Surf Camps in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica: 11 Compared (2026)
Compare 11 surf camps in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica: rated 4.7/5, 4-5ft swell. Learner waves: All year. Ratings, surf conditions and season side by side.
Playa Santa Teresa (1) · Playa Carmen (1) · Santa Teresa (1)
Meals included at 11 of the 11 camps that state it. Yoga offered at 10 camps. Video analysis of your surfing at 5 camps. As stated on each camp’s own website.
When to go: waves by month
How often each surf town here has waves for each level, month by month, 1995–2025. First lessons happen in the whitewater near the shore, so they are said in words; the other levels are named by what you can do and the size of the wave on the body. What’s my level? · How we calculate this
Santa Teresa · 11 camps
First lessons (whitewater near the shore): Almost every day: May–Jun, Aug–Oct. Most days: Jul, Nov–Apr.
| % of days | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First lessons | 61% | 64% | 71% | 79% | 88% | 86% | 83% | 87% | 85% | 86% | 80% | 62% |
| Too small | 39% | 36% | 29% | 21% | 11% | 13% | 17% | 13% | 15% | 13% | 20% | 38% |
| Too big | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| Beginner (green waves) | 88% | 93% | 88% | 79% | 68% | 68% | 76% | 79% | 67% | 68% | 86% | 87% |
| Intermediate | 33% | 37% | 61% | 78% | 85% | 87% | 79% | 84% | 85% | 81% | 62% | 41% |
| Advanced | 4% | 7% | 17% | 34% | 49% | 50% | 43% | 39% | 48% | 42% | 24% | 7% |
Beginner (green waves) (knee to chest high): most days, all year · Intermediate (chest high to just overhead): most days in Mar–Nov · Advanced (head high and up): most days in Jun
Model estimate: no suitable buoy within 50 km to check it against.
DreamSea Santa Teresa says: "there’s always a perfect wave for beginners" - in some months our figures read fewer days for first lessons here, so take them as a guide. (camp’s page)
Days that miss first lessons are too small when every learner spot is under 0.5 m, and too big when none is in the 0.5–2 m band and one is above it. The other levels are read on the face of the wave at its peak: beginner on green waves 0.6–1.2 m, intermediate 1.2–2 m, advanced 1.5 m and up.
What a surf week costs in Santa Teresa
From $940 to $1,800 per person, median $1,047, across the 3 of 11 camps that publish a week with surf lessons included (each camp’s lowest).
Lowest published surf weeks
- DreamSea Santa Teresa · from $940 (7 nights · dorm bed · half board · 5 surf lessons (7.5 h))
- La Posada Surf Camp · from $1,047 (6 nights · half board · 5 surf lessons · board and wetsuit)
- El Chante Surf House · from $1,800 (6 nights · half board · 4 surf lessons · board and wetsuit)
Figures from each camp’s own site, with the date on its page. Room, season and what is included differ, so compare the package, not only the price.
1. DreamSea Santa Teresa
A surf house at Playa Santa Teresa. Half board included. Yoga, SUP, excursions and hiking run alongside the surfing. Stays run as fixed weekly packages.
All meals · Glamping · Yoga · SUP · Excursions
2. La Posada Surf Camp
★ 4.7/5 (481 reviews)
Surf camp and hostel in the heart of Santa Teresa, steps from the beach, with private rooms, mixed and female dorms, a pool, a shared kitchen, a bar and a games area. Its Full Experience package covers 6 nights, 4 surf classes with transport to the class locations, board and UV shirt, 2 yoga classes, daily breakfast plus 1 lunch or dinner a day, an Isla Tortuga snorkeling trip and a one-way airport transfer from San José or Liberia.
3. Lapoint Santa Teresa
★ 4.8/5 (283 reviews) · Playa Carmen
A surf house beside Playa Carmen in Santa Teresa. Breakfast and dinner included. Yoga runs alongside the surfing. Stays run as fixed weekly packages.
