Surfing Competitions: Be Part of the Action in Costa Rica

It’s that time of year again when Costa Rica’s best surfers are trading heats up and down our coast, and half of Tamarindo’s down in the waves trying to copy their heroes. We’re about mid-way through the national circuit season, and have a couple of big international tours due here later in the year as well. Whether you’re a surf nut like us or a newbie wanting to try it out, there’s no denying that surfing competitions are an amazing inspiration. You stand there for five minutes watching the pros do their thing, and a little voice starts up: I want to do that! We know it all too well and feel it most weeks ourselves.

So here’s how we’re living the season, and how you go from itching on the sand to catching epic waves of your own.

The Best Season of the Year

Ask around about the best time of year here and most people point to the end-of-year tourist rush. Na-ha, they’re wrong. The best time of year, if you were to ask us, is surf comp season. The Circuito Nacional de Surf is the one thing everyone in town gets worked up about.

The season kicked off in February over on the Caribbean side at Playa Cocles, then came across to the Pacific for comps at Santa Teresa and Nosara. Riders are ranking points in every category, from shortboard and longboard to SUP and adaptive surfing, and this year the standings carry a bit more weight than usual. This year’s surfing competitions fall within an Olympic cycle, which means the results feed straight into national-team picks for the ISA World Championships and the Pan American Surf Games. That’s some pretty exciting stuff, right there.

Dominical is next on the schedule, from June 12 to 14, then the Federación de Surf de Costa Rica will crown its champions at the grand final on Playa Hermosa in Jacó, from July 10 to 12. And here’s the bit we love to bits: the finals go out on open TV this year through Repretel, so you can follow the whole thing from a hammock in Tamarindo if that’s more your speed. It’s an impressive field this year, too. Rachel Agüero and Anthony Fillingim took the wins down at the Santa Teresa, so they are the two hot tickets to watch as we head to July.

When the Big Tours Roll Through

Like we said, the national circuit’s only half the story. Later this year, the ALAS Global Tour, the biggest pro circuit in Latin America, drops two stops in Costa Rica, at Playa Hermosa and Santa Teresa. And the buzz doesn’t stop at our borders, either. 

Up in California, the USA Surfing Championships, the event that feeds the US Olympic and international squads, run at Oceanside from June 7 to 12. Line it all up and the calendar’s packed for the months ahead. Pretty much wherever you look across the Americas this summer, surfing competitions are on, and that energy is hard to resist.

That ‘I Wish I Surfed’ Feeling? Yeah, We Get It. 

Watching surfing up close, especially such high-class events, makes us want to paddle out and we know it’s not just us. You see some grommet half your size drop into a clean wall of water, and a part of your brain just goes, yeah, I could so try that. We see it constantly in Tamarindo, visitors roll in planning to do nothing but lie on the beach, and by day two, they’ve caved and booked a lesson (or three).

Watching’s fun, but being out there is better, and the gap between the two is way easier to breach than people think. That’s especially true on the soft, friendly waves we get here in Tamarindo, one of the best place to learn to surf in all of Central America.

The hardest part is usually just talking yourself into it. But if you drop into the shop, we can definitely help you with that!

From the Sand to Your First Wave

Helping you take that leap is essentially our whole job at Iguana Surf Camp. And don’t worry, you don’t need to be circuit material to belong out there. Loads of our guests have never stood on a board in their lives, and by the end of the week, they’re paddling into unbroken waves on their own. Our instructors grew up on these breaks, so they’ll park you in the right spot at the right moment instead of leaving you flailing around guessing.

Our lessons are planned around how you’re feeling, so we’re not a one-and-done surf camp. We run classes at 8 AM, 10 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM, so you surf when your body’s up for it. Total beginner? Our learn to surf guide walks you through the whole thing before you even land.

Already Hooked? Join Us for Surf Week!

If you’re already past the first-lessons stage and just wanna head here for waves, we’ve got something brand new in the works. Saturday June 20, is International Surfing Day, and we’re using it as the launch date for Surf Week, a seven-day package running from June 20 to 27. The tagline says it best: 

WAKE UP. CHECK THE FORECAST. SURF. REPEAT. 

It’s built for people who actually care about surf and the whole point is to go beyond a daily session at Tamarindo Beach. You’ll surf a different break each day, picked to match the swell, with our team scanning the forecast every morning and pointing you toward whatever’s firing on all cylinders. Day seven wraps back at base with a closing session at our rooftop pool.

More Than a Place to Stay

People hunting for Costa Rica luxury resorts surfing experiences are usually after more than a comfy bed and a sea view. They want to head home able to do something they couldn’t do when they arrived and they want to have loads of fun doing it. That’s where a camp beats a resort hands down. Instead of eyeing the waves from a sun lounger, you’re out in them with a coach who reads the ocean for you and outright loses it when you finally make the drop.

If you’ve been scrolling through Costa Rica luxury resorts surfing stays, take a look at how the days actually run down here. With us, mornings kick off with the live surf cam and the daily surf report and forecast, two of the most-clicked pages on our site, so you know what the ocean’s up to before you even paddle out. The rest of the day’s yours, whether that’s a cheeky second session or doing absolutely nothing with a cold drink and a view.

FAQ

When are the next surfing competitions in Costa Rica in 2026?

Soon! The nationals roll into Dominical June 12 to 14, then it all comes down to the grand final at Playa Hermosa in Jacó, July 10 to 12. The ALAS Global Tour brings two more stops to the country later on, though they hadn’t pinned down the exact dates last we checked.

Do I need to compete to enjoy a surf camp?

Not even slightly. Almost everyone who shows up is here to learn or just get a bit better, nowhere near entering heats. The comps are more of a backdrop, plus a good shove to get you fired up before you paddle out.

Can a total beginner start at Iguana?

Yep, all the time. Heaps of people who book have never touched a board, and Costa Rica’s about the gentlest place there is to start. Late-morning and early-afternoon sessions usually suit first-timers, once you’ve woken up properly and loosened off.

Is Tamarindo a good base for following the circuit?

It’s a comfy spot to set up on the Guanacaste coast. Nosara’s just up the road for the closer stops, and the southern Pacific ones like Dominical and Jacó turn into a fun weekend road trip if you fancy seeing the pros up close. Plus, you get to see all the surfing competitions on TVs around the place.

The season’ll crown its champions soon enough, but your first wave can happen any week of the year. Take a look at our week-long surf camp in Costa Rica and come swap the grandstand for the lineup.