Surf trip in Costa Rica
7-Day surf coaching camp in Nosara

Welcome to the ultimate tropical surfing experience in playa Guiones. Imagine yourself surfing a pristine 7 km long beach break surrounded by some of the lushest rainforest hills on earth. We’ve created one of the best surf coaching camps in Costa Rica.

  • Consistent, quality surf for beginners & intermediates
  • Plenty of safe, sand bottom waves breaking over 7 km of majestic beach
  • Fascinating jungle with sloths, monkeys, colorful birds & more
  • Gorgeous, private bungalow set in a tropical garden for you to rest easy
  • Enjoy vacations in a well-known surf and yoga retreat in Costa Rica
  • Central location: walk 6 minutes to waves, amazing restaurants & cafes
Nosara Surfers Costa Rica Beach
A typical day

Wake up in your gorgeous bungalow and watch a family of howler monkeys pass overhead as you head for a swim in the beautiful salt water pool. Grab a surfboard and walk 5 minutes through the thick jungle to Guiones beach for your personalized surf class after a fresh, organic breakfast. Back home, a professional surf coach analyzes your surfing videos, helping you quickly improve your technique while you sip on a fresh smoothie. After your afternoon restorative yoga session, you feel relaxed and grateful, and you finish the day by grabbing a bicycle and riding through beautiful Nosara at sunset, amazed by its incredible biodiversity.

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Surf Coaching Theory Class
Surf Spot Map Nosara Costa Rica

Destinations

Guiones beach in Nosara, Costa Rica

The paradisiac surf town of Nosara is the perfect location to provide one of the best surf coaching camps. Guiones Beach is a magical 7km long white-sand beach that provides perfect, forgiving waves for beginner and intermediate surf lessons. It has many breaks so surfers of all levels have the space to find waves and learn to surf safely.

Other nearby beaches you may discover, depending on your level and surf conditions:

  •     Ostional beach
  •     Pelada beach
  •     Garza beach

Personalized surf program
for your level

On all surf trips
Personalized Surf Coaching
Personalized Surf Coaching For your level
Surf Camp Progress

Level 1: beginner surf coaching

Never tried surfing before? Or have you tried a few times, taking a few lessons here and there? If you still need to master basic techniques, this surf coaching level is for you.

Level 2: intermediate surf coaching

Have you been surfing for many weeks, months or years? Can you paddle through the white water and catch unbroken waves by yourself? This coaching will take your surfing to the next level.

Is this surf trip for me?

Your surfing level
  • You have never tried surfing & want to learn the right way, in a safe environment
  • You surfed a few times & you want to master the basic techniques
  • You’re an intermediate surfer wishing to progress & bring your surfing to the next level
  • You’re looking for consistent, quality waves in a tropical climate
  • You want to learn under professional coaches to efficiently improve your surf level
  • You want to coach yourself to improve in the future
Surfer Maderas Nicaragua
Lifestyle

Guiones is the definition of a tropical, surfing paradise village. The remote, small town has a very relaxed vibe based around surfing and yoga.

  • You travel by yourself, with friends, or as a couple
  • You want to surf white-sand beaches with quality waves and warm water
  • You love delicious, healthy food and cafes
  • Average traveller age: 25 – 55

 

Yoga & Surf Coaching Retreats
Walk On Guiones Beach Costa Rica Surf Camp
Surf Coaching Camp

Our unique surfing program will quickly develop your surfing skills, so you can enjoy the thrill of riding on a wave as soon as possible. Combine our 10+ years of professional surf training with a 7km long beach break that offers clean, fun, forgiving waves, and you get the perfect recipe for your progression and amusement in the water.

  • Unique surfing program designed for beginners & intermediates
  • 5 personalized surf lessons, 2:1 student/coach ratio maximum
  • 5 surf workshops – theory & technique
  • Professional surf videos sent to your e-mail
  • Surf clinics: technique analysis meetings with your videos
  • Professional coaches
Surf Coaching Camp
Accommodation

Welcome to your Costa Rican home: a gorgeous private bungalow set in a flourishing garden. From your own terrace, feel rejuvenated, surrounded by the region’s unique fauna. Whether you want to go surfing, head to a restaurant, a café or a surf shop, you won’t need to walk more than 5 minutes!

