well-thought through teacher training. It is unique in its level of how to sequence a class and the deep insights into anatomy and physiology. In addition to the physical education it creates space for a philosophical and critical thinking approach to different topics. After completing the 200 hours you feel very well prepared to keep improving your life as a student and start as a teacher.
Anna Churton
I had the most incredible experience with YogaKoh. I learnt so much about yoga and about myself, and it made me excited to continue to learn and grow as both a teacher and student! It was an intense month with a lot of content to cover, but I wouldn't change a thing. The teachers were amazing - so knowledgable and supportive. I left feeling confident to teach. Would highly recommend the training to anyone!
Scarlett Lily
I want to thank you and all of the team for such a life changing incredible experience. This training was more than I could have ever asked for. A life changing month that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.