7 Best Surf Hostels in Costa Rica for 2025
Surf hostels in Costa Rica promise some of the prime waves of Central America for less. Discover our curated picks of budget stays from Nosara to Tamarindo and beyond – they’re some seriously lovely places.
Costa Rica might just have some of the best surf stays on the planet.
It’s all down to the sheer abundance of fricking awesome surf towns that pepper this cut-out of Central America.
Strung along some of the most delicious Pacific coastline you’ve ever laid your eyes on, they dot the Nicoya Peninsula in the north, the Osa Peninsula in the south, and all the black-sand, wave-rich beaches in between.
So, there’s LOADS to get through.
Plus, there’s cracking variety in the surf accommodations of Costa Rica.
In the same place, you can get uber-luxurious five-star hotel resorts with infinity pools and chocolate spas and super-simple hostels that will set you back less than $25 per night, both of them within walking distance of some of uber-consistent beach breaks and point breaks that suit all levels.
We’ve already got guides to the finest surf hotels and surf camps in here, so this guide to the best surf hostels in Costa Rica will focus in on the more budget end of the spectrum, with a look at some of the finest shoestring accommodation in the land of Pura Vida.
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 all around the world
Quick-click links to book our top surf hostels in Costa Rica
- Zeneidas Surf Garden [Santa Teresa] – Right on the beachfront, this is a super-sociable surf hostel with plenty of style
- Habitat Surf Glamp [Santa Teresa] – Tents with a difference, only 2 minutes from the beach in Santa Teresa
- Pipe House Playa Grande [Tamarindo] – An intriguing eco stay on Tamarindo’s best surf beach
- Selina Nosara [Nosara] – Gorgeous co-work and surf hostel with loads of extras
- Casa Pura Vida Surf Hostel [Tamarindo] – Bargain beds in a homey setting – with an all-new pool!
- Selina Jaco [Jaco] – Beachfront hostel with free yoga and amazing co-work facilities
- Roots Family [Puerto Viejo de Talamanca] – A home away from home on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica
Prefer a surf camp? We have a complete guide to the best surf camps in Costa Rica. Or do you have the budget for a hotel? We’ve got a guide to the top hotels for surfers in Costa Rica too!
Zeneidas Surf Garden
It’s possible to book complete surf packages at Zeneidas Surf Garden and they’re so darn good that we rate this one as the single best surf camp on offer in Santa Teresa for the 2024/25 season. That’s pretty good going, considering Santa Teresa is one of the most popular learn-to-surf spots in the country right now.
But you don’t have to fork out $2k for a week-long stay that includes surf lessons and mediation practice if you don’t have the cash.
You can also book Zeneidas on its own, and rates are surprisingly wonderful: We’re talking from around $13 per night in mixed dorms.
The cheapest rooms tend to be with fans only, but there are also options with AC, and some with ensuite bathrooms dedicated to just your dormitory, which adds extra comfort for only a few dollars more per night.
Zeneidas has carved out a unique spot for itself on the Santa Teresa strip. It’s at once lively and relaxing. Evening sunset barbeques and beer sessions quickly run into morning yoga classes, which you can book onto on a pay-as-you-go basis once you’ve checked in.
The style of the place is simply wonderful – think wood-carved building work, a graffiti-painted communal area, leafy outdoor spaces for kicking back in, and gravel gardens that sprout ferns and orchids.
Finally, there’s the location. It’s simply the best you can get in Santa Teresa, with one door opening wide to face the beachfront. As they say in their own words: this is the “only hostel in Santa Teresa located on the beach”
Habitat Surf Glamp
The second of our top picks for surf hostel stays in Santa Teresa, Habitat Surf Glamp is only a stone’s throw down the main coast road from Zeneidas Garden, which means it’s also super-duper close to the beachfront and all those frothing A-frame waves that this corner of the Nicoya Peninsula seems to hoover up month after month.
This one offers something a little different: A semi-indoor glamping experience that’s both comfy and affordable.
Basically, they’ve strung up spacious safari-style tents inside a thatched cabana. Each comes equipped with its own fan and access to a very nice shared bathroom with a walk-in shower. To put it another way, these aren’t the sort of tents you need to duck into and lay down so you don’t bang your head.
(It’s also worth noting that you can score more classic-style dorm beds here if you had a couple more dollars per evening to spare).
It’s the communal spaces that get this one a place on this list. Their chilled and charming, including BBQ areas for your evening get-togethers with other guests and verandah seating for watching the monkeys and the palms after long surf sessions.
The hostel also has a board and bicycle rental service.
Pipe House Playa Grande
Pipe House Playa Grande sits just over the mouth of the Tamarindo rivermouth from the town itself. That means it’s got a chilled vibe away from the hustle and bustle of all the bars and restaurants, of which there are gazillions in this surf-party mecca.
