FREE AIRPORT PICKUP FROM LIBERIA ON SATURDAYS!
Costa Rica’s Original Surf Camp • 4.6/5 From 919 Reviews ★★★★★
100 Steps From Your Bed To The WATER.
A surf camp, a beach hotel, two restaurants, a coffee shop and a brewery. All on one stretch of sand. Full of locals, learners, families, and people who just came for lunch.
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Travelers' Choice 2026 |
On This Sand Since 2001
Which One Sounds Like You?
Being Good At Surfing Is Cool. Being Stoked On It Is Better.
In 2001 a broke twenty-three-year-old sank his entire savings into a beat-up school bus and, with just enough luck, drove it from California to Costa Rica. With no paperwork, and not much of a plan, he started running boat trips for advanced surfers. It was a good business. But when he watched a first-timer stand up and completely lose their mind, something clicked.
So he opened Witch's Rock Surf Camp on the north end of Tamarindo, despite everyone telling him he was crazy. Twenty-five years later, the town has grown around the camp and the boat trips are still happening. The same people come back every year, some for twenty. Robert August shaped boards here for twelve of those. He's the guy from The Endless Summer, the
movie that sent Joe down here in the first place.
Joe's still here, paddling out most mornings, walking around with his shirt off. Most people think he's a guest.
Three Ways To
Stay
ALL OF THEM GET THE POOL, THE BEACH AND THE RESTAURANTS.
* Come any day you want. Saturday just gets you the free ride from Liberia.
* Someone on the reservation needs to be on a surf program. Ask us if you're not sure.
Coming as a group with mixed levels? Everybody books together and surfs at their own pace.
"We had some people in intermediate and some beginners. Gino and Oscar were both amazing coaches. Even though the swell was small most of the week, Gino put in the extra effort to find us good surf spots."
Daniel L – February 2026, traveled with friends
WHAT A WEEK HERE ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE
Your Week
Same beach. Two very different weeks.
With A Board
SATURDAY
Free van ride from Liberia airport. Check in, walk the property, pick a board off the rack. Nothing's scheduled. Go for a swim, explore town, or grab a beer at El Vaquero.
From here the week splits. Beginners surf the wave out front all week. Everyone else is on the road every morning.
IF YOU'RE A BEGINNER
SUNDAY - Meet your coach and get in the water, out front, where it's sand all the way down.
MONDAY - Second session, then footage with your coach.
TUESDAY - Out front again. It's why the camp was put here.
WEDNESDAY - Session, then video again. This is the day most people stop thinking about it and just surf. Some move up a group, which means they're in the van the next morning.
THURSDAY - Out front. Fourth session, and it shows.
FRIDAY - Graduation. Last session, then the whole camp gets together to close out the week.
SATURDAY - Breakfast, one more paddle out, van to the airport.
IF YOU'RE NOT
Every morning the coaches pick a break based on wind, tide and swell. Then you get in the van or on the boat. Avellanas, Playa Grande, Marbella, or wherever's working that day. Intermediates get coached at each one. Video review through the week. Advanced surfers get guides instead of lessons. Once a week the advanced group runs to Witch's Rock or Ollie's Point. Which day depends on the forecast, and the coaches call it the night before. Friday is graduation for everybody.
Without A Board
Some people do nothing all week. Some people do everything. Some do a bit of both.
IF YOU WANT TO DO NOTHING
Coffee at Dawn Patrol under the almond tree. The pool in the courtyard. A chair on the sand, a good book, and no reason to get up. Lunch at El Vaquero right on the beach, a nap and a massage. Happy hour at 4 pm. Then sunset. Live music.
That's a real day. Nobody here is going to bother you about it.
IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING
- Turtle tours at Playa Grande, October through February.
- Volcano day at Rincón de la Vieja. Ziplining, tubing, horseback riding.
- Catamaran at sunset with snorkeling and an open bar.
- Deep sea fishing.
- ATV up into the hills.
- Estuary trip through the mangroves.
- Town for the shops, the spas, and more restaurants than you'll get through in a week.
Front desk books any of it, usually the day before. Nothing to plan before you land.
IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND
Take a lesson. People do.
WHAT A WEEK HERE ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE
No Cars. No Parking. No Figuring Out Where To Eat.
* Vegetarian options available at every venue.
At most places, the beach is a drive and dinner is a decision. Here, you just walk out your door.
One Price.
Everything In It.
HERE'S WHAT COMES WITH A SURF WEEK.