  • Chic, exclusive bungalows with private terrace
  • Large rooms with AC & comfortable beds
  • Central location: minutes from the beach, restaurants & cafes
  • Access to free bicycles to explore Nosara
  • Large saltwater pool set in a beautiful garden
  • Great social areas & wifi


See accommodation

Accommodation Nosara Surf Camp
Lifestyle & Yoga

Need a break from your busy life? Enjoy vacations in a well-known surf and yoga retreat in Costa Rica. You will come back home from this journey inspired and with a clear mindset.

  • Airport shuttles (to & from Liberia – LIR)
  • Welcome group dinner
  • Organic breakfast each morning
  • 2 Yoga classes
  • Stand up paddle through mangrove tunnels on the Nosara River
Yoga & Surf Coaching Retreat
Surfer Guiones Beach
Surfer Nosara Costarica
Surf Coaching Photo Analysis
Marcel Barefoot Surf Travel Nosara
Surfer Guiones Beach
Surfer Nosara Costarica
Surf Coaching Photo Analysis

Surf information

Surf overview

The area offers perfect waves for both beginners and intermediates. Nosara is one of the most consistent surf beaches on earth, offering waves year-round. Spots North and South of Guiones offer something different for more advanced surfers, with point breaks and heavier beach breaks.

Surf conditions

The “small wave season”, with waves usually from knee to chest high, goes from November to March. The months of April until October offer waves that vary from chest high to overhead. With the abundance of spots along the coast, it’s possible to find great waves for your level almost every day of the year. Water is tropical, no need for wetsuits.

Surf Conditions Nosara Costa Rica

Surf informationLineBlack

Surf overview

The area offers perfect waves for both beginners and intermediates. Nosara is one of the most consistent surf beaches on earth, offering waves year-round. Spots North and South of Guiones offer something different for more advanced surfers, with point breaks and heavier beach breaks.

Typical Day Surf Nosara
Surf conditions

The “small wave season”, with waves usually from knee to chest high, goes from November to March. The months of April until October offer waves that vary from chest high to overhead. With the abundance of spots along the coast, it’s possible to find great waves for your level almost every day of the year. Water is tropical, no need for wetsuits.

Things to do in Nosara – ActivitiesLineBlack

SUP on Rio Nosara

Peacefully glide down the mangroves tunnels all the way to Nosara beach. Leisurely ride through hidden trails while discovering the amazing wildlife. (included)

Paddle Board Nosara
Zipline

Try out the longest canopy tour in the world! See if you have the courage to fly down several hundred feet-high above the thick rainforest hills.

Zipline-Nosara
Yoga Surf Retreat Costa Rica
Yoga

Join yoga classes and improve your flexibility in both your body and mind. Guiones has many yoga centers within walking distance. (2 yoga sessions included)

Horseback Riding Nosara
Horseback riding

Discover the different beaches on a horse, riding through the breathtaking jungle and along the coastline.

Yoga

Join yoga classes and improve your flexibility in both your body and mind. Guiones has many yoga centers within walking distance. (2 yoga sessions included)

Yoga Surf Retreat Costa Rica
Horseback riding

Discover the different beaches on a horse, riding through the breathtaking jungle and along the coastline.

Horseback Riding Nosara
SUP on Rio Nosara

Peacefully glide down the mangroves tunnels all the way to Nosara beach. Leisurely ride through hidden trails while discovering the amazing wildlife. (included)

Paddle board on Nosara
Zipline

Try out the longest canopy tour in the world! See if you have the courage to fly down several hundred feet-high above the thick rainforest hills.

Zipline-Nosara
Surfers Nosara
Surf Camp for Beginners Costa Rica
Surf Coaching Meeting
Learn how to surf
Surfers Nosara
Learn how to surf

Nosara surf trip

Surf Camp in Costa Rica
$3,850 USD per person

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Go to Prices & Dates

FAQs | Surf & Lifestyle

A lot of our first-time guests are concerned about this!

To give you an idea, about 80% of our guests are between 25 and 55 years old, with the most significant concentration being in their 30's and 40's. This is, on average, each trip is a bit different.

We are firm believers that age is just a number! If you are under 25 or over 55, you are certainly welcome in our retreats. What is important to our organization is to be transparent in the type of experience we deliver. Our guests come to focus on their surfing progression and to have a great time. Some of them enjoy a beer or a cocktail at sunset and might go out once or twice during the retreat, but if you are looking for a place to party all week, this is not the right experience for you.
About 20% of our travellers have never touched a surfboard. We are here to help beginners learn how to surf and help intermediate surfers progress faster.

