Ready to try surfing?
Costa Rica surf camps offer "laid back" lessons in school that are reinforced by a few hours practicing in the warm Pacific waves.
There is at least one surf camp in each beach town on the west coast, plus independent instructors in Jaco and Tamarindo.
Local surfers say the best places to master the basics is either at Jaco, Tamarindo or Manuel Antonio
These are mostly mellow waves with beach breaks.
In Jaco Beach, look for Lua Surf Camp. The one in Manuel Antonio is on the right side of the road as you head up the hill. (There is a surf shop called Burro's in downtown Quepos.)
Even so, you have to watch out for the rip tides in these waters as well as many other surfing hotspots.
Some surf camps in Costa Rica also offer Spanish language lessons. After returning from a few hours riding the waves, a Spanish class rounds out the day. (Ola is Spanish for wave, by the way.)
