There are many reasons why one might want to experience the Pura Vida in Costa Rica: their tropical vibe, year-round sunshine, water temperature around 27°, the friendly locals, the breathtaking beaches & mesmerizing sunsets, and the waves. It’s the ideal destination for those looking to explore new places & biodiversity and connect with nature and themselves.
Costa Rica is a dreamy destination and is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most popular surf destinations. Its uniqueness is due to the fact that it benefits from having surf on both the Pacific and the Caribbean coastline, which results in consistent waves all year round for every surfer level.
Whether you’re looking for a low-budget, all-inclusive, or luxury surf camp, you’ll find that Costa Rica offers a whole lot of options suited to all types of travellers and you can find below our list of 8 Surf & Yoga Camps in Costa Rica, including their location, prices and relevant info about the camps.
Some relevant information before visiting the country: 1) it’s one of the safest and stable countries in South America, 2) Costa Rica uses both Colones (local currency) and USD. 1000 colones = 2 USD, 3) no visa required for trips less than 90 days, 4) low season aka Winter is from May to November & high season aka Summer is from December to April.
Location: Bahia Ballena-Uvita
When: all year long
Price range: 1595 - 1795 USD
Accommodation: private 3-floor lodge, 20min walking distance to the beach
What’s included: 6 nights at the lodge + 1 night in San Jose; transportation to and from the airport and to the surf lesson spot; 5 surf lessons; 5 yoga lessons; some of the meals; and activities such as walking tour, waterfall visit and one hour massage.
Bodhi Surf + Yoga was founded in 2010 by three surfers and a yogini, from various corners of the world, who wished to create a business whose purpose is to facilitate high-quality surf and yoga instruction, as well as to help shape responsible surfers and yoginis through ocean awareness & safety and yoga philosophy.
Their mission statement is “Educating, inspiring, and empowering our stakeholders to live more sustainably through surfing, yoga, nature immersion, and community engagement.” which aims to promote responsible tourism, while embracing the concept of community and bringing the guests closer to nature.
Bodhi is certified as a B Corporation, which means having met “rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency”.
They are located at Bahia Ballena-Uvita, and host 3 different modalities of camps: Bodhi Sessions, a one-week adult surf & yoga camp; Bodhi Family, a one-week surf camp for families; and Bodhi Awaken, a two week bodysurfing, ocean awareness, surf & yoga retreat.
At the camps, there are both theory lessons, that teach the fundamentals of surfing, and practice lessons. Those are held at Playa Colonia, a beach at Marino Bellena National Park, where the groups are small to ensure the instructors are able to help, advise and give more personalized feedback to the guests, according to their needs.
Bodhi has 4 lodging options, hosting a maximum of 10 guests per week, either in rooms or bungalows, depending on how many guests are there, with private bathrooms. The bungalows have a kitchenette and the rooms have access to a shared kitchen on the ground floor, where the dining and social area are located. There’s also a yoga studio on the top level and a meditation/reading room on the ground floor at disposal of their guests.
2. Surf simply
Location: Playa Guiones, Nosara
When: all year long
Price range: 6562 - 11.784 USD
Accommodation: resort in the nature reserve
What’s included: 7 nights (Saturday - Saturday); transfer to and from the campsite; surf coaching in-water or video; daily surf theory lesson; video feedback; pool training; all meals (except Wednesday lunch and dinner); stretch classes; 2 massage sessions; photos from surfing; video footage; bicycles; all surfing equipment.
Founded by Rupert Hill in 2007 out of the back of his car, Surf Simply is nowadays a high-end coaching resort that books out a year in advance. Besides the resort in Costa Rica, they also run coaching courses in Peru, the UK, and in the past in Indonesia and France.
The C.R. resort is located at Playa Guiones, Nosara, right by the beach, on the edge of the nature reserve.
The luxurious building holds an award for minimizing environmental impact both during construction and everyday operation, through technologies that minimize energy and water usage.
It has 10 bedrooms, with king-size beds, A/C, wi-fi and a desk, a shared living and dining area, a pool, and a hot tub.
Surf Simply coaching approach is to increase quality by staying small and limited, to only 12 surfers a week. These 12 guests are instructed by a team of 9 qualified surf instructors, that ensure effective mechanisms for coaching the students at whatever level they are at. For that, they rely on theory lessons and video analysis, a part of the coaching in water.