Unless you don't know how to swim or if you wouldn't be comfortable swimming at least 40 meters without a floating device, you can join our coaching retreats in Costa Rica, Nicaragua or Bali. For the Mentawais and the Maldives, only intermediate level surfers will be able to enjoy those experiences.
We only open during what we believe are the best months for both waves and temperature in each of our destinations. These decisions are made according to statistical averages of swells and the type of spots in each destination.

Predicting surfing conditions is a bit like predicting the weather, we can only have a good idea of what the waves will be like a few days before a retreat. Therefore we can not guarantee you that waves will be a certain size or shape on any specific week, months in advance. This being said, your chances of getting quality surf are very high as each surf season is specifically chosen according to average surfing conditions. Since we opened in 2012, we have not had one "flat day"!

We avoid opening during the rainiest months and choose the best surf spots around, according to your level. For example, if the waves are big, we will take you to a bay or a sheltered break, where the waves are smaller and conditions are safer.
If you are joining one of the "main retreats" (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, or Bali), your surfing equipment is included. If you are a novice surfer, you don't have to bring surfboards.

If you are an intermediate surfer:

For Bali and Costa Rica: there are plenty of quality surfboards on-site, and they are included in your package. Whether you want a longboard, funboard, fish or a hybrid surfboard, there is plenty of choices. Small, performance shortboards are harder to find, but usually, those are for advanced surfers. If you have "the magic surfboard" or if you are very precise in what you are looking for (example looking for 34.5 litres board with medium rocker), you might consider bringing your own boards.

Nicaragua: Surfboards are also included here. This is the most remote location of our "main retreats." We do have a good selection of surfboards, but the selection is not as large as in Bali or Costa Rica for performance, fibre-glass fishes and hybrid boards. You might consider bringing your own boards if performance, fibre-glass fishes or hybrids are what you want to surf and you want a precise shape and volume. If a NSP type of funboard or fish is something that you would like to surf, we do have those types of boards available.

Don't hesitate to contact us if you are an intermediate surfer and want to check if we have the board you are looking for before booking your trip.

In the Maldives and in the Mentawais, we recommend bringing your own surfboards. Bring the type of surfboards that you are used to ride and that you feel comfortable with (minimum 2, preferably 3). Bring at least one board on which you feel you have plenty of paddle power and length. Too often, we see intermediate surfers on the latest 5'6" "Hypto Krypto" because that is what the marketing says they should be on, and they only get onto a couple of waves each session. That's no good for enjoyment. Or improvement. contact us for details.
This depends on the destination you will travel to, and on personal preferences & souvenirs.

In our "main retreats" (Costa Rica, Nicaragua & Bali), you could bring, for example, $200 - $300 USD with you and your bank cards if you need to withdraw in the ATMs on destination. For the intermediate retreats, these are remote locations with no ATMs. You will need to refer to your travel guide for more information (provided when you book your spot).

Almost everything will be covered: accommodation, surf lessons, surf equipment (except for Maldives & Mentawais retreats), airport shuttles, your surfing footage, transportation, some activities, breakfast each morning and more. Here are some things you might need cash money for:

Apart from welcome meals, lunches and dinners are not included in our "Main Retreats (Costa Rica, Nicaragua & Bali)" because we believe it is part of the travel experience to try different meals and restaurants. Meal prices will vary significantly according to your preferences. In both Central America and Asia, you can still eat great local food for 5 - 8 USD per meal, and you can also spend 15+ USD on food in international restaurants.

For the intermediate retreats (Mentawais & Maldives), all meals are included because those are offered in remote locations that have very little or no other meal options.

Also, bring cash money if you bring back souvenirs for friends and family. Sometimes, freelance photographers could take in-water surf shots of you if you are lucky, you might want to purchase those!

Tips are not mandatory and are to the discretion of each traveller. If you want to tip, you can either give tips directly to your surf coach, cleaning or cooking staff.
Yes, it is possible in most cases, but not two weeks straight. We usually have 2 to 4 days separating weekly groups. You would then need to travel for 16 to 18 days and plan 2 to 4 free days between your two surf weeks.