Coaching And Media
Surf packages only
- Coaching every morning, matched to your ability level and the day's conditions. Three beginners to a coach, five once you move up
- Video of you surfing, shot through the week, and a coach who sits down with you and breaks it down
- Workshops on wave mechanics, etiquette, board design and ocean safety
- 300+ boards. Swap out as many times a day as you want. When the tide changes or you just want to, grab a new one
- Coaches move you up a group the day you're ready
Trips And Events
Surf packages only
- Boat and van runs to Avellanas, Grande and Marbella on the Intermediate and Advanced programs
- Boat trip to Witch's Rock and Ollie's Point, once a week on Advanced
- Friday graduation tour and party
- Free van from Liberia airport on Saturdays
- Yoga Monday, Wednesday and Friday
The Rest Of It
Everybody, whichever way you booked
- A room, and a beach you can walk to barefoot
- Breakfast cooked to order at Eat at Joe's, any time of day. Not a buffet line
- Free coffee all day
- Pool, beach chairs, showers, lockers, wifi
- Four places to eat and drink without leaving the property
- Town a few minutes up the beach path, no car needed
CLOSING LINE: No resort fee, no daily add-ons, no surprise line items. Tax is already in the price.
What People Said When
They Got Back
"I got my fill of surfing, my wife got some beach time."
Brian J — February 2025
"It took me 52 years to get there and I wish I had done it sooner."
Kiekilani P — June 2025, solo first-timer
"I've been able to see real progression both years... The camp itself is very fun, and it's easy to meet other people there, if that's your thing."
Hunter L — February 2026, traveled solo
"My daughters were paired with a girl around the same age for the lessons."
Todd — August 2025, traveled with two 13-year-olds
The
Rooms
Twenty rooms at the camp, plus our second hotel across the street. Every room has cold air conditioning, a private bathroom, hot water, fast wifi and a safe. Breakfast at Eat at Joe's comes with every surf camp package.
We Get It,
Plans Change
We take full payment up front. And we don't do refunds.
What we can do is hold your money. Tell us at least a month before you arrive and we'll turn your booking into a credit for another set of dates, less a fee between $100 and $400. Once you pick those new dates, they're final.
If your plans are shaky, get travel insurance. We point people to Allianz.
FAQ
Do I have to surf?
If you're staying on the main property, someone on the reservation does. But you don't. Companions share the room at $50 a night and never have to touch a board. If nobody in your party wants to surf, we'll put you at Pueblo Dorado up the street for $90 a night, and you still get breakfast, the pool, the beach chairs, and every restaurant on the property.
Do I have to come on a Saturday?
No. About half our guests do Saturday to Saturday, the other half come whenever works. Saturday just gets you the free airport ride.
Am I too old for this?
Probably not. Beginners surf the wave out front, which is sand all the way down, waist deep, and warm. You're standing up in whitewater with a coach next to you. If you can walk into the ocean and stand up off your hands and knees, you can do this. We've had first timers in their fifties, sixties and seventies.
I've never surfed. Will I actually stand up?
Most people do, many on day one. Your first sessions are in the broken whitewater close to shore, which is the easiest place to get to your feet—sand bottom, no rocks, warm water, and a coach next to you with two other students. How fast it comes varies a lot from person to person. Most people are riding unbroken waves before the week is out.
Can our group book together if we're at different levels?
Yes. One reservation, different programs, everybody eats together at night.
Is it safe for kids?
The break out front is sand bottom, no rocks or reef, and the water sits around 80 degrees. Coaches are in the water with your kid the whole session. Joe co-founded the town's lifeguard program and ran it for nearly ten years, so water safety here isn't an afterthought.
What if the waves are flat?
Your coach picks the break each morning based on tide and wind. If it's not working out front, they'll load the van and find somewhere that is.
What if I'm in the wrong group?
Coaches reassess throughout the week. People move up when they’re ready.
Is Tamarindo safe?
Yes. Petty theft is the thing to watch, so don't leave your stuff on the beach unattended. We have security on the property around the clock. Walk anywhere you want during the day. At night the beach has no lights at all, so people stick to the street.
What's the cancellation policy?
Full payment up front, no refunds, and we'll move your dates for a fee if you tell us a month out.
Come Surf.
Bring Someone Who Doesn’t.
TELL US YOUR DATES AND WE'LL SORT THE REST OUT.
Rather talk to a person? We're open 6am to 10pm every day. Call +1 888 318 7873
Or send us your dates and we'll come back to you!
Anything We Should Know?
Anything we should know? Tell us what you're after. If some of you surf and some of you don't, say so and we'll build around it.
Contact Us
Stay
Eat & Drink
Surf
About
Contact
+1 888 318 7873 (US toll free)
+506 7250 8754 (Costa Rica) witchsrocksurfcamp@gmail.com
Open 6am to 10pm daily
ON THIS SAND SINCE 2001.
PRIVACY POLICY · TERMS
