TOP 5 WAYS TO ENJOY AN EPIC TAMARINDO SURF VACATION
- Tamarindo Surf Camp
Picture this: you’ve just woken up and the sun is shining bright. It is yet another perfect day in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. You roll out of bed and walk downstairs where your surf instructor is waiting for your board in hand ready to hit the waves. The palms are swaying in the breeze and when you step into the water, it is the perfect temperature. There are steady sets of nice, consistent waves coming in and you’re catching them and riding all the way into the shore in no time!
At Iguana Surf’s Tamarindo surf camp, that is what every day can look like. You’ll get to hang out with people from all over the world and spend a week in the most beautiful place on earth. Does it get any better? Not to mention that your accommodation in Iguana Surf’s beachfront hotel, breakfast every day at the restaurant out on the balcony, photos, videos, and video analysis, daily lessons with one of our amazing instructors, and more are all included in the package. It is the best way to experience the town of Tamarindo and learn a new skill (or improve on what you can already do) all at the same time!
Surf campers may show up as strangers, but they always leave as family.
- Host or Join a Surf and Yoga/Health Retreat
In Tamarindo, health and well-being are priorities for many people. In such a beautiful place with great weather, it is easy to eat clean and spend a lot of time outside. There are already a number of yoga/surf retreats, workout retreats, health programs, and combinations of everything in between offered in Tamarindo that are easy to find. In a place with such perfect beginner waves like Tamarindo, it is ideal to find one that encompasses surfing as part of the program, whether in combination with yoga or other kinds of exercise or just on its own. Luckily, the options are endless! Some people also book a couple of different programs in order to be able to do everything they want to do. For example, enrolling in the Iguana surf camp is a great place to start, and besides your surf lessons, you will have the rest of the day free. So during that time, you can go attend your yoga classes or whatever else you decide you want to try, and then you can have the ultimate surf and yoga retreat in Costa Rica!
If you aren’t able to find any existing retreats that fit exactly what you are looking for, there is also the opportunity to host your own. If you are a certified yoga teacher, health professional, or have any other kind of applicable certification, there is always a market of people looking for retreats to attend in the Tamarindo area. This is an amazing way to share your skills with others and help people learn something new! It is also an awesome way to finance your trip to Costa Rica. You could even make it a semi-annual or annual occurrence! The options are endless so start getting creative!
- Backpacker-Style Surf Trip
For those who are on a bit of a budget and want to have an awesome surf experience on more of their own terms, there are plenty of options to be able to stay and surf in Tamarindo without joining a formal surf camp. There are tons of hostels around town that are super affordable, as well as hotels or Airbnbs that can be cost effective as well, especially if traveling in a group. The Iguana Surf Beach Hotel actually has a hostel style room as an option if it is still a priority for you to stay right in front of the beach and close to a surf shop. And if you are traveling solo, it is a great way to meet new friends.
No matter where you decide to stay, pop into the Iguana Surf shop at any time to sign up for a lesson (just $45 per person for a group lesson!) or rent a board. Board rentals range from 2 hours to multiple days, so you can choose an option that fits your needs. They start at just $10! And if you take a lesson at Iguana, you will also receive 50% off all of your board rentals for the rest of your vacation which is an amazing deal. Although there are lots of nice restaurants to choose from in Tamarindo, it is also possible to eat for cheap. You can go to a grocery store and stock up to be able to cook for yourself, order a Casado (a typical meal that usually costs about $6), try the meat sticks that you will see people cooking on the side of the street for about $2, and stock up on the life-changing fresh, local fruit.
- Tour & Surf
You can create the ultimate vacation packed with nonstop adventure by combining epic surfing with any number of exciting tours offered in the Tamarindo area. There is so much to see and do, and probably many things that you have never tried. You can book everything on your own schedule and Iguana staff can help you plan out and organize everything so that your plans are flawless and sure to please everyone in your group. For example, you can book a lineup of a few surf lessons either starting at the beginning if you are new to the sport, or some more advanced personalized lessons. Also, if you want to try surfing somewhere other than the beach in Tamarindo, surf trips can be organized with a driver and an instructor to take you to another nearby break like Playa Avellanas or Playa Grande. This is an awesome way to spend an afternoon, see another beach, and surf some awesome waves!
The list of tours available in Tamarindo is long, and you can pick and choose depending on what you like, how much time you have, the ages in your group, etc.
Some chill tours include the estuary tour which takes you on a two-hour boat ride with a knowledgeable local guide to learn about the foliage and wildlife in the area. You could also try the horseback riding tour for a nice jaunt along the beach, or the turtle watching tour to see turtles laying their eggs on the neighboring beach of Playa Grande which is part of a lovely national park. All of these tours are not too much of a commitment and they are pretty relaxed, which make them easy and you are sure to see and learn something new!
Some good tours for water lovers are snorkeling, scuba diving, white water rafting, or the sunset catamaran cruise. All of these are incredible and you can’tquite have the same experience trying them anywhere else! The ocean off the coast of Tamarindo is warm and clear, with tons of amazing wildlife to admire. And there is nothing like spending the day on the river in the jungle! The views are truly incomparable. And of course, what is better than sailing around (with an open bar and delicious lunch included) on a catamaran and catching the sunset from the water? I’ll let you know that not much is.
For the adrenaline seekers, zip-lining, ATV’s, or the adventure combo tour is probably the way to go. The combo tour actually includes 5 different activities all packed into the same day – zip-lining, horseback riding, rock climbing/rappelling, rafting, and finishes at hot springs and mud bath. It is an awesome way to get everything in all at once! Or you can never go wrong with some zip-lining or ATVs. Both are super fun and sure to get your blood pumping a little, as well as take you to some of the best views around. With all of these activities to choose from mixed in with some surfing, you’ll have a Tamarindo surf trip you will never forget.
- R&R and Surf
Of course, sometimes you just want to take a getaway to the beach and not have any responsibilities except for napping in the sun, sipping on a cold cerveza, and maybe even getting a nice massage on the beach. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! Tamarindo is the perfect place to take some time for yourself and just relax – there are plenty of spots on the beach to spread your towel out for the day or nice pools to lounge by. You can find a nice condo or Airbnb to call home (check out the Iguana Surf Condos! They are both affordable and gorgeous) and spend the rest of your time doing absolutely whatever you want to, without any schedule. However, throwing a couple of surf lessons in there can never hurt. They are a great way to start the morning off and get some movement in, and then you can take it easy for the rest of the day! Starting off with a dive in the salt water is a foolproof way to get yourself into a great mindset and mood.
No matter what kind of Tamarindo surf vacation fits your style, there is clearly something for everyone! From just relaxing and soaking in the sun, to a high-energy lineup of tours, to meeting new friends from all over the world at a surf camp, it is bound to be unforgettable. We can’t wait to catch some waves with you soon!
