Surf & Yoga Island Retreat in Sri Lanka

A women-only Surf & Yoga retreat for beginner, improver and intermediate surfers, with expert coaching, warm-water waves and time to enjoy Sri Lanka’s south coast.

Think surfboards loaded onto tuk tuks at sunrise, glassy morning waves and breakfast overlooking the ocean. Days revolve around surfing, with yoga beneath the palms, delicious Sri Lankan food and evenings shared watching unforgettable sunsets with a small group of like-minded women.

Whether you’re catching your first wave, building confidence on green waves or refining your technique, our experienced female coaches will help you progress at your own pace. Personalised coaching, daily yoga and beautiful accommodation come together with the friendly, supportive Surf Sistas atmosphere that brings women back year after year.

Our seven-night retreat is based in Ahangama, with a full week of surf-focused days. We plan sessions around the best conditions, making the most of the waves while leaving time to rest, explore and enjoy island life.

Book your place and your flight, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Location

South Coast, Sri Lanka

30th January – 6th February 2027

6th February – 13th February 2027

Just nine places per retreat · Solo travellers welcome · Reserve with a 30% deposit

Retreat Highlights

• Waves to help you progress – explore a variety of beach and reef breaks, with your coaches choosing the best spots for your level and the conditions.
  
• Personal coaching with a max 1:4 ratio – get the tailored attention, encouragement and practical advice you need to build confidence and move your surfing forward.
  
• See your progress on video – understand what’s working and what to adjust, with clear pointers to take into your next surf.
  
• Daily Yoga to support your surfing – stretch out after your sessions, work on mobility and balance, and give yourself time to unwind.
  
• Experience Sri Lanka beyond the surf – explore with our curated excursions and optional workshops, including a cookery class to recreate your favourite Sri Lankan dishes at home.
  
• Time to enjoy island life – warm water, palm-lined beaches and lush landscapes, with space between sessions to soak it all up.
  
• A friendly group to share it with – come solo or with a friend and join a supportive community of women to surf, explore and forge new connections with.

A Typical Day

Expect to wake up at sunrise and surf a mix of friendly reef set-ups, points and beach breaks. Sri Lanka is known for its mellow waves, making it the ideal place for beginners and for improver/intermediates who are keen to start consistently catching green waves. If you have never surfed a reef break before then this is the perfect place to try!

With our maximum 1:4 ratio coaching, video analysis and expert tuition from our female coaches, you’ll get the support and tools you need to really fast track your surfing and have lots of fun doing so!

Here’s an example of what we may cover with you during your Surf Sistas trip. We’ll be helping you to achieve your personal surfing goals during the week so will tailor our coaching accordingly. Including the use of video analysis through the week.

What you might learn:

• Surf safety
• Confidence building and managing fear
• Pop-up techniques and progression
• Trimming and turning technique
• How to catch and ride green waves
• Paddling technique and methods to paddle out back
• Positioning in the water to catch green waves
• Bottom turns, cutbacks, closeout turn
• Longboard technique: Cross Stepping, different take-offs to set up your wave, hanging 5 and nose-riding

Theory Sessions might include: 

• Surf forecasting
• Understanding Reef Breaks
• Etiquette
• Surfboard science
• Wave formation and understanding different types of waves

Yoga

Every day begins or ends with yoga designed specifically to complement your surfing.

Classes focus on improving mobility, balance, flexibility and recovery while helping release tight shoulders, hips and backs after long sessions in the water.

Whether you’re an experienced Yogi or trying Yoga for the first time, every Surf Sistas Yoga class is suitable for all levels.

Accommodation & Meals

Your accommodation for your 7 night stay is a beautiful boutique villa on the beachfront in Ahangama. We have a mixture of solo, twin and triple rooms. If you are coming solo but would like to pick the twin or triple room option, that’s great, we will match you with another solo Sista or Sistas on the retreat.

Food is a huge part of the experience. Every morning you’ll enjoy fresh breakfasts to fuel your surfing. Two evening meals are included, while other evenings are left free so we can discover our favourite local restaurants together. Expect tropical fruit, fresh seafood, incredible curries, rotis, smoothie bowls and fantastic coffee. If you have dietary requirements, just let us know when booking.

