Family-Friendly Surf Camp Costa Rica for Beginners

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First-time family travelers to Costa Rica often include surfing in their list of top excursions to try- and Costa Rica is a great place to learn to surf! While there are a lot of different surfing beaches across Costa Rica , I generally recommend that families wanting to learn to surf visit Tamarindo. This is because there are a lot of different types of waves, so both beginners and advanced surfers can have fun surfing.

Plus, Tamarindo is a strategic location in Guanacaste that offers tons of family fun. There are great excursion options, excellent dining, and some fun places to beach hop- like Playa Avellanas and Playa Grande.

Recently though, I have also found that travelers to Costa Rica are overwhelmed with all of the possibilities around planning a trip- accommodations, excursions, food, transportation- all the things. So I was thrilled when I found Iguana Surf Camp for Families, and I want to tell you all about it! 

In this post, you’ll learn all about the surfing experiences you can find at Iguana Surf, especially about the family surf camp, which I think is incredible. 

PLUS- if you book your surf camp experience using the PURAVIDAMOMS promo code and send me your confirmation email, I’ll send you a free printable guide to Tamarindo’s best restaurants for families AND offer you a free 15-minute consult with me before your trip. I’ll answer any and all questions you have before you go! ($40 value).

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About Iguana Surf Camp

Iguana Surf has had a spot right on the beach in Tamarindo, Costa Rica for as long as I remember- at least since I started traveling to Costa Rica back in 2001. They have offered surfboard rentals and surf lessons forever. I most remember them for offering $0.50 showers for my husband and me to rinse off before heading home from the beach.

What I didn’t realize is that over the years, Iguana Surf Camp Costa Rica has expanded their services to include a family surf camp, complete with accommodations and breakfast. They pick you up from the airport, take you to their beachfront location in Tamarindo, and take care of you and your family for an entire week. Surf lessons and analysis. Accommodations. Breakfast. Discounts on local excursions. All the things. It’s the easiest surf vacation ever- and it was created especially for families!

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Surf Camp Offerings for Families

I hear from so many families who want to experience the best of Costa Rica- but they want an easy vacation. I get it- when you don’t have to worry about all the moving parts of a vacation (especially in a foreign country) you can focus on having an epic vacation with your family. 

That’s where Iguana Surf Camp Costa Rica comes in. They have taken their decades of experience as a top surf lessons brand in Tamarindo and created a family surf camp tailored specifically to families. 

Not only do they tailor the surf lessons to different abilities, but they also have thought of what types of accommodations families will want. Plus, they are located in the heart of Tamarindo.

This means that families can enjoy the beach before and after lessons, have quick accessibility to their accommodations, and have lots of time to explore Tamarindo on foot. What I especially love about Iguana Family Surf Camp is that it eliminates the need to have a car in Costa Rica- saving money and stress for families who are ok with staying in one place for the week. 

For almost every other type of trip to Costa Rica, I DO recommend having a car. Read about that here.

Remember- use the code PURAVIDAMOMS to book your surf camp experience and send me your confirmation email to christa at puravidamoms.com  I’ll send you a free printable guide to Tamarindo’s best restaurants for families AND offer you a free 15-minute consult with me ($40 value).

Iguana Family Surf Camp Accommodations and Amenities

As I mentioned before, Iguana Surf has always enjoyed prime real estate right on the main road in front of the most beautiful stretch of beach in Tamarindo. 

What I didn’t realize, however, is that Iguana Surf owned quite a bit of land, and built a large vacation home for groups, as well as a set of villas with kitchens for travelers in smaller groups. This was a genius idea, because now they can offer not only surf lessons but also beachfront accommodations for visitors. Families have easy access to restaurants, shops, and additional activities centered in the heart of Tamarindo.

 This means that when you book a surf camp, you are not only getting surf  lessons but also an amazing place to stay, with the option to cook (which is so handy for families!) I adore the way they have made the rooms bright and clean, with coastal colors and lots of visual reminders to stay pura vida.

So, what is included in the Iguana Family Surf Camp Costa Rica? Here’s a rundown of the 6-night surf camp (Iguana Surf also offers 5 and 7-night packages):

•  6 Nights In Our Beachfront Hotel
•   Shuttle from Liberia Airport (generally Saturdays at 2:00 pm)
•   4 Surf Lessons
•   1 Surf Trip
•   Video Analysis
•   Photo Package
•   Daily Breakfast
•   Your own personal rashguard (surf shirt)
•   Unlimited board rentals for the duration of your package
•   Discounts on all of Costa Rica’s top tours

Let’s talk about accommodations for a minute. There are a few different options, and you may wonder which is right for your family. Right off the bat, I’ll say that families probably don’t want the dorm room option, so I won’t talk about that here. All the accommodations do have a mini-fridge in the room, which is awesome because I love to stash beer and sodas in my room!

Family Suite

The family suite can sleep up to 10 people, and has lots of bunk beds. It’s a spacious two story unit with two bedrooms. This is great for families with young kids and large groups.

Private Rooms

The private rooms are an interesting option because they sleep either two people (King Suite) or three people (Private Room Twin.) These rooms would be super cool for a family with teens who want a bit of their own space, but parents want to be close by. You could just book two rooms next door to each other.