Intermediate retreats in the Maldives & Mentawais are usually closer together, with 0, 1 or 2 days between trips.
For the "main retreats" in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Bali, both beginner and intermediate surfers are welcome (levels 1.1 to 2.2).

For the "intermediate only" trips in the Mentawais and the Maldives, only intermediate level surfers can join (level 2.1 and 2.2) You must be able to:
-catch unbroken waves by yourself
-angle your take off to go either left or right
-draw your line on a “green wave” with a minimum of control
-feel comfortable in shoulder-to-head-high waves

For more information on "what is your surfing level", click here.
For the main retreats (Costa Rica, Nicaragua & Bali): If your retreat dates on our website are, for example, from January 4th – 11th, this includes both the arrival day (4th) and the departure day (11th). There is no surfing or activities planned for those days.

This means that during the day on the 4th, nothing is planned other than your transportation to our villa or hotel. There is often a welcome group dinner, usually between 6:30pm - 8:00pm on the night of the first day. If you fly in later at night, you might miss it. On the last day of the retreat (January 11th in this example), only breakfast is organized plus transportation back to the airport.

For the intermediate only retreats (Maldives & Mentawais): The first and last days of a trip are also travel days (no surfing planned). For example, if a retreat goes from October 11th – 20th, there is nothing planned other than transportation and a welcome dinner on the 11th, and breakfast plus transportation back to the airport on the 20th. Please wait for us to send details of the itinerary before booking your international flights. Your flight schedule will need to work with the private fast boats in the Mentawais, or domestic flights in the Maldives.
Unfortunately, this is not possible. Our team of surf coaches are dedicated to providing the full surfing progression experience, they are not available for extra lessons. Since we have 6 coaches for 12 students maximum, if you come for just 2 or 3 days, for example, this will still take one of the 12 spots available.

FAQs | Travel

To benefit from the free shuttles included in our packages, you must arrive and leave on the same dates planned in our camps. For example, if you have booked a surf trip from January 4th to 11th, you must land on the 4th and leave on the 11th to catch our free shuttles. Outside of these dates, transportation from the airport is not included.

You can land at any time on our retreat dates, and we will send an airport shuttle for you. For the intermediate only retreats (Mentawais & Maldives), you will need to catch a boat after landing from your international flight (included in your package). Therefore you need to wait for us to send you those details by email once you have secured your spot before booking your international flights.
The answers below apply to North Americans, most of Europe and Australia. Please verify online to be 100% certain about your personal situation. More details will be available in the travel guide you will receive after booking your trip.

Nicaragua: No. Just a $10-15 USD fee to pay at the Managua airport (bring small bills with you).

Indonesia (Bali & Mentawais): Yes. You can get your visa directly at the airport in Denpasar (Bali trip) or Padang (Mentawai trip). It cost around $35 USD. If you plan to travel for more than 30 days, we recommend you to apply for a visa online. Depending on where you are from, you might be able to apply for a 60-day visa.

Costa Rica: No.

Maldives: A free 30-day tourist visa is granted on arrival for most nationals, including citizens of USA, Canada, Australia, NZ, UK and many European countries.
You must be 18 years old to book a trip by yourself.
We accept 15, 16 and 17-year-olds when travelling and surfing with a parent.
The US dollar is accepted almost everywhere in all of our destinations. For Indonesia, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, we recommend you bring between 300 and 400$ and a debit/credit card to be able to withdraw local currency in an ATM if needed.

For intermediate only retreats (Mentawais & Maldives): These are very remote locations. Please refer to your travel guide for more information (given to you after you reserve your spot).
If you are travelling by yourself, you have the choice of sleeping on a single bed in a room/bungalow with 1 or 2 other Barefoot Surf guests or pay an extra fee to have a room/bungalow to yourself.

Different accommodation types:
Costa Rica (2021): Bungalows for a maximum of 3 guests (see accommodation)
Nicaragua: Rooms for 2 or 3 guests (see accommodation)
Mentawai: Rooms for 2 guests (2 separate beds), or a 2-story bungalow with 2 beds per level.

We separate men and women in shared rooms. This is feasible in most of our retreats, but sometimes it is impossible. In the rare cases where this is not possible, you will be notified in advance and can accept or decline to join the trip (we will refund you if you do not join the trip in this case).
In each of our destinations, you will be led by experienced surf guides, who have an in-depth knowledge of the area and the surf spots. We also choose very secure places to accommodate our travellers.