Ahangama

Ahangama sits at the heart of Sri Lanka’s wave-rich south coast, with a wide choice of beach and reef breaks within easy reach – an amazing base for a week focused on progressing your surfing.

Beyond the waves, there’s plenty to explore: beautiful palm-lined beaches, excellent cafés, local shops and restaurants serving everything from fresh seafood to Sri Lankan curries.

Spend your free time exploring by tuk tuk, lingering over a post-surf coffee or watching the sunset by the ocean. With so much on the doorstep, there’s plenty to do whenever you fancy a break from your board.

Is this retreat for me?

We’ve chosen Sri Lanka for it’s accessible waves, warm water and ability to cater to all ability levels.

This retreat is perfect if…

• You’ve always wanted to learn to surf in a supportive environment.
• You’re already surfing and want to progress onto green waves.
• You’d love expert coaching that is tailored to your level.
• You’re travelling solo but don’t want to surf alone.
• You’re craving sunshine, adventure and time to reset.
• You want a holiday that’s active without feeling exhausting.

We are always happy to chat through any questions or concerns about choosing the right destination and retreat for you, so do drop us a line if you have any queries

Whats included?

INCLUSIONS: 7 NIGHT RETREAT

• Anytime airport transfers from Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo (CMB)
• 7 Nights accommodation in a beachfront Villa in Ahangama
• Daily Breakfasts
• Arrival and Departure evening meals
• 6 Full days of surf coaching (we aim to surf twice daily where conditions allow)
• Transport to all included activities
• Daily Yoga classes
• Surf theory
• Video Analysis
• Afternoon Trip to Galle
• Take home the videos and photos of you surfing
• Surf Sistas exclusive tote Bag packed with useful goodies
• Surf Sistas Host on hand to help you make the most of your time in Sri Lanka

OPTIONAL EXTRAS:

• Surfboard Rental
• Massage & spa treatments
• Optional cultural excursions eg. Sri Lankan cookery class, cinnamon plantation trip, Lake Boat Tour

How to Book

Bookings are open for 2027!

Please use the paypal links below to book your 2027 Surf & Yoga island retreat with us in Sri Lanka. You can choose to book with the full amount or pay a 30% deposit to reserve your space, with the remaining balance due in 2 instalments of 35% on 30th November 2026 and 31st December 2026.

Rooming on this retreat consists of 9 spaces;
2 x Seaview solo occupancy ensuite double rooms
2 x Seaview ensuite twin rooms
1 x Garden view triple room

If you are coming solo but would like to choose the room share option just book a space in a twin or triple room and we will match you with fellow solo travelling Surf Sista(s).

If the retreat of your choice is full please drop us a line to be added to the waitlist in case of cancellations.

Prices in Gbp British Pounds. Use www.xe.com to check the exchange rate with your currency

7 Night Retreat

30th January – 6th Feb 2027

6th – 13th February 2027

:: EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT AVAILABLE UNTIL 31.10.26 SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY ::

Room Type		Price per person	Early Bird Offer*
Shared triple ensuite room		£1950	£1750
Shared twin ensuite room		£2150	£1950
Solo occupancy double room		£2850	£2650

• Early bird offer until 31.10.26 while spaces are available

EARLY BIRD Sri Lanka Surf & Yoga Retreat 30 Jan – 6 Feb

Shared triple room per person – deposit only £525.00 GBP Shared triple room per person – Full Amount £1,750.00 GBP Shared twin room per person – deposit only £585.00 GBP Shared twin room per person – Full Amount £1,950.00 GBP Solo occ' double room – deposit Only £795.00 GBP Solo occ' double room – Full Amount £2,650.00 GBP

EARLY BIRD Sri Lanka Surf & Yoga Retreat 6-13 February 2027

Shared triple room per person – deposit only £525.00 GBP Shared triple room per person – Full Amount £1,750.00 GBP Shared twin room per person – deposit only £585.00 GBP Shared twin room per person – Full Amount £1,950.00 GBP Solo occ' double room – deposit Only £795.00 GBP Solo occ' double room – Full Amount £2,650.00 GBP

If you have any questions at all please do drop us a line here

Can’t make these dates?

