Surf
and wellness

How to use this guide

This selection is for travelling to Nosara or Santa Teresa to learn or improve your surfing and add some yoga. They are two separate bases, so it pays to choose one. In Nosara, everything revolves around Guiones Beach, with consistent waves all year and the Surf schools in Nosara. Santa Teresa has several breaks, and the Surf schools in Santa Teresa teach at Playa Hermosa (Santa Teresa) and Playa Carmen. Both towns have plenty of studios and hotels with yoga classes open to the public, retreats and sunset yoga.

If you are starting from scratch, learn at Guiones Beach or at Playa Hermosa, the friendliest break for beginners in Santa Teresa, with gentler waves and a more secluded feel. Playa Carmen, at El Cruce, is for intermediate surfers. The season matters too: in the dry season the waves are smaller and better for learning, and from April to October the bigger swells arrive. A typical day combines a surf lesson in the morning, yoga in the afternoon and sunset at Playa Carmen, the town's meeting point to watch it.

On a tight budget, bear in mind that lessons in Nosara start at about $90 plus VAT, while board hire starts at about $10 a day. With some experience, rent a board and skip the lesson. If you only have one day, stay at a single beach.

Tips

• Ask your school about the best tide: it varies a lot from break to break.
• Guiones is mainly a surf beach, with 2 to 6 foot waves and rip currents: for swimming, ask the locals. In Santa Teresa swimming is not recommended because of rips; the tide pool is the place to swim and snorkel.
• At Playa Hermosa the waves are gentler, but the currents can be strong.
• Yoga retreats are booked in advance; most drop-in classes are paid at the studio.
• For sunset at Playa Carmen, people gather between 17:00 and 18:00.