When I Went: August 6-13, 2011
Was That the Best Time of Year to Go? I went to surf camp in August, and the weather was fantastic. Warmer days, cooler nights, and only a little rain shower every now and then to remind you of your tropical location. Surf coaching courses run from Saturday to Saturday for nine months of the year. Surf Simply is closed May 7 until June 4, and from August 20 until November 19, as these are the rainy months in Costa Rica.
Why I Went There: Halfway through our heat wave this past summer, I got the itch to escape. I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go, or what I wanted to do, but I knew I needed a break from the sauna. I’d recently become interested in surfing, taking a lesson every time I took a beach trip. But since I live in landlocked Dallas, there aren’t a lot of opportunities to get better. And taking a surfing lesson once a year, here and there, wasn’t making a huge impact on my development. So I started doing my research. I literally knew nothing about surf camps or locations, so I decided to trust what the internet and TripAdvisor told me. And I kept returning to Surf Simply’s site, online videos/blog, and Facebook page over and over again. And then I booked it. All by myself. My solo trip wasn’t completely intentional, but I didn’t really know of anyone else who was willing to take a week off work, fly to the shack that is Liberia (Costa Rica) airport, and drive two hours on dirt roads to go to surf camp for a week. I was a little nervous, but once I arrived, I realized there was nothing to worry about. I was surrounded by friendly people, harmless stray dogs, great food, delicious beer, and impeccable surroundings. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. A typical day looks like this: 6 a.m. Morning Surfing Lesson, 9 a.m. Breakfast, 10:30 a.m. Surfing Theory Lesson, Noon Lunch (always something delicious by Surf Simply’s chef), 2 p.m. Yoga, 4 p.m. Evening Surf Lesson, 6:30 p.m. dinner at a local restaurant.
[mapimage url=”http%3A%2F%2Fmaps.google.com%2Fmaps%2Fapi%2Fstaticmap%3Fsize%3D200x200%26sensor%3Dfalse%26markers%3DNosara%2C%2520Costa%2520Rica%26zoom%3D9″]Who Went With Me? I traveled alone. It was my first solo vacation, and I can’t recommend it enough to other people. There’s something truly liberating about hopping on a plane to a foreign country by yourself, only worrying about one immigration form, and most importantly, not having to consult anyone else about what they want to eat/do/visit, etc. Once I arrived at Surf Simply, there were 11 other guests partaking in surf camp that week: two other single women, a couple on their honeymoon, a family of four from Italy, and three men in their 50s who had been friends since high school. So, technically, I wasn’t completely alone.
We Stayed Here: Surf Simply Surf Coaching Resort
You Won’t Want to Miss: Nosara is known as a surfing and yoga town. Its laidback mentality is ideal for anyone looking to make an escape to somewhere with a slower pace. Ultimately, the beach is what drew me in. But the people, the food, and the activity options will keep me coming back. You can surf, practice yoga, zip line through the jungle, horseback ride, go deep-sea fishing, or just hang out on the beach and read a book.
Eat Here: Harmony Hotel, Dolce Vita, Robin’s Ice Cream in town (best ice cream ever), Vista Del Paraiso
Play Here: Nosara Beach (Playa Guiones), Nosara Yoga Institute, Surf Simply Experience, Experience Nosara Adventure Tours, Playa Ponies
If I Went Again: It’s hard to make adjustments to an amazing vacation, so the only change I could possibly make would be to stay longer. It was my first trip to Costa Rica, and I would have loved to travel around a bit more to see more of the country. It also would have been nice to take a few days off, after surfing nonstop, to relax a bit.
How Did You Get There From Dallas? American Airlines has a direct flight from DFW Airport to Liberia, Costa Rica. And Nosara is a two-hour drive away on some paved, but mostly dirt, roads. When I arrived in Liberia (the airport is pretty much a glorified shack with a taco stand and a toilet or two), a taxi sent by the surf camp came to pick me up. I love having my name on a sign to find someone — it makes you feel way more important than you actually are. But in all honesty, this was the part that made me the most nervous: riding by myself with a strange man in a cab for the two-hour trip to Nosara. And halfway along the trip, he picked up his son. So I was now riding with two strange men in a foreign country by myself. But the men were more than friendly, and I was able to practice my broken Spanish with them along the way.
Other Tips For Fellow Travelers: If you’re in a hurry or you’re looking for a McDonald’s, this isn’t the place to go. It’s a unique, hidden-away location that still reflects the spirit of Costa Rica. It’s a great place to eat the local food, bask in the gorgeous surroundings, and slow down a bit.