Look out for more overseas trips in 2027 and a full programme of courses, weekends and retreats in Cornwall, UK. We run courses and weekends between April and October in our home location, beautiful Cornwall, catering for all abilities. Find out more here

FAQs

I can no longer attend, what are my options?

We understand that things happen that mean you can no longer join us. You can cancel your holiday at any time provided the cancellation is communicated to us in writing. We will retain your deposit and cancellation charges to the maximum as follows:

• Cancellations made 49 days or more before the retreat deposit only
• Cancellations made 30-49 days before the retreat 50% of total cost
• Cancellations made 21 – 30 days before the retreat 70% of total cost
• Cancellations made 20 days or fewer before the retreat – 100% of total cost

Please check our full terms and conditions before you book.

We recommend that you take out your travel insurance at the time that you book your spot with us. Travel insurance will cover you for most causes of cancellation.

How ‘good’ do I need to be?

This retreat is for all ability levels so if you are completely new to surfing or not that experienced that is no problem, Sri Lanka is a great place to learn!

Improver/intermediate surfers will benefit from an introduction to reef breaks and some approachable waves that are great for progression.

Experienced surfers will enjoy mellow reefs in an incredible location with video analysis and guidance from the Surf Sistas team.

Who can attend your retreats?

We welcome all age groups from 18 + on our Surf Sistas retreats so whatever age you are you will fit in just fine! We want to make our retreats and courses as inclusive as possible, if you have any concerns or specific needs please drop us a line

How physically fit do I need to be?

A good level of physical fitness is very beneficial for surfing. However don’t let your fitness be a barrier to learning to surf or getting back into surfing if its something you loved previously. You can take the retreat at your own pace and there is no better incentive and starting point for boosting your overall fitness level than a surf trip!

We aim to surf 2 x 2 hour sessions per day when conditions allow, and will be carrying boards to and from the beach car park, so expect to sleep amazingly well each night! We are not a boot camp and if you just want to surf one session per day or take a day off and explore or lie by the pool, then we encourage you to do so, its your holiday and we should all listen to our bodies and minds!

If you’re new to surfing and would like to try it out before committing to a full retreat away you could try one of our 2 Day Surf and Yoga weekends in Cornwall. Warning, this could be a new addiction!

Do you include accommodation?

Yes! Accommodation is included in a beautiful beachfront boutique villa with a pool. Stroll out of the front gate onto the beach, but keep an eye out for hatching baby turtles!

Is it ok to come on my own?

Absolutely! What we love about our retreats is the opportunity to bring women together in a shared, empowering and sociable space. You’ll be welcomed into a very supportive and fun environment. In our experience nothing is more bonding than a day enjoying the ocean together!   Fun fact – the majority of our guests are solo travellers!

I don’t feel very confident in the sea, will this be a problem?

We understand the sea can be a daunting place but we don’t want this to put you off. Our Surf Sistas coaches are all qualified Surf Lifesavers and we operate in Sri Lanka with a local guide who has an in depth knowledge of local conditions. You’ll be in safe hands during your time with us. If you are a little nervous, do let us know and we can talk through your concerns and ensure that we are adapting our coaching appropriately to your needs.

What should I bring?

• Surfboard & equipment (protective surfboard bag/sock, leash, fins, surf wax). If you don’t have one you can rent one with us, either tell us what you need or we can choose a suitable board for you.
• At least two sets of swimwear – check out our blog post on swimwear for tropical surfing
• A changing robe or beach sarong/towel
• A reusable water bottle
• Clothes: light comfortable clothing, bring modest clothing for visiting temples (Cover shoulders and knees)
• Lightweight Waterproof jacket for tropical showers
• Clothing for Yoga and activities
• Sun protection – ideally waterproof sunblock or zinc
• Sunhat (A surf hat is ideal to wear in the water)
• Sunglasses
• Mosquito Repellant
• Any personal medication or medical items (we will take a first aid kit + dry bag with us to the beach so you can store anything you need with you at the beach eg. an inhaler)
• A travel adapter for firing up your gadgets
• Passport!