The reformer and mat Pilates studios in Santa Teresa compared: This Way Movement, HAPPILATES, BODYKULT, fiSíQ and YU Wellness in Montezuma, with 2026 class prices and packs, booking apps, beginner classes and what works for surfers.
Santa Teresa has two reformer Pilates studios and one dedicated mat studio in 2026. This Way Movement on the main road is the premium reformer studio, HAPPILATES next to Nantipa is the reformer studio with the early and late slots, and BODYKULT is the mat Pilates, yoga, and strength studio with the clearest published prices, from $20 a class.
The short version
Three years ago Pilates here meant a mat class at a yoga shala. Now the town has two studios running brand new Merrithew V2max reformers with towers and stability chairs, which is better kit than most city studios, and a mat studio with a proper membership model. Reformer drop-ins run $30 to $40, mat classes $20, and intro packs and monthly memberships bring both down.
This Way Movement is the one to pick if you want small groups, privates, and a founder who teaches; HAPPILATES if you want a 50 minute reformer class at 8am before the surf or 5pm after it; BODYKULT if you want unlimited mat, yoga, and strength for $200 a month. fiSíQ at Playa Carmen is a small Pilates and fitness space worth a message, and YU Wellness Studio in Montezuma is the option if you are staying on that side of the peninsula.
This Way Movement
This Way Movement is on the main road in Santa Teresa, open 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 4:30pm at weekends, with a 5.0 Google rating from 154 reviews, the deepest record of any Pilates studio on the coast. The studio is new and describes itself as state of the art: Merrithew Pilates V2max Plus reformers, towers, and stability chairs, which is the same equipment you would find in a top studio in Copenhagen or Los Angeles. Founder Julie Pallesen is a certified yoga and Pilates instructor who blends classical Pilates with yoga and slow strength work, teaching small group classes and private sessions, and the studio also sells an online programme for when you leave.
Prices are not on the site, which takes bookings directly; regulars report reformer drop-ins in the $30 to $40 range and an intro offer of three group classes in ten days as the way in. The studio runs retreats too: a Pilates retreat in Ibiza in October 2026 and a mat Pilates teacher training in a private villa in Santa Teresa from 20 to 24 November 2026. Who it suits: anyone who already does reformer at home and wants the same standard, beginners who want a private first, and long stayers who want a monthly membership. The caveat: small groups mean the good slots fill in high season, so book the week ahead.
HAPPILATES Reformer Studio
HAPPILATES is 1.5 kilometres north of the cruce, next to Hotel Nantipa, and it runs reformer classes only: 50 minute sessions that blend classic Pilates with strength and athletic work for all levels, according to the class description on its Momoyoga schedule. Hours are 8am to noon and 4pm to 6pm Monday to Friday, 8am to noon Saturday, and 8am to 11am Sunday, and the schedule this week shows several classes a day with an 8am and a 5pm slot and waitlists on some, which tells you how small the classes are (three spots left on a Thursday morning). Google reviews are 5.0 from 101, and the teachers regulars name are Dora, Luis, and Merlin. Instruction is bilingual.
Book through the Momoyoga schedule linked from the listing, or by phone at +506 7119 5602. Prices are on the booking page rather than a public list, and guests at some nearby hotels get special pricing; expect the $30 to $40 reformer drop-in rate with packs bringing it down. Who it suits: surfers who want a reformer class at 8am before the wind turns, and anyone staying at the north end near Nantipa, Zeneidas, or Pranamar. The caveat: the split hours mean nothing between noon and 4pm, and the waitlists mean you cannot walk in.
BODYKULT
BODYKULT is on the second floor about 100 metres east of the old Selina in central Santa Teresa, open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 8am to 5:30pm Saturday, and 8am to 11:30am Sunday, with a 5.0 rating from 58 Google reviews. It is a mat studio: mat Pilates, yoga, and strength classes, no reformers, booked through Momence.
The prices are published and they are the clearest on this list. Drop-in $20 ($18 for Costa Rican citizens), a four class pack $72 ($18 a class, valid a month), an eight class pack $136 ($17 a class, valid two months), a twelve class pack $192 ($16 a class, valid three months). The KULT membership is $200 a month recurring or $240 for a single month, and $540 for three months, all unlimited. New customers can buy a seven day trial of unlimited classes at one class a day. Who it suits: anyone who wants to mix Pilates with yoga and strength on one pass, people staying a month, and anyone who finds reformer prices steep. The caveat: no reformers, so if the machine is the point, this is not the studio.
fiSíQ Pilates and Fitness
fiSíQ is a small Pilates and fitness space at Playa Carmen, open 8am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 3pm Saturday, closed Sunday. It has a single Google review (4.0), no website, and no published schedule, which means it is a WhatsApp first enquiry: ask what equipment it has, whether classes are group or private, and the price. Who it suits: someone at the cruce end of town who wants a private session without walking north. The caveat: with one review, I cannot tell you what you will find, so ask before you commit to a pack.
YU Wellness Studio (Montezuma)
YU Wellness Studio is in the gardens of Hotel Nya in Montezuma, entered through the hotel front desk, open 8am to 6pm daily, with a 5.0 Google rating from 13 reviews. It is a hotel wellness studio open to non guests, and it is the one to know if you are staying in Montezuma rather than Santa Teresa, 40 minutes away by road. Ask whether reformer or mat Pilates is on the schedule during your dates, because the programme changes with the teachers in residence. Who it suits: Montezuma stays. The caveat: it is a hotel studio, so the schedule is lighter than the Santa Teresa studios.
