Picture miles upon miles of white sandy beaches, clean surf breaks, epic waves, and water so warm there’s no need for a wetsuit.
Costa Rica is a surfers paradise, and a world class surfing destination for beginners and surf pros alike. With beaches less crowded than that of California, Indonesia, Hawaii and Australia, Costa Rica was the perfect location for an uncoordinate like myself to learn to surf. And believe it or not, by the end of my lesson I managed to stand on the board!
Want proof?
The Central Pacific Coast is the most accessible spot in Costa Rica for great surf. Only a short distance from San Jose, Boca Barranca is a beach which offers “one of Costa Rica’s longest rides”.
Sarah and Johary operate Pacific Central Surf & Adventure right on the beach in front of the Doubletree by Hilton Central Pacific Resort, and work closely with the hotel to provide great rates for guests. Rumor is they are the best in Costa Rica, and to see me standing on a board after only one lesson I don’t doubt that for a second!!
Contact Sarah or Johary: pacificcentralsurf.pcs@gmail.com
We are currently traveling on behalf of Doubletree by Hilton DTour; a whole new way to plan – and share – your travels. We are staying at Doubletree by Hilton Resort Central Pacific.
20 Comments
Fantastic!!! Surfing Video…so proud of you! You Go GIRL! xoo
Thanks Pam! It was a blast!!!
I have lived in San Diego my entire life and have never tried to surf. Good for you for trying it out!
No better time than the present…I hear California has amazing surf! It’s hard work though wow did I hurt after coming out of the water 2 hours later lol!!
I enjoyed watching the video and many congratulations on learning so quickly!
I did find it quite amusing watching you wave your arms in the air, a bit like a windmill on the waves! :-)
Costa Rica sounds like the perfect place to learn to surf and the water doesn’t seem too wild either.
Glad you enjoyed the video! and thankyou … I’ll take the 5 seconds I was up on the board as success…I may have put one of the clips in slow motion to make it seem like I was up for longer lol!!
Definitely recommend Costa Rica for your next trip – and highly recommend trying your luck at the surf!
Looks like you had a fun time learning to surf. Great video!
We had an absolute blast. Thanks Donna!!
Wow, that sounds like an awesome experience, especially since you got to learn in Costa Rica of all places!
No complaints about the location! We had a wonderful time – and standing on the board even if only for a few seconds was awesome!
Looks like you had such a great time…congrats on learning how to stand on a surfboard. Now you can finally call yourself a true Aussie! Hahaha :-)
I remember when I first learned here in Florida…my favorite time was during hurricane season. Biggest wave caught? A massive 13 footer during Hurricane Katrina (of course not on film)! Such a great sport, keep at it!
It truly was a blast – thanks Ron! Lol I’m sure my nation is proud of me :D
Wow that’s insane!! I had enough trouble with the little tiny waves let alone tackling a 13 footer – respect!
Go you! That’s awesome. Unfortunately my surfing lessons in Costa Rica weren’t as successful. Our instructor was awesome, but I was… not. haha! we have some pretty epic photos of me bellyflopping into the water though ;-P
They’re the best photos anyway! Lol I’m actually surprised I was successful enough to last for 5 seconds standing upright – the first hour or so I could only awkwardly catch waves while kneeling!
Though sounds like a great excuse to get back to Costa Rica for another try :D
Nice job on getting up! It would be fun to take a lesson, especially in Costa Rica! We tried in Florida once–the waves weren’t very good, but we both got up for a quick second–definitely weren’t very steady though!
Thanks! I was genuinely surprised lol I’m fairly unco-ordinated! Haven’t tried in Florida – I think the East coast would definitely be better than the West; our beaches on the West are pretty placid at the best of times.
Glad you also got up – doesn’t matter if it was only for a second – still counts!
Wow, you’re brave! Good for you for trying it out. I was recently in Samara, Costa Rica and thought about learning to surf, but didn’t do it. Next time for sure – you’ve inspired me!
Thanks Wendy! Was in Samara a few years ago and loved it – also a great surf location! Definitely give it a go next time; it’s pretty exhausting by the end of the first lesson but it’s phenomenal fun!
That’s awesome that you were able to stand up on the board just in your first lesson. Looks like you wrote this post almost a year ago. Hopefully, you are a pro surfer by now. I took some surfing classes when I was in Costa Rica a few months ago. I think Costa Rica has some great beginner surf beaches which makes it ideal for most to learn surfing there.
Thanks Thirumal! Yes it was roughly a year ago now that we completed this trip – I don’t know if I would say I’ve become pro haha though I do alright :)
We’re based in Australia now for the moment so are lucky enough to be surrounded by some beautiful beaches with access to great waves. Costa Rica though was definitely the best place to start as a beginner – totally agree that their beaches were ideal for giving it a go and learning to stand :)
Happy travels – and happy surfing! Glad you enjoyed your time in CR also.