Top 10 Reasons You Should Book a Costa Rica Surf Camp for Your Tamarindo Vacation

If you have ‘learn to surf’ on your bucket list, a Tamarindo vacation is just the thing you need this summer. With calm and consistent waves, warm water, and the surfer vibe you’ve been dreaming of, you’ll be glad you chose a Tamarindo surf camp in Costa Rica to learn how to surf.

1. You Are in the Right Place
   Tamarindo Costa Rica is one of the top ten destinations to learn how to surf in the world. Tamarindo surf breaks are ideal for the beginner surfer because the main beach has mellow waves with a soft landing. Conditions here are safe for beginners due to the sandy bottom, called a beach break, which is free of any dangerous rocks or reefs. Also, surfers do not have to swim out too far to catch waves on Tamarindo’s main break. The waves here do not break out too far, and are typically at waist to chest height. Tamarindo’s main break is directly in front of the Iguana Surf Shop, where you will see our surf instructors giving lessons to excited newbies.

2. Once You Know, You Know
   Once you learn how to surf, you can take that knowledge with you and surf wherever you travel. Of course, you will need to keep in mind how much experience you have before you start hitting the big waves, but once you have that valuable knowledge and experience it is with you for life. Maybe your next trip will be hitting the waves in Kuta, Bali, or even the birthplace of surfing – Waikiki, Hawaii. Your Tamarindo Costa Rica surf camp experience will be with you for the rest of your life and all of your future trips!

3. Enjoy the Best of Guanacaste Surf
   Stretching 200 kilometers (124 miles) along Costa Rica’s northern Pacific Coast, the province of Guanacaste is a popular place for surfing and you can take in a lot of great surfing beaches during your Tamarindo vacation. Guanacaste surf beaches are in the perfect position to receive smaller northwest swells from the North Pacific and larger southwest swells from the South Pacific, so there are many options for the beginner, intermediate, and advanced surfer. A popular surf beach, Playa Grande, is located just across the estuary from Tamarindo Beach. Playa Avellanas and its well-known “Little Hawaii” surf break is just a half an hour drive from Tamarindo. Playa Negra is a very popular surf beach featuring big waves and is just an hour’s drive down the coast. Famous surf breaks “Witch’s Rock” and “Ollie’s Point” are just a boat ride away. You may have heard of some of these Guanacaste surf spots by watching the surf documentary “Endless Summer” and “Endless Summer II”.

4. A Taste of the Surfer Lifestyle
   If you’re seeking that surf town lifestyle, you’re going to love the vibe of Tamarindo. Here you will discover a town full of surfers getting up at the crack of dawn to hit the waves, yoga studios, happy hippies selling their all-natural sunscreen in the local ferias (markets), organic foods and fresh smoothies, surf shops, and all the other things you may imagine when you picture a typical surf town. Tamarindo has been developing its surfer vibes for a long time. The town grew up from a few trailers and shacks built by a few hardcore surfers in the 1970s. Before there were even roads to Tamarindo beach, people have been surfing here. The town has grown exponentially since then but it has kept its free-spirit surfer vibe. Whether you are already a shredder or you have never surfed a day in your life, Tamarindo gives off major surf vibes and it is definitely the place to be to soak it all in, especially if you’re here to learn.

5. Learn Something New
   While learning new skills like surfing can keep life from getting boring, it is also beneficial to your health. Learning something new improves your brain function, building new connections to enhance your cognitive growth, so learning how to surf will literally strengthen your brain muscle. And besides having a cool new skill to add to your resume, it also helps improve your memory, not to mention your social circle.

6. Connect With Like-Minded People
   When you come to a Tamarindo surf camp in Costa Rica, chances are you’re already pretty interested in surfing. Already having that one thing in common with the other campers you meet means you will likely find more things in common. When people come together at Iguana Surf Camp with the common goal of learning to surf we often see them leave as lifelong friends. These days it’s easy to stay in touch with people you meet around the globe, and nothing brings people together quite like having a common purpose. Besides staying at the comfortable Iguana Surf Camp, you’ll fall together as well as get back up together during your learning period and this will inevitably build camaraderie.

7. Discover the Biodiversity of Costa Rica
   It’s easy to discover all the microclimates you have been dreaming about in Costa Rica during your Tamarindo vacation with Iguana Surf. After you take your surf lesson in the morning there is plenty of time to check out different areas of the country from this location. Maximize your Tamarindo vacation by letting the team at Iguana Surf help you book a day trip to a nearby volcano to slather yourself in volcanic mud and relax in natural hot springs, zipline through the tropical dry forest, white water raft through the jungle, or watch the sunset from the ocean. There are several options and you will most likely be enjoying these tours with your new friends from camp!

8. Find Your Laid Back Surfer Vibe
   They say nothing reduces stress quite like a good workout, but spending time outdoors in nature is likely the next best thing. Surfing gives you the best of both worlds, not to mention vitamin d and sea. Studies show that a lack of vitamin d and magnesium can affect our mental health. While the sun gives us a dose of vitamin d, seawater is rich in minerals like magnesium. Picture yourself sitting on your surf board with the sun shining down on your shoulders and the ocean all around, waiting for the next wave to come along. The sound of the ocean lulls you into a state of complete tranquility. This is why the surfer vibe looks so relaxed. When they say “no worries”, they mean it!

9. Get Happy the Surfer Way
   Surfing is a high-impact sport that releases a lot of adrenaline and endorphins, which are known as the “feel good” hormones. These hormones also cause a surge in blood pressure and heart rate that makes you feel very alive, in addition to a feeling of euphoria. Endorphins are similar to opiates in their chemical structure and have pain-relieving properties. This means that while riding a wave you get very intense feelings of happiness plus natural healing for any pains you could have.

10. You’re In Good Hands
    At Iguana Surf Camp Our fail-proof teaching methods have been helping people learn how to surf since 1989. We have put it to the test in over 125,000 beginner surf lessons! Each surf lesson is 120 minutes long and is customized by our bi-lingual, ISA-certified surf instructor for your skills and fitness level. Your first lesson will start with a short introduction on the beach, covering the basics of surfing, safety tips and some exercises to practice getting up on the board. When your instructor feels you are ready for the real thing you will head out into the waves and practice what you have learned. Your instructor will be with you in the water at all times, giving you direct feedback and instruction. You are in good hands with Iguana Surf Camp. Our primary focus is on creating the best and safest surfing experience possible.