Their motto is “We don’t teach you how to surf. We teach you how to teach yourself how to surf, or surf better through a combination of video feedback, theory lessons, and in-water coaching”.
On their website, they also provide a series of surf tutorials, explaining how the sport and water condition works and also with cool tips for enhancing performance.
Location: Southern Costa Rica and Northern Costa Rica - at Playa Grande
When: all year long
Price range: 1900 - 2250 USD
Accommodation: depends on location
What’s included: 7 nights (Saturday - Saturday); 4 meals per day and non-alcoholic beverages; two-way airport shuttle; surf lessons/coaching; video and photos of the trip; daily yoga classes and other activities (like boat trips, hiking, ladies night out); surfboard rental; and video coaching.
Surf with Amigas was founded by Holly Beck, a surfer from California, and its an all-inclusive surf and yoga retreat for women, looking to empower, support and inspire other women to surf, in a positive way. They welcome all ages, body types, and skill levels at their camps located in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, and Morocco, with a team of experienced lady instructors that will tailor each class to the needs of the surfers.
Apart from surfing and their daily yoga classes (with certified yoga instructors), they also organize other activities throughout the week, to ensure their guests get immersed in the local scenery and explore the surroundings. Activities such as horseback riding at the beach, hiking to waterfalls, experiencing the traditional cuisine at the local street markets, and a beach party with a bonfire.
In Costa Rica, they host retreats at a variety of locations in the North and South of the country.
The Northern Costa Rica camp is great for women of all levels, but they suggest it particularly for first time surfers due to the sandy easy waves for learning to stand up and ride their first waves.
Here, the accommodation consists of an 8 room boutique hotel, with two beds each, A/C, fans, and ensuite bathroom. Just a short walk from the beach, this resort has a pool and several hammocks. Private rooms are available upon request, for 250$ extra.
The Southern Costa Rica camp is hosted at various locations and accommodation types, the Jungle Retreat, Pura Vista Retreat, and LongBoard Surf House.
The Jungle Retreat, for beginner and intermediate surfers, is an eco-lodge located in a biological reserve overlooking the ocean. The cabanas are eco-friendly, featuring a large window, with shared rooms of 2-4 people, an ensuite bathroom, and fans. Outside there’s a covered restaurant area where the meals are served and an open-air platform for the daily yoga classes. At this resort, there’s cell service but no wifi.
The Pura Vista Retreat, offers a more luxurious accommodation a few weeks per year, in a house just 200m from the beach with fantastic views. The house has 4 rooms, 2-3 guests on each, a living room with A/C and wi-fi, and an infinity pool. Here, the food is catered by a local chef.
At the Longboard Surf House, the guests can stay at one of two houses, on a tropical property in front of the beach. The houses feature private rooms and shared by 2 guests, with a dining and living room area, A/C or fans, swimming pool, and a patio for the yoga lessons.
Surf With Amigas also offers Co-ed/Couple Friendly Surf Yoga retreats per year, where all ages and genders are welcome to join, in order to give the opportunity for couples, families, friends that travel together to experience the camp together.
In case you’re a more experienced surfer and you’re looking to work on perfecting manoeuvres and learn how to barrel, they also host Advanced Level Coaching Clinics.
Location: Nicoya Peninsula, Santa Teresa
When: December and January
Price range: 1208 USD
Accommodation: Griss Lodge, jungle wooden lodge by the beach
What’s included: 7 nights (Saturday - Saturday); daily workshops and training sessions; at least 1 surf lesson per day, 6 days; 1 yoga or meditation 6 days; daily brunch; every equipment for surfing; photoshoot; and video analysis for feedback. Transfer from San Jose airport at an additional fee of 125 USD.
Surfakademin is a travel company from Sweden, that organizes surf & yoga retreats all over the world, year-round, at wonderful destinations like Costa Rica, Biarritz (France), Galicia (Spain), Sri Lanka, and California. Since the summer of 2006, they have taught over 10,000 students.
Their Costa Rica camp is located at the Nicoya Peninsula in Santa Teresa, in the middle of the jungle. Beautiful and cosy wooden houses at the Griss Lodge, with a pool and yoga/work out deck. Each cabin comes with a kitchen, fully equipped bathrooms, and A/C, to be shared by 3 to 6 guests. There's a possibility to book studios with private bathrooms for an additional cost.
All the surf instructors are members of the International Surfing Association and are internationally certified lifeguards with extensive experience teaching every level of students, from beginners to coaching professional surfers. The group of students is divided by experience so that everyone can progress at their own pace. Additionally to the coaching done at the beach, they also offer surfing theory, etiquette, and history of surf lessons.
A typical day at the camp starts at dawn to see the sunrise from the water, followed by the first surfing lesson of the day, a delicious brunch back at the lodge, and some chilling time by the pool. In the afternoon it’s time for the second session and a yoga or meditation class. The day finishes at one of Santa Teresa’s restaurants.
Location: Osa Peninsula
When: all year long
Price range: 1950 - 2350 USD
Accommodation: remote eco-friendly jungle lodge
What’s included: 7 nights (Saturday - Saturday); 6 days surf coaching; meals and non-alcoholic beverages; surf theory classes; video analysis; daily yoga class; 1:1 feedback; airport transfer; daily transport to and from surf breaks; other activities (horseback riding, jungle hike to a waterfall, snorkelling, and whale & dolphin spotting); professional surf photos at an additional cost.
Rise Up was born in 2009 in Nicaragua by Phil’s passion for surfing and desire to live a healthy balanced lifestyle. Soon evolved to Rise Up Retreats, back in 2018, when Corina joined the project. Together they choose carefully the destinations to host retreats where they felt a personal connection, such as Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Barbados.
The Costa Rica camp is located at the Osa Peninsula, one of the most unique surf spots in Costa Rica, where the breaks are inside the gulf and the waves are mellow and turquoise blue.
It’s hosted on a 9 bedroom remote jungle lodge, surrounded by lush vegetation and wildlife, only two minutes walking from the breaking point. At the property, there’s a second-story deck where the daily yoga classes are held by experienced teachers and a pool.
Rise Up is a surf & yoga retreat for everyone, beginners, intermediates, or experienced surfers, and yoginis are all welcomed. They offer a highly personalized all-inclusive surf and yoga experience for those looking for connection, authenticity, and adventure.
The week starts with an assessment of the guest’s personal goals and aspirations for the camp, then they are paired with a surf coach who will project a week’s program adapted to the experience level and goals of each student, ensuring that everyone will advance their surfing abilities, no matter what level they start at. They also organize several adventures around the region, such as horse riding, volcano hikes, paddleboarding to remote estuaries, and learning traditional cuisine.
Location: Playa Hermosa, Nicoya Peninsula
When: all year (except September and October)
Price range: 1125 - 1925 USD
Accommodation: private villas & rooms
What’s included: 5/7 nights with private bathrooms; meals (except lunch) and non-alcoholic beverages; daily surf lesson (Monday-Saturday); unlimited use of surf and snorkel equipment; daily yoga class.
Shaka Costa Rica was founded in 2008 by Frank Bauer as a surf school. Rapidly grew to a surf and yoga retreat, with the help of his co-owner, Mike Bienz, who became part of the business in 2013. Both are passionate about surfing and surfing in the Hermosa area, where the villa is located.
Playa Hermosa provides the perfect conditions all year long, to either start your surfing career or to the more experienced surfers during the wet season when the swell can produce larger conditions that are more suited for surfers seeking to advance their skills in the water.
The size of the group of classes is of a maximum of 3 students per coach, tailored to the level and previous surf experience, providing this way more individual attention to each student.
The location of the lodge is relatively remote (there’s wi-fi but no cell reception), nestled in a tropical garden and wildlife, composed of spacious private villas and rooms (with their private bathrooms), accommodating up to 3 guests, a common area, open-air palm-roofed rancho with hammocks, where the communal dinners are held, and a jungle yoga studio.
Shaka offers two unique packages of 5 or 7 days to choose from, starting on any day of the week. The Surf Package designed for both beginners and intermediate surfers (with everything included) and the Chill Package, for those non-surfers who still want to enjoy the other perks of Shaka, like the daily yoga classes.
