Nosara Surf Camps & Surf Stays: 5 Fine Options for the Coming Season
Nosara is neatly placed midway down the Nicoya Peninsula, roughly half the distance between the party-surf mecca of Tamarindo and the upcoming surf territory of Santa Teresa.
It’s long been whispered about as the chilled escape of the region; a place where morning Yin yoga to the sunrise is the way to start the day and sunset watching in the company of howler monkeys is how you end it.
More recently, Nosara has been on the up as a surf town and camp hotspot. The main reason for that goes by the name of Playa Guiones. That’s a long sweep of coffee-tinged sand that has perhaps the most consistent surf in the country. No joke.
Plus, it’s all-level stuff, with the primary swell that can hollow out moving to secondary breakers and whitewash that’s perfect for total beginners.
Add on top of that a stunning location between a halo of jungle-covered hills, a couple of cool beach bars with sunset views you’ll never forget, and a range of truly fantastic upcoming surf camps with quality tuition.
Only then do you start to see why we’re quite so passionate about the places we list below…
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
>>This is just one part of our complete overall guide to surfing in Costa Rica and our complete guide to surf camps
Quick-click links to our top surf camps in Nosara
- Surf Simply – Ultra-effective and professional surf teaching from a camp that everyone’s talking about
- The Nomadic – Luxury surf village that oozes style
- Barefoot Surf Travel – Exceptional surf coaching with 2:1 student-teacher ratio
- The Gilded Iguana – One of the original Nosara surf stays – been going since the 80s’!
- Surf Bikini Retreat – A surf camp solely for women
Surf Simply
Ultra-effective and professional surf teaching from a camp that everyone’s talking about
Surf Simply is probably the closest thing you’ll find to a university of surfing. This is a seriously professional operation that’s earned glowing reviews and coverage in everything from The New York Times to Forbes, largely thanks to its incredibly detailed approach to teaching the sport.
Forget vague instructions about bending your knees or looking down the line. The team of nine ISA and ILSF-qualified coaches breaks surfing into specific skills, using video analysis, theory sessions and personalized feedback to help you understand exactly what needs improving.
There are never more than 14 guests in a given week, so attention is plentiful. Lessons take place on the consistent beach breaks of Playa Guiones, which offer suitable waves for beginners and experienced surfers alike – key to the progression narrative here.
The accommodation is pretty special, too, occupying an award-winning boutique resort where meals, airport transfers and plenty of the little extras are taken care of. It’s 200 meters from the waves, has a pool, and is spectacularly designed throughout by leading architects.
Price wise, it’s certainly a premium option, but for surfers serious about progressing, few camps look quite as thorough and get quite the plaudits as this one!
The Nomadic
Luxury surf village that oozes style
The Nomadic is surely among the most exclusive and boutique surf hotels that we’ve seen in the whole of Central America.
It’s a special, special place.
The whole thing is designed beautifully. It’s part Costa Rican cabana part slick lifestyle hotel. The architecture – Ibizan whitewash meets Balinese polished concrete – is stunning. The communal areas, from the squiggly pool to the thatched rooftop, are some of the best we’ve seen.
It’s not for nothing that it nearly scores over 9/10 on Booking.com and continues to reign as one of our recs in the town since we first started ranking things back in 2023.
It’s never a chore to organize surf lessons. Hop down to reception and they’ll make it happen in a jiffy. And surf is just part of it. You can add in any number of other enthralling activities, from spearfishing trips to horse riding on Playa Guiones.
One tip: Book this one early! It always fills up fast for the whole season.
Barefoot Surf Travel
Exceptional surf coaching with 2:1 student-teacher ratio
Barefoot Surf Travel is another of Nosara’s big hitters when it comes to technical surf coaching. Their seven-day retreats are designed specifically for beginners and intermediates, with an impressive 2:1 student-to-instructor ratio that promises far more personal attention than the average surf school.
There are five coached sessions during the week, each followed by individual video analysis, plus five theory workshops and a personalized progression plan. You even get a year’s access to Barefoot’s online coaching platform after leaving – and that really is da bomb; it’s helped loads of people I know iron out the technicals and bad habits in their own time.
So, there’s a serious amount of learning packed into one trip here! The camp makes use of the sandy-bottomed peaks at Playa Guiones, just as all the good ones in Nosara should. They are essentially a playground for building confidence on green waves and practicing those first proper turns.
Accommodation is in stylish private or shared bungalows, set in tropical gardens with a saltwater pool just six minutes’ walk from the beach. Daily breakfasts, two yoga sessions, a mangrove SUP excursion and airport transfers are included.
At $4,450 per person, it’s not cheap, but the coaching credentials look excellent.
The Gilded Iguana
One of the original Nosara surf stays – been going since the 80s’!
The Gilded Iguana is something of a Nosara institution. It started life as a little bar back in 1986, long before Playa Guiones became the international surfing hotspot it is today.
Fast-forward four decades and the original backpacker hangout has transformed into one of the town’s most polished surf hotels, complete with a swimming pool, spa, restaurant and its very own surf club. The latter is the real reason we’ve included it here.
Located just 200 meters from the beach, the club offers lessons with local instructors, board rentals covering everything from soft-tops to performance shortboards and handy facilities like lockers and changing rooms.
There are also dedicated three- and five-day progression packages with video analysis for those who want to take things more seriously.
We particularly like the flexibility. You can book individual lessons, commit to a coaching package or simply rent a board and do your own thing. A cracking choice for surfers who prefer hotel comforts without losing touch with Nosara’s surfing roots, or those who like to surf on their own schedule.
Surf Bikini Retreat
A surf camp solely for women
Surf Bikini Retreat is a little different from the other camps on this list. For starters, it’s exclusively for women, with an all-female coaching team and a maximum of just eight surfers per week.
The retreat was founded by Adilia, a local Nosara surfer who wanted to create a welcoming space for women to learn, improve and enjoy the waves together.
(At that juncture, we’ll say this: Genius. The surf industry probably suffers more than most from sexist teaching, and this is a fricking awesome way to solve that problem, to create a welcoming and accessible place where women can concentrate on surfing from check in to check out._
We particularly like how much surfing is squeezed into the seven-night packages. You get 18 hours of professional coaching, four video analysis sessions and two theory classes, all centered on the consistent beach breaks of Playa Guiones.
Beginners are welcome, but there’s plenty here for intermediates wanting to improve their technique, too.
Back at the retreat, the experience is decidedly polished, with daily yoga, massages, a sauna, cold plunge and freshly prepared meals. Airport transfers are also included.
There are even special retreats for women over 40 and mothers traveling with daughters.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
