Surf lessons in Santa Teresa and Playa Hermosa Costa Rica... Summer 2025!
Experience amazing surf lessons at Playa Hermosa and Santa Teresa, Costa Rica. For just $70 per person, enjoy a unique 90-minute session in English or Spanish, with all surf equipment included. Learn to surf while immersing yourself in the breathtaking tropical nature of Costa Rica. Perfect for beginners and surf enthusiasts, our lessons are designed to ensure fun and progress. With expert instructors and the best beaches, enjoy an unforgettable adventure in the surfing paradise. Book now and join us to ride the waves at Playa Hermosa and Santa Teresa!
EXCELLENT Based on 108 reviews Stephanie L2025-04-21Verified Best surf lesson The surf lesson is amazing, Richard helps you with the basics of surfing. He is a Nice guy and makes a lot of jokes. We had such a good time, we went back 4 times! We would definately recommend to book with Richard, Pura vida! Pauline F2025-04-18Verified First unforgettable surf experience Great experience with patient and attentive teacher. 2 pros at our disposal. My teens loved it! Ideal setting to start surfing Oliver A2025-02-20Verified Magical beginner surfing session in the sunset We had an amazing experience surfing at Playa Hermosa with our instructor Richard. He adapted it after our experience as beginners who have tried surfing before, and did a summary/check of the basics on the beach. He then helped us pick good waves that made it easy for us to stand up most of the time and have a great time. He gave good tips and guidance, helping us learn and get better during the session.And importantly, Richard made us feel relaxed and safe the whole time.Playa Hermosa truly lives up to its name, it was incredibly beautiful with the palm trees climbing down to the beach. We surfed from 4 pm and got a magical sunset at the end. I couldn’t recommend this enough! Steve P2024-12-27Verified Friendly and helpful Intructors Great and friendly instructors. Really supportive. And helpful. We had a great time and will book again.Location was beautiful too. Marre812024-12-21Verified Just book them! very fun experience! nice and educational teachers who managed to get the whole family on board. The beach in Hermosa is made forsurfing! Micha S2024-12-05Verified Excellent Surf Lessons! We had a really great time taking surf lessons with Richard! For the four of us, he organized a second teacher so that we could practice very effectively. All of us made significant progress during the lessons - encouraged by Richard, who is a qualified teacher and an excellent motivator. He is a very friendly person spreading laidback tico-surf-vibes 🤙🏻This was definitely one of our highlights during our trip. Thank you Richard! Kristin R2024-05-25Verified Great Time! This was by far one of our favorite activities during our Costa Rica vacation! The location was beautiful and the waves were perfect! Instructions were super easy to follow! If I can catch a good wave or two, you definitely can!! Olga S2024-05-06Verified Must do activity My boyfriend and I had a wonderful time, it was our first time surfing so we weren’t sure how well we would do but the amazing instructor made it so easy and fun for us. David P2024-03-25Verified Experience of 10 Richard taught us how to surf from scratch, he was super attentive and without him we wouldn't have been able to do anything, a brutal experience! Alyssa G2024-03-19Verified Best experience ever! I loved how positive and supportive Richard is! I was very nervous all throughout but he was nothing but supportive of my efforts. He lightens the mood with jokes and smiles and made my friend and I feel like we were going to be pro surfers at some point lol! The waves were intimidating at first and I could barely catch a wave but he kept pushing for me to go and saw the potential I had. Now I want to surf all over again! He made every moment worth and I am so excited to book again!