This being said, we leave our travellers the freedom of exploring and experimenting with each destination as they wish, as we believe in the beauty of travelling. We give the necessary security advice for each trip. If these are respected, the risks of any trouble are very low (robbery, accidents, etc.).
We recommend our clients to get quality travel insurance with a well-known company: Blue-Cross, Manulife, Escapade, RBC, TravelGuard, etc. Make sure the insurance company covers surfing as an activity. Click here to buy travel insurance directly online with our partners G1G Insurance.
In the majority of cases, our travellers find better prices for plane tickets online than they would through a travel agency. Since we can’t offer better prices than the ones on the Internet, we highly suggest the following websites to buy your plane tickets: Kayak.com, Skyscanner.com, or Flighthub.com.
Nicaragua: Managua (MGA)*

Bali: Denpasar (DPS)

Costa Rica: Liberia (LIR)**

Mentawais: Padang (PDG)

Maldives: Malé (MLE)

* The Liberia airport in Costa Rica (LIR) is actually geographically closer to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, than Managua is. If you choose to land in Liberia to go to our Nicaragua retreat in San Juan del Sur, you will need to cross the land border which is 1 hour North of the Liberia airport. This process can be a bit complicated and take some time if there are line-ups. It will cost around $10-$20 USD of taxes and entrance fees. When adding the time at the customs, landing in Managua is quicker and more simple, but sometimes our guests find much better flights for Liberia, which could make this worth it. Click here for more information about this process.

**San Jose is about a 5-6hour drive from Guiones (Nosara), therefore it is twice as far from the resort than the Liberia airport. However, some guest, for example ones coming from Europe, might still prefer landing in San Jose (SJO), depending on flights available. Click here for more information about this process.
About half of our travellers are “lone travellers”, so you will most probably not be the only lone traveller in your group. Whether you are travelling with other groups of friends, couples or lone travellers, you can expect to meet new friends with who you will have a great time!

Testimonials


We are #1 on TripAdvisor

Reviews on TripAdvisor

  • “The best part of my trip with Barefoot was how much I improved my surfing. I’d done a bunch of single surf lessons before & this was the first time I actually felt like the surf guides were instructing, critiquing & pushing me to get better at surfing.”

    Katherine G. 31 / Toronto, Canada
  • “The total experience exceeded expectations, staff was knowledgeable, professional, and gracious. Accommodations were very welcoming and comfortable. Everything was top notch!”

    Rick Osgood, 53 / Napa, USA
  • “I’ve been traveling to various surf camps for the last 2 years. This trip was beyond incredible, everything from start to finish was top notch and focused on improving my surfing while having a wonderful cultural experience.”

    Micheal, 41 / Boston, USA
  • “Created some great friendships, and experienced a beautiful country in the best week possible. Already trying to figure out when I can plan my next trip with them!”

    Emily P. 26 / Ventura, USA
  • “I couldn’t ask for time spent with more friendly, truly awesome people. The team is very responsive and well organized. My surfing was pushed to another level”

    Brittany M. 34 / Calgary, Canada
  • “The coaches are nationally acclaimed surfers and give great tips to better your surf technique. All in all a great experience.”

    Bao T. 33 / Montreal, Canada

2025 Surf Trips

Costa Rica - 7 days
Jan - Mar 2025
January 8th - 15th *1 spot left (Female Shared Bungalow)
January 18th - 25th *1 spot left (Private Bungalow)
January 29th - February 5th *2 spots left
February 8th - 15th *Full
February 19th - 26th *2 spots left
March 1st - 8th
March 12th - 19th *2 spots left (Male Shared Bungalow)
March 22nd - 29th *3 spots left
Nicaragua - 7 days
May - Jul 2025
April 26th - May 3rd *3 spots left (Shared room only)
May 7th - 14th
May 17th - 24th *1 spot left (Shared room only)
May 28th - June 4th
June 7th - 14th
June 18th - 25th
June 28th - July 5th *5 spots left
Mentawais - 10 days
November 2025
November 3rd - 12th
November 13th - 22nd

Bali and Maldives trips are on hold until 2026.
If the trip you are interested in is full, you can join our waiting list & get notified if someone cancels.

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