Witch’s Rock Surf Camp

My wife and I, along with two friends just got back from a week at WRSC. What a great experience! We only had about 2 hours of total surfing experience before arriving, so this review is from the perspective of an absolute beginner, although the intermediate and advanced surfers that we hung out with also seemed to love the place. Our beginner cohort was a wide mix of people. There was a group of guys who were just post-university, a few dads on a "brothers surf trip", a few childless middle-aged adventurers (our group), and even a couple of empty nesters! Definitely get to know people early in the week, you'll be spending a lot of time with them and you might just make some new friends! From arriving at the airport right up until we got dropped off again, WRSC was great. Besides the excellent location and and curriculum, the staff was the definite highlight. Having never been to Costa Rica before, I was skeptical of the "Pura Vida" attitude that is all over the marketing materials for the country, but I was pleasantly surprised. It felt different from some of the destinations that we have visited in the Caribbean - more organic somehow. It didn't feel like folks were being nice because we were tourists spending money in their economy (which some other places feel like), instead they were just plain nice people with an infectiously good attitude. A big shout-out to our instructor, Jeff, who got us both up riding waves on day one and helped us progress throughout the week. You have the patience of a saint and we look forward to working with you again on a return trip!

Rented boards from the demo center because I wanted a longboard for a small day of waves. Stephania was very friendly and accommodating. She even helped me try to remove a screw stuck in my shortboard finbox. A wonderful employee who deserves a pay raise ASAP. Very impressed with the board selection- they had legit boards for advanced surfers. Highly recommend.

Went the first week of August with my 2 13 year old daughters. Very safe for a family. We had a wonderful time.||We stayed in the Penthouse. It had 2 queen beds on the first floor and a twin the loft. The AC worked great and kept the main level nice and cool. The loft did get a little warm, so we had the one that’s always cold stay up there. She was nice and comfortable. For your surf lesson you can just leave everything in the room and walk out onto the beach. ||Food was amazing at the restaurants. There was a wide selection and service was great. Give yourself about an hour per meal and you will never feel rushed. ||The surf lessons were better than expected. Instructors were knowledgeable and excited to see our growth. We had Mateo and Vally for our instructors, but other instructors in the water were cheering too when we caught waves. ||My daughter were paired with a girl around the age for the lessons and were instantly inseparable the rest of the week and still talk at home. The friends you make will last.

This was my first time in Costa Rica and the Witches Rock Surf camp was fantastic! Our advanced group guide Filipe was friendly, informative, supportive on and off the water, and a great positive personality. Although our group was not a "coached" group (see intermediate and beginner groups) he was generous with surfing tips and information on what was going on in the water at each break - channels, current, bottom, tide, best take off locations, what the waves were going to do as the day progressed, etc. At "Ollies" he gave me great local take off location tips that turned into 14 good waves in 2 hours! He gets five stars. Thanks also to Candy, Diana, Melony and the guide coach from the other group Oscar, who were all very helpful and friendly. The daily trips by van early morning to different surf spots, that would be difficult to access for non-locals, were a great outing, adventure and a cultural/ eco tour by itself - never boring. Surf off the front beach was varied in size and shape every day and available many parts of the day - evening glass off and sunsets were sometimes a second session. In house restaurant/bar on the beach with epic view and TV screens for sports and surf flics were a solid draw, and we picked that for dinner over town several times with not regret. Yes you get one free breakfast a day served all day anytime and it was solid. Hoping to go back. Keith - Seal Beach, California

My boyfriend and I spent a week at Witch's Rock and had the best time! From start to finish everything was great - the people were friendly and helpful, the food was delicious and the country is beautiful. Felipe was our instructor in the advanced group, he was extremely knowledgeable about the best places to take us, and we had a great time hanging out with him. He also gave me some really helpful pointers when I tried out a new board. We would definitely go back and would hope to have Felipe show us around again!

A once and a life time experience, that you can have as often as you want. This isn’t your typical vacation spot. It’s so much more! Not only was everything easy to book and understand, it was also extremely reasonable, especially when you get there and realize everything that you get with booking. Every person you encounter has a smile on their face and genuinely seems happy to be there, from the hotel and restaurant staff, to the instructors, and even the security guards. It is one of the most welcoming place from the moment you find your driver at the airport. As someone who had never surfed and didn’t know what to expect, I can’t wait to go back. The instructors are incredible patient, skilled, and overall amazing humans. They’ll not only teach you how to surf, but will have you fall in love with surfing. And after your lessons, and having breakfast with a beach front view, you can discover the wonderful Tamarindo. Highly suggest asking your instructor their favorite coffee shops, and restaurants, they won’t lead you astray. All expectations for this trip were exceeded.

No place embodies pura vida like Witch’s Rock Surf Camp. My fiancée Bri (we got engaged on this trip!) and I arrived as total beginners and left with the surf bug thanks to our amazing coaches, Felipe & Esteban. They gave us the perfect mix of guidance, encouragement, and laughs. The video analyses kept us improving (and cracking up), and by the end of the week it was incredible to see how our whole group went from unsure first-timers to absolute shredders. Watching everyone’s progress—and celebrating together—was a highlight of the trip.||The award ceremony and group video on our final night were unforgettable. Seeing everyone’s highlights spliced together was pure joy, and Bri even took home the “Best Wipeout” award (because if you ain’t fallin’, you ain’t ballin’!). It really captured what WRSC is all about: learning, laughing, and celebrating each other’s wins big and small.||I wish I could shout out every single staff member by name—the coaches, media crew, service team, drivers, concierge, cleaners, and everyone else—but it would take up all the time and space singing their praises. Just know they all deserve it. That said, our coaches who spent every day in the water with us, Felipe & Esteban, absolutely deserve a special name drop for making this trip unforgettable.||The surf was only part of the adventure. The volcano tour was a once-in-a-lifetime experience: horseback riding through lush trails, river tubing, flying on ziplines, and soaking in the hottest hot springs I’ve ever been in (113°F!). Back at camp, our Joe’s Studio room gave us the most stunning view for sipping morning coffee and taking it all in.||And on top of it all, WRSC will forever hold a place in our hearts—it’s where Bri became my fiancée. ❤️ We couldn’t be happier that this magical place is part of our story.||WRSC is so much more than a surf camp. It’s a place where strangers become family, where beginners become surfers, and where every moment feels like pure magic. We’ve found our new favorite spot on Earth and will be back every chance we get. Pura Vida! 🌊☀️🌋

Returned a few weeks ago from staying for a week. It was an amazing experience! I had never surfed, snowboarded, or skated in my life, and Estaban was a great coach who helped me stand on the board and surf during that time. Free breakfast at the restaurant every morning was great and all the employees were fun and helpful, it made me love the vibe of the place. I would love to be able to go again when I get the chance!