Half board · Yoga
4. El Chante Surf House
★ 4.8/5 (63 reviews)
Family-owned boutique surf house in Playa Hermosa, Santa Teresa, a 4-minute walk from the beach, with 6 private rooms, a camper van, a pool, a yoga deck and a shared kitchen. Its surf camp covers 6 nights, 6 breakfasts, 4 dinners cooked by a private chef, 4 surf lessons (surf guiding for advanced surfers), 2 yoga classes, a professional photo session, video analysis and unlimited use of surfboards. Children and pets are welcome.
5. Lucero Surf Vacations
★ 4.9/5 (137 reviews)
Balinese-style boutique hotel in central Santa Teresa, 300 meters from the beach, with 8 rooms: 5 hotel-style rooms with private bathrooms, a garden apartment with kitchen and a 2-bedroom ocean-view house, with breakfast served beside the pool. Its Surf and Stay package includes 4 lessons of 90 minutes with full-time local instructors, unlimited use of 20+ surfboards and daily breakfast.
6. Shaka Beach Retreat
★ 4.9/5 (96 reviews) · from $170 per night
Surf camp for grown-ups in Playa Hermosa, about 15 minutes north of Santa Teresa, with rooms with private bathrooms and A/C in a tropical garden, an open-air palm-roofed rancho and a pool. The Ultimate Surf package includes daily surf lessons Monday to Saturday, daily yoga, unlimited surfboards, a sunrise snack and brunch every day and dinner Sunday to Friday. The minimum age is 15.
7. Perfect Sunset School
★ 4.9/5 (79 reviews)
Surf camp and Spanish school in Playa Hermosa, Santa Teresa, steps from the beach break, taking no more than 10 students a week in shared or private rooms with air conditioning. The weekly Surf Program covers 7 nights, 2 hours of surf lessons a day Monday to Thursday, free surfboard access, breakfast Monday to Saturday and dinner Monday to Friday; the Surf and Spanish program adds 2 hours of Spanish a day.
8. Akih Pods Hostel
★ 4.6/5 (147 reviews)
Pod hostel in Santa Teresa with pod-style dorms, new private cabins, communal areas and event nights with live music and dinner parties. Its surf packages of 5, 7 or 9 nights are guided by certified local instructors and include daily breakfast, a surfboard during lessons, snorkeling gear and surf spot tips; the 5-night package has 3 surf lessons and the 9-night package 6.
9. Believe Surf & Yoga
★ 4.5/5 (209 reviews)
Surf and yoga lodge in Santa Teresa, within walking distance of the La Lora surf break, with air-conditioned lofts, standard rooms, budget rooms in a converted container, a shared AC dorm, a pool, an on-site yoga deck and its own café. The 7 Nights Discover package includes daily breakfast, 7 yoga lessons, 3 beginner group surf lessons with board and rash guard, and a 30-minute massage; airport transfers are not included.
10. PURE Santa Teresa
A surf house at Santa Teresa. Breakfast and dinner included. Yoga, SUP, excursions and hiking run alongside the surfing. Stays run as fixed weekly packages.
Half board · Suite · Yoga · SUP · Excursions
11. Zeneidas Surf Garden
★ 4.4/5 (134 reviews)
Surf and yoga camp just steps from the ocean in Santa Teresa, where guests first choose a surf program and then a beachfront place to stay: a shared Beach House with kitchen, dining area and hammock yard, private cottages, or a deluxe studio with kitchen and A/C. Surf programs run from 4 to 10 sessions with 2-3 people per coach, and morning yoga, ice bath sessions and a dedicated host can be added.
Common questions
How many surf camps are there in Santa Teresa?
findsurfcamp.com compares 11 surf camps in Santa Teresa.
What does a surf week cost in Santa Teresa?
From $940 to $1,800 per person, median $1,047, across the 3 of 11 camps that publish a week with surf lessons included (each camp’s lowest). Prices read on each camp's own site in October 2026.
When are there waves for first lessons in Santa Teresa?
Santa Teresa: Almost every day: May–Jun, Aug–Oct. Most days: Jul, Nov–Apr. Estimated at the beaches from 1995-2025 swell data.
How warm is the water in Santa Teresa?
In Santa Teresa the sea ranges from 28°C (82°F) in Nov to 30°C (85°F) in May: monthly medians of the sea surface temperature, 2015-2025.
Which airport is closest to Santa Teresa?
Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) is the nearest airport for every camp here, about 190-210 minutes by car.