Ready to book your surf camp adventure? Use the code PURAVIDAMOMS at checkout and don’t forget to send your confirmation to christa at puravidamoms.com. As a thank you, I’ll send you a free printable guide to Tamarindo’s top family-friendly restaurants, plus a complimentary 15-minute consult with me (a $40 value)!

Surfing Experience for Kids and Parents

Iguana Family Surf Camp offers surf lessons tailored to all levels. This is because they have the best instructors who have a ton of experience working with many types of surfers. They can help campers who want to stand up on a wave for the first time all the way to those looking for an in-depth surf analysis. I often hear from families who want to surf in Costa Rica but have trouble finding the right surf spot because dad is an experienced surfer while the kids have never tried. 

Tamarindo is the perfect surf spot because there are nice, even waves for beginners. Then, behind those waves is a bigger break with bigger waves for more experienced surfers. The beach is also expansive, so there is a lot of room for surfers. This means the ocean doesn’t get crowded even on busy days. 

Iguana Surf Camp instructors offer a fun, safe, and supportive learning environment that motivates beginning surfers to keep trying until they can successfully surf. All of the instructors are bilingual as well, so no translator is needed! 

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Off-Surf Activities for Families

Some families don’t necessarily want to surf all the time but also want to experience some of the quintessential Costa Rican experiences. I’m thinking of wildlife excursions, zip lines, sunset catamarans, river floats, and more.

Iguana Family Surf Camp Costa Rica has already thought of this. They know that people don’t necessarily only want to surf 24/7. That’s why they provide discounted excursions that depart and arrive right at the hotel. This means you can book excursions with a vetted tour outfitter who will provide transportation. Just remember the excursions have an additional cost, but you do get a discount if you are already at Iguana Surf Family Camp. Here are all of the tours offered by Iguana Surf Camp.

The surf experience, paired with the accommodations and options for excursions truly makes Iguana Family Surf Camp a one-stop vacation spot. You’ll get a personalized taste of Costa Rica’s natural beauty and culture without additional planning.

Food At Iguana Surf Family Surf Camp Costa Rica

If you know me even a little bit, you know I love to eat- and I really love to eat Costa Rican food! One of the hardest parts of planning a vacation in a foreign country can be making sure everyone is fed. And lots of food is in order when surfing and swimming are on the agenda. 

One of the things that I most love about Iguana Surf camp is that breakfast is included each morning. Surfing happens early, and if you are anything like me, I do not want to be wrangling the family to an early breakfast. I especially don’t want to get up early and cook everyone breakfast on vacation! Having breakfast included is genius. 

Lunch and dinner are on your own. What we like to do is either eat a traditional Costa Rican lunch in town and then get snacks for dinner. OR, we like to snack around all day and eat a fun dinner out at sunset or just after. Since the accommodations have kitchens, you have a lot of flexibility on when and what you eat- saving time and money. 

Booking your surf camp with the code PURAVIDAMOMS? Don’t forget to email your confirmation to christa@puravidamoms.com! Knowing the best family-friendly restaurants in Tamarindo can make all the difference during your trip. That’s why I’ll send you a free printable guide to the top spots for dining with kids—and you’ll also receive a complimentary 15-minute consultation with me (valued at $40) to help you plan the perfect trip!

Pricing and Value for Money

At the time of writing in September 2024, the cost of the family surf camp (minus additional excursions), for 6 nights, is $749 per person. You pay for your flights separately.

Now let me tell you. This is a GREAT deal. That’s about $125 per person, per day, for accommodations in the heart of Tamarindo, and breakfast. And they transfer you to and from the Liberia Airport, which is worth almost $400 in itself.

When you add on the surf lessons- you literally can’t beat the price. I actually could see doing this package even if you don’t want to surf because it would be cheaper to work with Iguana Surf and be in Tamarindo than it would be to DIY this type of trip. Especially since the price of their excursions is super reasonable.

It’s a good enough deal that you could even book the Iguana Surf Family Surf Camp, put the kids in lessons, and have a few hours to yourself each day. That’s honestly what I would do, and feel great about it knowing I was still getting a whale of a deal on the entire package. 

AND- they have some awesome add-ons such as a yoga experience, private Spanish lessons, and even one that includes a sunset cruise and a family photo package. 

Me? I’d book the camp for all four of us (myself, my husband and two daughters) and then add on the yoga just for me and I’d skip the surfing. But don’t tell! 

Don’t miss out on an incredible surf camp experience! Enter the code PURAVIDAMOMS when booking, then forward your confirmation to christa @ puravidamoms.com. I’ll send you a free printable guide to the top family dining spots in Tamarindo and a free 15-minute consult with me, valued at $40!

Book Now – Iguana Surf Family Surf Camp

Ready to book your surf camp adventure? Use the code PURAVIDAMOMS at checkout and don’t forget to send your confirmation to christa @ puravidamoms.com. As a thank you, I’ll send you a free printable guide to Tamarindo’s top family-friendly restaurants, plus a complimentary 15-minute consult with me (a $40 value)!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Iguana Surf Costa Rica. All opinions are my own.