Best Beach for Beginner Surfers in Costa Rica | Sunken Paradise Diaries

Anxious Road Tripping

We're two days in, Ragnar is cruising down the road in peak Costa Rican dry season towards the popular surf town of Santa Teresa, he's wheeling past surf shops, cultivating his laid-back vibe while saving small birds on the side of the road. Jackson is locked into his role of playlist alchemist, bopping his head along to the sultry tones of Omar Apollo. And Chris, oh Chris, he's got his shades on and his blue-steel expression locked in. I couldn't tell you if it's carsickness from getting jiggled around on these unholy Costa Rican backroads, or if he's practicing his smolder for a cool day out on the waves, but his expression could freeze lava and melt thunder.  

Then there's me, casually contemplating how badly I'm about to get pulped on some zesty Santa Teresa waves while all the other surfers simultaneously wince for and laugh at me. And this is where I make the grand reveal: none of us are particularly fabulous at surfing despite that being a core driver of why we started this company. We love it. Are we good? Unequivocally no.

These thoughts are pulsating through my head right as we pull into the cozy little surf town of Santa Teresa.

Welcome to Santa Teresa

Santa Teresa is everything you could want it to be, beautiful scenery, attractive people zooming around on four-wheelers, and a various medley of cool-looking vehicles. We were all excited, energy hit new heights, Red Eye's by "The War on Drugs Came On," as we passed multiple surf schools and surf camps back to back you get the distinct feeling that this is one of the few places that has really earned its reputation as one of the best, most popular surf destinations for a reason.

Heads were bouncing, I was starting to feel excited. That is until I realized that everyone also looked like they were experienced surfers, and I was going to stand out on that beach like a sore thumb on a zombified giant.

We wheel into our air b n b at Don Jon's Surf and Yoga Lodge. Jump out, unload our gear then after a quick "best surf lessons nearby" and "best places to surf in Costa Rica for beginners" Google, take off for the closest of a dozen surf shops in the area. The one with the biggest "best beginner surf lesson" sign was really the only upsell we needed. Once inside, we fessed up about our surfing skill level and asked him to take us to a place with beginner-friendly waves, that wasn't insanely popular and crowded (relatively speaking). Our surf instructor outfitted us with 9 ft foam boards, threw them in the back of a truck, and told us to meet him on the south end of Playa Hermosa a short trip away.

Surf Lessons in Playa Hermosa

"Welcome to Playa Hermosa!" our instructor yelled as we stepped out onto the most pristine beach I have ever seen. It's definitely a popular beach, the great waves, and beautiful scenery tend to draw a crowd, but relative to the other surf spots that we had checked out in Costa Rica, Playa Hermosa was practically empty and it calmed me down a lot seeing uncrowded waves.

After a quick refresher on the beach about properly popping up on a surfboard and best surf etiquette, we dragged our burly nine-foot board rentals into the water and started the humbling process of paddling our surfboards out into the waves. I will say the waves that you hit paddling out always feel like the most challenging waves and also tend to make you the most self-conscious about your surfing skills- nothing like getting pulverized in front of another surf class out in the water. But, nevertheless, we persisted, we were prepared to overcome anything to surf some nice waves.

Rocket Man Gets a Surfboard

Chris jumps up first, taking off like an over-fueled rocket, with the physics of his first voyage getting a little wonky. Fortunately, as far as Costa Rica surfing beaches go we're mostly near other beginner surfers, the other intermediate and advanced surfers are off in search of some bigger waves in Mal Pais which is one of the more intense surf spots in Costa Rica. Chris emerges from the waves, the photographer on the beach is going crazy because she got a great shot of him absolutely eating it, but everyone's cheering. Other surfers are loving the enthusiasm, and the few other people from another surf camp out on the water are incredibly friendly.

Beautiful People, Beautiful Places

What's amazing about surfers in Costa Rica is that everyone is supportive of one another, no one is barging over one another to find waves. At playa hermosa it felt like beginner surfers in particular got a ton of love and support. It's the perfect blend of people and the natural environment. There are consistent swells and constant action, and the offshore winds are super mild so the entire time you're in the water you have this feeling of balance: none of the surfing is too hard, but none of it feels too easy either.

Surfs Up

Now it's my turn to surf. Apparently, it's frowned upon to try to make surfing a spectator sport in a surf town and playa hermosa was waiting to plunge me sideways into some frigid ocean water. I paddle over to a more petit beach surf break, spotted my wave, and start paddling.

"Be one with the surf, be one with the surf," I kept chanting over and over, while my eyes fixated straight ahead on the beach. I heard "paddle!" followed by a shrill, "up, up, up." I shot to my feet and catapulted forward towards the beach. That rush you get your first time getting up in a new place is exactly why you visit Costa Rica and take surf trips in the first place: pure adrenaline.

Beach Meditation

After I finish my ride on the beach, I jump off the board at the end of the ride and paddle back towards the beach break. Once I'm past it, I just sit out there on my surfboard savoring the water. Blue and green waves lapped around my legs, and I can feel the surf invigorating every atom of my being. By now I was pretty far out, but I didn't feel any rip currents and the beach looked even better from a distance. Hearing the other guys get excited after their first long rides on the swells was amazing, and it almost felt meditative- the beginner surf trip I was looking for.

Washed to Shore

After a few more hours out on the water and catching some nice surf breaks, we decided to call it a day and head back to the beach. We road the beach break past the surf camp that had been out there with us all day, waving our goodbyes (while trying not to wipe out in front of them on our last surf run of the day) and then dragging our board rentals along behind us before awkwardly lifting them up, sneaking envious looks at the few more intermediate and advanced surfers on the beach walking by with their short boards.

Return to Civilization in Santa Teresa

After we loaded our surfboards into the truck, we decided to walk down one of my new favorite surf beaches in Costa Rica and watch a few of the advanced surfers hit some tricks. Sitting on the beach it hit me, I think this place is paradise.

Playa Hermosa Surf Highlights

There were a number of things we loved at Playa Hermosa. The beach itself was immaculate, with only a few rocks, amazing white sand, friendly people, and plenty of shady spots to hide from the sun in.

We also liked how close it was to where we rent boards. It's a well-located beach that isn't far from good food, surf shops, and the amenities you typically want on a vacation in costa rica: amazing coffee, acai bowls, etc.

Consistent waves are a huge boost, you're never stuck out waiting too long to catch a ride and are mostly between 4-6.5 ft. So not minuscule, but certainly not too big.

Overall, it was our favorite beach to surf at in Costa Rica which is saying a lot because the competition is fierce. Looking forward to keeping you posted on some of our other favorite surf spots and fun things to do in Costa Rica.