Surf Guide

Check out Anamaya’s “Soul Surfer” luxury surf camp in Montezuma Costa Rica. Anamaya offers the most beautiful view in Costa Rica, an infinity edge pool, gourmet healthy food (with vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free options available for those who want them.)

Surf Camp

Participants in this Costa Rica surf camp are taken to a variety of beaches throughout the southern Nicoya Peninsula, including Santa Teresa, Malpais, Cabuya, and Montezuma beaches, depending on the weather, surf conditions, tides, etc. The best surfing beach in Montezuma is “Playa Grande” which is a 20-minute walk from Montezuma. It’s a beautiful beach and jungle trail and you don’t have to carry your board since the surf boards are stored in a bodega on the beach. At Playa Grande you’ll find very few surfers, small to medium waves, no rocks, and no development… in short, pure paradise.

The Surf Resort

Anamaya has a variety of cabins, most with stunning panoramic ocean views, and all are amazing. The style is “Balinese/modern” and most find it exotic and thrilling, like living for a week within a magazine photoshoot. Surf enthusiasts staying at Anamaya typically post many photos on the Facebook profiles to make their friends and family jealous. Anamaya is fairly small… currently with only 9 rooms. It’s normally full however, with anywhere from 12-25 people, so class sizes are small. There are generally more employees and staff so there’s a lot of personal attention.

Other Activities besides Surfing

Yoga is the most popular activity at Anamaya besides surfing. Usually there are two classes per day, taught by a variety of local instructors. Many surfers like to practice yoga in addition to their surfing for its workout benefit and the stretching for flexibility. Also offered are Aerial silk classes, a variety of dance classes such as Salsa, Zumba, or whatever the flavor of the week is depending on what instructors are around in the Montezuma area. Outside excursions include trips to Tortuga Island, zip lines / canopy tours, and horseback riding on the beach or jungle.

Montezuma Surf Camp

January 10, 2011

One of the most legendary surf breaks in the Malpais/Santa Teresa region is known as “Suck Rock” or sometimes “Rocamar” which is the small restaurant on the beach near the break.

This right-hand point break can be good when the swells are large, and it’s known to get hollow at times. This is Malpais surfing at its best. The break can work at all tides, but it’s best at low tide, and during this time, your friends and family can walk out on the rocky point to watch you surf.

Next to Suck Rock, to the south is one of the most consistent beach breaks, on the gorgeous white sand beach known as “La Lora”. The surf competitions are sometimes held here, right in front of the luxury villa rental “The Sea Ranch”.
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Sept 10, 2010



The following information is based on research done by Jeremy from the Montezuma Surf School:

There are many kinds of red tide, most of which are harmless.

Some do have harmful effects which usually affect sea life more than humans

– There is no evidence yet that this red tide is at all harmful to humans
– Swimming, if harmful at all, is not as dangerous as eating infected sea life
– The most harmful effects on humans are due to eating infected shellfish and possibly (but less likely) fish in certain kinds of red tide
– Consumption may cause sickness, paralysis or even death!
– Avoid eating shellfish or fish during this time

If this is a harmful red tide, a small percentage of people may be mildly affected by simply being near or swimming or surfing in the ocean. The only known side effects are mild and include:

– Eye irritation
– Runny nose
– Coughing
– Skin irritation

Usually those prone to plant allergies to begin with may be affected. If you notice any symptoms, simply getting away from the beach or entering an air conditioned room should cause the symptoms to disappear. Asthmatics however may experience:

– Significant respiratory problems
– Decreased lung capacity

If you are asthmatic, we recommend NOT swimming or surfing

Although some locals spread this rumor, there is no evidence that red tide can cause an ear infection (although just swimming in the ocean can often cause an ear infection under any circumstance).

Our friend, nurse and Montezuma resident, Amanda Weir, recommends putting hydrogen peroxide in your ears after getting out of the ocean to avoid ear infections whether or not in the presence of a red tide.

As we are confident that the effects of surfing in a red tide (if seen at all) are indeed mild if any at all, our Surfing courses will continue as planned. We will scour the beaches for the best surfing location each day with the least amount of red tide possible. We hope that it will disappear shortly in any event, as it is known to only last a week or two.

Here is a list of references for the above information:

1. Natalia Corales – Marine biologist in Puntarenas
2. http://praise.manoa.hawaii.edu/news/eh173.html
3. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070108191731.htm
4. http://forums.usms.org/archive/index.php/t-4674.html
5. http://www.rense.com/general63/redtide.htm
6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinorrhea