7 Incredible Costa Rica Surf Hotels [2024]

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• The Gilded Iguana – A stunning luxury pad with history in the heart of Nosara
• Arenas Del Mar – A sumptuous and opulent resort hotel in a quiet cove near Manuel Antonio National Park
• The Nomadic Hotel – Varying budgets will feel at home in this uber-chic boutique on Playa Guiones
• Surf Synergy Surf Camp – A hilltop escape that offers luxury and surf relatively close to San Jose
• The Green House – A very slick selection of eco villas amid the coast jungles of Santa Teresa
• Olas Verdes Hotel – A luxury surf hotel that’s just about perfect for families
• The Beach Bungalows – Quiet cabanas with a pool in the backstreets of Tamarindo

A revamp in 2017-18 took Iguana from cool to very cool. The place has been lauded by design mags and travel mags (yours truly included) the world over.

Staying true to the core principles of Guanacaste architecture, it’s still centered on a stilted bar-restaurant space that lets the air flow freely. Around that, there are a series of rooms and suites that are bohemian yet unpretentious, each of which artfully masters the surf-jungle aesthetic – think roofs of palm thatch, wicker light shades, and balconies that sprout into the rainforests to peer at howler monkeys and whatnot.

Stays are augmented by complimentary botanical soaps, plush bathrobes, organic tea and coffee whenever you want it, and desk spaces (just in case you do need to work).

The in-house surf club is highly respected in the Nosara area. They’ll organize lessons and rental in a jiffy, with qualified local and international coaches who can help you get started or take your surfing to the next level.

Location: Manuel Antonio

We know that Manuel Antonio is usually high on Costa Rican bucket lists. That’s why this seriously stunning resort makes it onto our list of the best surf hotels in Costa Rica. You can come here to explore the sloth-filled jungles one day and then hit the surf the next. They even have a private in-house instructor ready and waiting to help you learn, with one-on-one and family tuition options on the menu.

Now, to the hotel itself. This one’s gorgeous. A curvy infinity pool (which isn’t the only pool, at that!) peeks out from the gardens and spills straight onto the shoreline, where it meets a slender sliver of dark sand before the lapping Pacific Ocean. The rooms are super plush, with floor-to-ceiling windows in the seaview suites opening onto the water, monsoon showers, flat-screen TVs, high-speed WiFI, and more as standard.

This is the one to go for if you want high luxury living and proper R&R, and want to surf and see the amazing Manuel Antonio national park in the same trip.

Location: Nosara

Set just back from the trim-ready walls of gorgeous Playa Guiones, The Nomadic Hotel is something truly, truly special.

From the rooftop hangout space to the garden pool, it’s a lesson in elegant surf-chic styles. Everthing is artfully curated to produce a space that’s at once thought-provoking and relaxing, complete with timbered teak beds, geometric tiles, oodles of polished concrete (of course), and locally inspired art pieces on the walls.

What’s great is that The Nomadic isn’t just for the monied crowd. They’ve purposely tried to nurture a more diverse environment by offering hostel rooms (which are downright posh-tel rooms if you ask us) next to spacious private suites (such as The Nest, a pad that’s perfect for couples wanting a real home away from home)

Of course, there’s a pool on site; a salt-water one hidden under a canopy of palm trees.

You’ll never be more than 10 minutes from a wave at The Nomadic. A quick walk through the chilled backstreets towards the shore will bring you to Guiones’s lefts and rights; it’s a beach that has something for all levels depending on the tides and swell direction.

Surf Synergy Surf Camp

Surf Synergy

Location: Jaco

Location: Santa Teresa

Consistently rated among the top 10 rental pads in the surf town of Santa Teresa, The Green House is a regular recommendation here on The Surf Atlas.

There are plenty of reasons for that. But, first, just look at the location. These self-contained eco pads jut out from the emerald tops of the rainforests on the hills above the beach. They’ve got 180-degree panoramas of the monkey-filled coast forests because of it, and mean you’ll be truly immersed in that Puntarenas nature you’ve heard all about.

The hotel has just three self-contained unites to pick from: Mint, Moss, and Myrtle. They’re all roughly the same, though Mint is a touch more spacious. Each comes with an inviting splash pool that gazes through the jungles, a terrace for sunset watching, and its own kitchen-diner space, all of which is beautifully done out in natural woods and dark metals.

One thing to note: Be sure to rent a 4X4 if you’re planning on staying here. The hotel is hidden some 300 meters above Santa Teresa along a bumpy dirt track. It’s only 5 minutes’ driving to the surf but it’s a job for the off roader for sure.

Location: Playa Guiones

You can book this as a standalone hotel but we think the package they offer is great bang for buck. It includes daily surf lessons and eight days’ accomodation (just be sure to select the Olas Verdes Hotel option on Booksurfcamps.)

Location: Tamarindo

Run by uber-friendly Leti and Nico, this series of timber-built bungalows, nestled in the green jungles some 750 yards from the main Tamarindo Playa, is a fine place to bed down if you want to surf, chill, and surf some more (and then chill some more!)

The pads range from small cottage-style boltholes to bigger casitas that have air con. All have ensuite bathrooms and access to a central pool that’s surrounded by colorful Tico flowers and plants.

The breakfasts at the hotel are divine – think fresh fruit bowls and zingy fresh juices, followed by big omlettes and eggs topped with handpicked parsely, all finished with plenty of local Costa Rican coffee.

They organize surf lessons for $35 per person for group lessons and $65 per person for a private session. Just ask when you check in or message before you arrive.