A typical day at the camp starts with a delicious sunrise snack, followed by a surf lesson and brunch back at the lodge. In the afternoon, a yoga class is taught by an experienced yoga teacher finishing with dinner at 6:30 pm.
Location: Santa Teresa, Nicoya Peninsula
When: all year long
Price range: 550 - 1700 USD
Accommodation: Believe lodge (shared rooms and lofts); Believe Villas; Hotel Tropino Latino
What’s included: depends on the package, plus the option to customize it
Believe Surf camp is located at the Nicoya Peninsula, in Santa Teresa.
They offer a variety of curated packages from 4 to 7nights, combining surf, daily yoga, meals, and other activities. But it’s also possible to plan and customize your surf & yoga package, choosing the dates, type of accommodation, amount of meals, surf and yoga classes, other activities, and airport transfer, at your desire.
There are different types of accommodation, depending on how/who you’re traveling with and your personal style, in their two properties located in Santa Teresa.
The Believe Lodges, one minute away from the beach, offers shared rooms and lofts, great for solo travelers or friends traveling together. It has a yoga deck, pool, and a common area to share with other guests of the Lodge.
And the Believe Villas, which are a set of four villas surrounded by tropical trees and gardens, is the perfect space for couples and families traveling together due to their privacy. They are within walking distance from the beach and lodge.
Surf classes happen on the beaches of Santa Teresa, where the waves are gently allowing the surfers to develop skills and confidence in the water. They are around 90min and vary depending on the level and previous experience from the students, with a maximum of 3 per instructor, allowing it to be properly observed and receive more personalized feedback.
All of Believe’s surf instructors are certified and have Safety in water as their main priority, meaning that if the weather and sea conditions are not the safest for everyone they will reschedule the session.
Their goal is “that everyone, no matter his or her level, age or previous experience, can enjoy and learn how to surf. We want everyone to believe in his or her own capabilities and grow in confidence in the sea”.
On a daily basis, there are four yoga classes throughout the day, at the deck, for every level of experience, given by skilled teachers, allowing the guest to choose a more convenient time and suited yoga style and level.
8. Mokum Surf Club
Location: Punta Banco, Pavones
When: August & September
Price range: 1225 - 1450 USD
Accommodation: ocean view 6 person dorm, shared cabin or luxury cabin at Rancho Burica,
What’s included: 7 nights; daily surf lesson with coaching; surf equipment; surf theory classes and video analysis; daily yoga; all meals and non-alcoholic beverages; Bbq night; boat trip to Matapalo; beach bonfire; 1x massage; horseback riding; baby turtle releasing; airport transfer.
Mokum Surf Club was founded by the Dutchies Marthe and Jonne, in an attempt to turn the fast life they live in Amsterdam into a more relaxed, less materialistic, slow-paced one.
They started to organize retreats to enlighten the fire they got after their first surf lesson, back in Australia, hoping to provide that same feeling to their guests.
They organize retreats in Costa Rica and are scheduled to host more in other parts of the world like Spain, Nicaragua and, Panama, always in off the grid locations.
The C.R. one is located in the small town of Punta Banco, in a beautiful hideout called Rancho Burica, where the guests can sleep in the jungle surrounded by sounds of nature and all sorts of wild animals. The accommodation, just a few steps from a deserted beach, consists of a 6-bed dorm or shared cabins, and a private luxury cabin. In the garden, there’s a waterfall, a mirador up the hill overlooking the Pacific ocean, where the yoga classes are held and lots of hammocks.
Their packages are very complete, besides the all-inclusive accommodation in the middle of the jungle, it includes daily surf and yoga lessons, with surf theory and video drone analysis for feedback in the water, one massage, a horseback riding trip to discover the surrounding area of Punta Banco, a full day-trip boat to Matapalo, a turtle walk to see the baby turtle eggs hatch and find their way to the ocean and they also host a barbecue night and a beach bonfire where everyone can socialize
Surf lessons happen at the Punta Banco beaches, with a possibility to visit and surf more spots around the area, including the world-class surf break at Pavones. This area has many surf breaks suitable for beginners, intermediates and advanced surfers.
Interviewed by Inês Monney
Interior architect and designer, passionate about anything Art related. Travel, Ocean, Nature and Sunset lover 〰 Inês is collaborating with Surfpreneurs Club as an intern, looking to inspire and be inspired.