Reformer or mat
Reformer classes cost roughly double a mat class here, $30 to $40 against $20, and the machine earns that when you are a beginner (the springs guide the movement and the instructor can see what your hips are doing) or when you are rehabbing a surf shoulder. Mat classes are cheaper, easier to find at odd hours, and travel with you to the beach. If you have never done Pilates, start with one reformer class at This Way Movement or HAPPILATES with a teacher watching, then decide whether to buy a pack there or at BODYKULT.
For surfers, the reformer work on hip mobility, thoracic rotation, and single leg stability is exactly the stuff that makes a pop up cleaner, and both reformer studios have regulars who surf every morning. If you want the surf specific version with a coach, DFI Surf Training at Somos is covered in the gyms guide.
How to choose
| Studio | Where | Type | Drop-in | Packs and memberships | Booking | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This Way Movement | Main road, Santa Teresa | Reformer, small group and private | $30 to $40 (reported) | Intro 3 classes in 10 days, monthly | Website | Mon to Fri 7 to 6, weekends 9 to 4:30 |
| HAPPILATES | Next to Nantipa, 1.5 km north of cruce | Reformer, 50 min | $30 to $40 (reported) | Packs on Momoyoga | Momoyoga, +506 7119 5602 | Mon to Fri 8 to 12 and 4 to 6, Sat 8 to 12, Sun 8 to 11 |
| BODYKULT | 2nd floor, 100 m east of old Selina | Mat Pilates, yoga, strength | $20 | 4 for $72, 8 for $136, 12 for $192, $200 a month | Momence | Mon to Fri 8 to 8, Sat 8 to 5:30, Sun 8 to 11:30 |
| fiSíQ | Playa Carmen | Pilates and fitness, ask | Ask | Ask | Mon to Fri 8 to 5:30, Sat 9 to 3 | |
| YU Wellness | Hotel Nya, Montezuma | Yoga and movement, ask about Pilates | Ask | Ask | Hotel desk | Daily 8 to 6 |
BODYKULT's prices are from its own site in September 2026. The reformer drop-in range is what regulars report and what local wellness guides quote; confirm on the booking page before you buy a pack.
Practical notes
Book through the app before you go. Both reformer studios run capped classes with waitlists, HAPPILATES on Momoyoga and BODYKULT on Momence, and This Way Movement through its site. Right now in late September you can get into most classes the day before; from December you should book the week ahead, and the 8am reformer slots go first.
Buy the intro pack first. This Way Movement's three classes in ten days and BODYKULT's seven day trial are the cheapest way to find out whether you like the studio before you commit to a month, and both are limited to new customers.
Bring grip socks for the reformer and ask when you book whether the studio sells them, because the shops in town do not. Bring water. Classes run 50 to 60 minutes, and the afternoon reformer slot at HAPPILATES ends at 6pm, in time for sunset at Playa Carmen.
Pay in dollars or colones; the packs and memberships are priced in dollars and bought online. If you are here for a season, the monthly memberships work out at about $7 a class at BODYKULT on daily use, which is the cheapest structured movement in town. For yoga alongside your Pilates, see the yoga studios guide, and for the recovery side, spas, sauna and ice baths. Browse every studio at the /directory/heal hub.
FAQ
How much is a Pilates class in Santa Teresa?
Mat Pilates is $20 a drop-in at BODYKULT, with packs from $16 to $18 a class and unlimited months at $200. Reformer classes at This Way Movement and HAPPILATES run $30 to $40 a drop-in, with intro packs and memberships bringing that down. All prices are in dollars and bought through the studios' booking pages.
Is there reformer Pilates in Santa Teresa?
Yes, two studios. This Way Movement on the main road and HAPPILATES next to Nantipa both run new Merrithew V2max reformers with towers and stability chairs in small group classes, and This Way Movement also teaches privates. Both fill in high season, so book through their apps a week ahead.
Which Pilates studio is best for beginners?
HAPPILATES, whose 50 minute reformer classes are written for all levels and whose small class sizes mean the teacher sees everyone, or a private at This Way Movement if you want one on one for your first session. BODYKULT's mat classes are the gentle, cheaper way in if the machine intimidates you.
Can I do Pilates at 7am before surfing?
HAPPILATES opens at 8am and runs its first reformer class then, Monday to Saturday. This Way Movement opens at 7am on weekdays, and BODYKULT opens at 8am every day. Check the app schedule for the exact first class, since it changes with the season and the teachers.
Do the Pilates studios sell monthly memberships?
BODYKULT sells an unlimited KULT membership at $200 a month recurring, $240 for one month, or $540 for three months, plus class packs. This Way Movement and HAPPILATES sell packs and memberships through their booking pages, priced on request. A month of daily mat classes at BODYKULT works out under $7 a class.
Is Pilates good for surfing?
Yes, and it is why both reformer studios are full of surfers. Reformer work on hip mobility, thoracic rotation, core stability, and single leg balance transfers directly to paddling and pop ups. Pair a morning surf with a late afternoon reformer class, or a rest day mat class at BODYKULT.