But that’s not the only USP here.
There’s also the intriguing pod-style rooms. They’re set in short sections of concrete tubing – hence the Pipe House name! Each is just about big enough to fit a double bed, an air-con unit, and a small bedside table space. Think of it as the best darn pod hostel you’ve ever seen.
The whole place is centered on a lush outdoor communal area that’s shaded by two big trees. Given that there are only usually 10-12 people staying in the pipes each night, it’s the go-to gathering spot each evening, which nurtures a friendly atmosphere and plenty of late-night chatting beside the firepit.
Yea, Tamarindo and all its energy is a walk away, but you might not wanna’ leave. Playa Grande, a whole run of gorgeous beige-hued sand with some of the very best tubing rights and pitching A-frames in the region, is literally a few steps away. It’s definitely better for more advanced surfers but can cater to everyone.
Selina Nosara
No rundown of the very best surf hostels in Costa Rica could possibly skip out on Selina. This brand makes some of its very finest editions in the land of Pura Vida and the one on the shores of chilled Nosara surely has to be a leading contender.
It looks simply incredible. The outdoor communal spaces include a sprawling deck that’s shaded by lanky palm trees, and a wrap-around walking terrace that leads down to the swimming pool – sorry, swimming pools! – below.
Inside, it’s got a trademark Central American feel that incorporates oodles of rich wood, polished concrete, and wicker lighting, an aesthetic which informs both the premium double rooms but also the more affordable shared dorms – mhmm, there’s no skimping for the shoestring travelers here!
A range of nighttime entertainments in the form of DJs, free yoga classes for everyone, and hotdesking facilities make it a fantastic choice for pretty much every traveler, particularly those who work as they go.
Location is prime, just on the edge of Nosara’s all-level Playa Guiones, one of the most celebrated surf beaches in the country!
(Oh, and another nice addition: These guys do Selina shuttles which are private transport between this Selina and the next, so it will be a cinch to stitch together a trip that includes this and Selina Tamarindo.)
Casa Pura Vida Surf Hostel
There are many more fancy places in the bustling, buzzing surf town of Tamarindo than Casa Pura Vida, but we think the ridiculously welcoming vibe means it’s a real stand-out. You’ll come here a traveler and leave a member of the Pura Vida crew. Honestly, the people and staff are so nice it feels like family.
The addition of an all-new pool in the last few years has taken it to the next level, too. It’s that extra bit of comfort that everyone craves on a tropical surf trip, and the pool here happens to be very nice indeed – think small but with a neat terracotta surround where you can kick back with a book between the leafy boughs.
The price here is also veryyy attractive. Bear in mind this is Tamarindo, where rates tend to be among the highest on the CR coastline, but you’re still looking at a comfy bunkbed for in the region of $15-20/night. Eassssy.
Selina Jaco
Selina Jaco looks like something plucked from the side of Miami Beach. It’s a super-cool low-rise building with a thatched cabana that contains the on-site bar and eatery (which are both very, very good, by the way). There’s a glimmering pool literally steps from the beach, and tons of space in the grassy garden for you to kick back and chillax between surf sessions.
We love the mix of traditional dorm rooms and more quirky pod-style rooms, which are set in the same upcycled concrete tubes as another of the top surf hostels in Costa Rica listed here.
But it’s the very fact that this one carries the Selina brand that we think takes it to the next level. You’ll pay the basic $20 or so for a bed and then have the option to tack on oodles of extras. Want morning yoga? It’s there. Need to get some work done? There’s a whole in-house co-work space. Fancy trips to local waterfalls or hiking in the mountains? You can book that at reception no worries.
Hey, some things are even gratis – yoga classes, salsa classes, even a welcome drink!
Roots Family
The sole pick in the Caribbean-side surf haven of Puerto Viejo simply has to be Roots. This is a small-scale hostel with serious style. To be honest, it reminds us more of a bamboo shack on the side of a Thai beach.
The whole thing is built from corrugated iron and pieced-together timber that creaks wonderfully as you walk from room to room. The common areas are a ramshackle display of shelves artfully stacked with books and knick-knacks.
The main dorm is a 10-bed “treehouse” dorm that actually offers beds that feel super private since they are tucked into their own wooden nooks. They’re cooled with fans, have individual plugs, and storage areas.
Roots Family gets its name precisely because it’s small. This isn’t a big-brand hostel chain. It’s owned by a Swiss expat and her local partner, and lovingly taken care of. You’ll feel like your part of the crew.
Location is in the heart of Puerto Viejo close to the main beach and a short transfer from the best surfing beaches, which are north and south of town.
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!