EXCELLENT Based on 260 reviews Nancy2025-04-26Verified J’avais choisi Richard pour le cour de surf de mon conjoint. Cadeau que je lui ai fait, c’était un rêve de jeunesse pour lui. Richard est tout simplement super. Gentil, drôle, attentionné. Il a su prendre tout le temps et la patience requise. Je recommande Richard à 200 %, vous ne serez pas déçu. Fabian2025-04-14Verified First time surfing ever for our family! The 4 of us were very beginner and Richard took it into consideration. The spot was safe, the instructions were super clear and he managed to adapt the lessons so that everyone could enjoy the moment from the youngest (12 yo) to the adults. I definitely recommend! Andrea2025-04-12Verified Amazing teaching session! Richard was very kind, knowledgeable and he knew how to adapt some movements for my physical restraints. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to learn how to surf! Kelly2025-04-11Verified Richard and Nicole were amazing instructors. My family of 4 of beginners got up and had an amazing rides. Highly recommend them both Stacey2025-04-09Verified Richard is a kind, patient, and truly gifted surf instructor. My 12-year-old son had his very first surfing lesson, and Richard made it an unforgettable experience. Originally from San José, Richard grew up surfing the waves of Santa Teresa on family camping trips, and now calls this beach paradise home. If supporting locals matters to you—Richard is your guy. He greeted us warmly at Playa Hermosa, provided all the gear (rash guard, soft longboard, leash), and guided my son through warm-ups and safety tips before they hit the waves. His calm energy, deep knowledge of the ocean, and love for teaching made my son feel confident and safe. Richard ended the lesson by providing both with fresh coconut water for our walk back to our villa—an absolutely perfect Costa Rican afternoon. Highly recommend Richard’s Surfing Experience in Santa Teresa! Thanks Richard Savannah2025-04-03Verified Richard was incredible! We ended up getting a private lesson & it was so worth it! Energy was amazing. He was so helpful, encouraging and had really great guidance and teaching style. Would absolutely go back & recommend!!! Plus the beach is GORGEOUS & we had the best coconut water after our session.🏄🏽♀️🏄🏼♂️🌊🥥 Gianluca2025-03-28Verified Richard hatte sehr viel Geduld mit mir. Er ist ein toller Surf-Lehrer. Es hat super viel Spaß gemacht und ich hab super viel gelernt, sodass ich währenddessen schon ein paar Wellen fangen konnte. Kann ich wirklich nur empfehlen! 🏄♂️ Lindsay2025-03-13Verified Richard’s surf lesson was a highlight for our family - which includes two adults and two middle school/late elementary kids - during our trip to Costa Rica. We were all able to catch multiple waves and our kids LOVED 🥰 it! (We did too). Richard is a great teacher and so joyful - his love for surfing and being in the water is infectious. He smartly scaled the lesson to get us up on the board as quickly as possible and then let us try our hands at slightly more advanced maneuvers. He also had great recommendations on where to rent boards in case our kids wanted to surf more - and of course they did. Lovely experience, gorgeous beach, stellar teacher! I highly recommend Richard and this experience. James2025-03-09Verified We had an amazing time with Richard and left our lesson feeling more confident and excited to keep learning. Highly recommend booking a session if you’re in the area. Victoria2025-03-06Verified Richard was amazing! He was very informative and patient when I for some reason had issues with the foot technique. My husband at the end was able to push himself into the wave and surf! He was funny as well, with easy instructions.
- US$70 pp
- English/ Spanish
- Surfboard, equipment incl.
- 90 minutes
- Ages 6 - to your limits 😉
Ideal for travelers interested in learning how to surf, or beginners who haven’t brought the right gear, this surf lesson provides boards and everything you need to improve your surfing skills. Meet us directly at Hermosa Beach, considered one of the top surf spots for beginners. It’s start with stretching exercises, basics on surf etiquette and rules at the beach. Then, get in the water and learn to catch your first waves.





surfboard
rashguard
wax
apply sunscreen
a towel
a big smile
– Introduction
– Stretching
– Surf Etiquette and Safe Rules:
-safe rules
-positioning
-pop up/stand up
– Surf Session
*Safety first! The lesson is always supervised by an instructor.
*Availability for retreats, photographer, private lessons, families, business, groups, just ask us!
*The lesson is set up an instructor per two or three students.
*We go with the flow! it’s going to be fun, hot and salty; it may be easy or tough 😉
*Step by Step! we can guide you from foam to lineup!
*Do you want to surf but don’t have time during the day! no problem! we do sunrise & sunset lessons! Choose the time that fits with your itinerary.
The activity level for this experience is moderate.
The skill level for this experience is beginner.
Not recommended for travelers with back problems.
Not recommended for pregnant travelers.
Not recommended for travelers with heart problems or other serious medical conditions.
Not allowed to take or show up under any drugs or substances that affect the performance of the class.
Not wheelchair accessible.
Guests can cancel up to 24 hours before the start of the experience to receive a full refund.
Santa Teresa is a small fisherman village still with a divine touch, gleaming sandy beaches, exuberant nature, bright sun joins everyday on the face and sun tanning of the locals and visitors. From a laid back town on the western edge of Peninsula de Nicoya to a world-class surfing spot, excellent place for beginners and intermediates to grow up their surfing. Consistent waves and safe conditions for novices. A magic spot, for high performance and professional surfers. Besides surfing, Santa Teresa offers a variety of things to do.