This guide runs through a handful of the top-rated Nosara surf camps of the moment. It’s got the best options for yogis and beginner surfers in what we’d rate as one of the best surf towns in the country.
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.
More recently, Nosara has been on the up as a surf 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
This is also a part of our complete guide to surf camps
The Nomadic Hotel
The best overall surf stay in Nosara
- Location: Nosara
- Price: A week’s surf stay starting at $741 per (£595) person
It’s kinda’ rare that we highlight a standalone accommodation booking as the best surf camp in any particular destination. Typically, we try to focus on package offerings that include everything you need as standard, from board rental to surf lessons. The reason? You click book and it’s all sorted.
But there’s just something about the Nomadic Hotel in Nosara that’s convinced us to bend those rules. 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 10/10 on Booking.com!
It’s never a chore to organize surf lessons. Hop down to reception and they’ll make it happen in a jiffy – though since this isn’t a planned surf camp you will have to book lessons throughout the week. On the flip side, that means 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.
A note on why we partner with BookSurfCamps.com: Book Surf Camps are probably the biggest online aggregator of surf camps and surf-yoga packages in the world. We sounded out a quite a few potential partners before we affiliated with them. But, in the end, the abundance of choice for beginners, intermediates, and female-only surfing sealed it. We also love the simplicity of their booking system and the trusted brand name, along with the focus on connecting with homegrown local businesses on the ground.
Surf Bikini Retreat
The best women’s only surf camp in Nosara
- Location: Nosara
- Price: 8 days/7 nights starting at $2,844 (£2,283) per person
Surf Bikini Retreat is one of a few female-only surf camps in Costa Rica and it’s undoubtedly one of the best. They run an 8-day package that’s all about empowering guests to feel confident in the water.
That’s achieved over 18 hours of dedicated surf tuition in classes that are limited to 8 people per group, all backed up by one-on-one progress feedback that helps you really home in on your individual faults and areas that need attention. Seriously, it’s a fantastically comprehensive learner package and we’ve heard multiple people say they’ve been smashing it down the line by the end of it all.
You’ll be staying at the Surf Bikini Retreat House the whole time. It’s a fab base for surfs, designed with a touch of boho cool about it but with the charm of a proper Costa Rican escape. Outside, there’s a pool-bar areas where you can kick-back with margaritas (included in the cost of the trip) and get to know fellow guests. Rooms are spacious and deluxe – options include single occupancy and shared doubles or twins.
Shambala Retreat
Best surf camp in Nosara for yogis
- Location: Ostional
- Price: 7 days/6 nights starting at $1,964 (£1,577) per person
The Shambala Retreat really cut its teeth offering yoga packages that helped reset mind and body, broaden horizons, and develop connections with the natural world. All that still forms the backbone of their offering in Nosara, though they’ve now added a surf element to one of their 7-day packages that brings in up to eight hours of surfing to boot.
We rate this one as one of the finest packages out there for yogis looking to add more strings to their meditation bow. Under the extremely experienced guidance of in-house teacher Isabelle, guests get advanced Kundalini yoga and breathwork sessions, plus the chance to do Hatha yoga. All of that takes place on the oceanside shala, which has occasional views of the Pacific Ocean between the palm trees.
On the water, you’ll be going out with an ISA-certified teacher with experience working in Australia and Africa. It’s relaxed, informal, but effective tuition that focuses on harnessing the focus found in yoga to create meaningful connections with the waves; helping you feel your way into becoming a better surfer.
Olas Verdes Hotel (in conjunction with the Safari Surf School)
Best Nosara surf camp for families
- Location: Playa Guiones
- Price: 8 days/7 nights starting at $3,971 (£3,186) per person
The fantastically rated Olas Verdes Hotel now has its own surf school – the Surfari Surf School. And they’ve put together a package that combines a stay at their lovely lodge just a short walk through the palm groves from Guiones Beach with daily surf sessions guided by ISA-level coaches. The result? An option that’s got lots in the way of luxury but doesn’t compromise on the quality of surf teaching.
You’ll be out in the water every day. Each lesson is on Guiones itself, which is less than 50 meters’ walking away from the hotel. That means zero time wasted on transfers to the spots and plenty of opportunity to practice your surfing between sessions, since equipment is included in the price.
The hotel has a charming location between coconut trees and sea grapes, where it opens up onto a tiled garden with a bean-shaped pool. The suites themselves are colorful and comfy. You can book them as a single traveler or ask for combined rooms, which are perfect for larger travel groups who want to share or surfing families.
Selina Nosara
The best surf camp for digital nomads in Nosara
- Location: Nosara
- Price: A week’s surf stay starting at $426 (£342) per person
Some people hate em’, we like em’ – that’s where we stand on the Selina brand. Okay, so they’re now a downright behemoth of the surf-travel world; the corporate giant that has outlets from Portugal to Sri Lanka. But don’t write them off just because they’ve been successful. They’ve been successful for a reason!
What Selina do really well is comfy stays for a whole variety of travelers. If you want luxury, then there are cocktail bars on the rooftop and a pool waiting between the howler-monkey-filled forests. If you want a budget bed in a dorm with those frills on the side, they have shared stays with bunks that shouldn’t break the bank.
We always come back to were Selina really cut their teeth, though: Surf pads for digital nomads. They know what’s needed for a life of working and surfing and get all the basics right. You’ll have fast internet at home and uber-consistent waves on the beach nearby. What more could you ask for?
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!
