What Makes a Surf Hotel Feel Different From a Regular Stay?
The best surf resort Costa Rica has to offer is the one you want to come back to, year after year.
Most people planning a surfing trip to Costa Rica, or anywhere else for that matter, don’t give much thought to where they’ll lay their head every night. Usually the main priority is that it be steps from the sand, so they can paddle out whenever the good waves show up. But a dedicated surf hotel can take an ordinary trip and flip it on its head. The kind of surf resort Costa Rica keeps pulling people back to isn’t built solely around your room, it’s also built around the best surfing beach in the country and all the people who come to surf it every day.
We’ve seen firsthand what a difference the right place to stay makes to a surf trip, and if you keep reading, you’ll understand what it’s all about.
How Does a Surf Hotel Differ From a Regular Hotel?
The super short version is that a regular hotel stay is all about your room. All the extras you could take or leave, since they don’t really make or break the trip. In a surf hotel, though, every aspect is designed around what you’re there to do most: surfing.
When you stay in a boutique surf hotel like Iguana, everything is set to facilitate your surfing experience. You wake with the morning light and check the live surf report before hitting the waves when most of the town is still slumbering. Breakfast at Grinds is then all about refueling; it’s something you’ve already earned on the waves. A spot of shopping fills out the morning or perhaps a group excursion somewhere amazing.
The town helps, too. Tamarindo is small enough to cross on foot, sprawled along a stretch of Pacific coastline revered as one of the best in the world to learn to surf. It’s so close that you can hear the waves from your bedroom. And then there’s the nature, of course, the one thing that entices surfers perhaps more than anything else. You could surf elsewhere, but most other surf destinations have high-rise apartment buildings and colossal resorts right on the beach, so it just isn’t the same.
Who needs to see that when they want to commune with nature?
Come Discover Iguana’s Glow-up
Iguana has been on this beach since 1989, when it opened as a surf shop and camp and the town was still a sleepy dot on the map. We grew up, the comfort grew with us, and the result is a boutique surf hotel that still feels like a surf camp at heart. Among Costa Rica surf hotels, not many have been shaped by the same stretch of sand for that long.
Walk in and the design does the talking before we do. We’re all about warm wood and ocean-glass tones, with soft arched light and surfboards mounted like the art they are. It’s put-together without being precious, so sand on the floorboards just adds charm.
The rooftop infinity pool is the unofficial living room. It’s where people wash up after a session and where tomorrow’s plans get made over sunset, with the beach and the town’s best cafes just a few flip-flopped minutes away.
That’s the whole feel we’re after, boutique but barefoot: surf grit at the door, a to-notch bed and good coffee waiting when you come back in.
And if you’re half on the clock, we’ve got you covered, with solid WiFi and a few good corners to set up a laptop.
Which Room or Suite Should You Book?
How you sleep is half the trip, so we kept the choices simple and gave each one a clear job.
Our private rooms sit right up against the ocean, each with its own balcony, and they sleep two or three. You wake to the sound of the break and read the swell without leaving the railing. If it’s your first trip as a couple or a small group, this is the easy pick.
The Family Suite is built for a crew. It sleeps up to ten, which makes it the obvious answer for families traveling together, or a group of friends who’d rather share one big space than scatter across a building.
If you’re going solo or keeping an eye on the budget, the shared dorm sleeps up to eight and tends to be where the best trip friendships start. For a lot of our younger guests, it’s the social center of the whole stay.
If you want a feel for it before you book, our guests do a decent job of documenting the scene over on Instagram.
FAQ
What’s the difference between a surf resort and a regular hotel?
A regular hotel is designed around your room and your privacy, while a surf hotel is, by nature, more sociable and immersive.
Do I need to know how to surf to stay at a surf hotel?
Not at all and you’ll find that the best Costa Rica surf hotels don’t treat the sport like it’s a members-only club so if you just want to come share the love for the beach and for Tamarindo, you are always welcome at Iguana.
Is Iguana a hotel or a surf camp?
It is both and you get the best of each, with plenty of lessons, the community of a camp and the comfort of a more elevated place to stay.
Can I work remotely from Tamarindo?
Absolutely. Reliable WiFi and comfortable spots to set up your on-the-go office means you really can have it all. A lot of our guests mix business and pleasure during their stay.
Are surf hotels in Costa Rica good for families?
They can be a great fit, especially if you choose a surf hotel that caters to differing skill levels and ages.
→ Book your stay at our Tamarindo surf camp and boutique hotel and come find your Costa Rica haven with us.
