The Beach Boys · Santa Teresa · Costa Rica
Surf like a local.
Flow over force. Small groups, local coaches, and the patience to teach timing before power — wherever the jungle meets the curl.
Playa Santa Teresa · 9°38'N 85°10'W
Nine kilometers of empty sand, warm water, and a jungle that runs right up to the tide line.
Find your flow in the wild
Whether you're touching a board for the first time or hunting secret reef breaks, we've got you.
Daily Lessons
For beginners and intermediates. All gear included. Just show up and smile.
From $45 →
Day Trips
We plan the day around you — surf, waterfalls, Cabo Blanco, local lunch, and whatever else you're stoked on.
Coming soon
Surf & Stay
7 days of waves, jungle hikes, and community dinners under the stars.
See Dates →
The one you'll remember
First green wave. You'll never
shut up about it.
Not a franchise.
Your neighbors in the line-up.
We're not a shop, a brand deck, or a foreign operator running surf lessons from a spreadsheet. The Beach Boys is a small, locally owned crew that meets you where the waves are — no fixed storefront, no franchise script, just the same Santa Teresa surfers Isaac grew up with. We keep groups tiny, change beaches with the tide, and treat the lineup like a neighborhood, not a waiting room.
"By Wednesday you're not a guest. You're the one bringing beers to the fire."
About Santa Teresa
The most alive stretch of the Pacific coast.
Santa Teresa sits at the southern tip of Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula — one of the world's five Blue Zones, where people famously live longer, slower, happier lives. Nine kilometres of golden sand. Jungle right up to the tide line. No high-rises. One sandy main road.
The town grew from a fishing village into a global surf destination without losing its pura vida rhythm. Mornings are for the ocean. Afternoons for hammocks, howler monkeys, and mango juice down your wrist. Sunsets are a communal event — the whole beach turns to face west without needing to be told.
Surfing Santa Teresa
Warm water, consistent waves, a break for every level.
Playa Carmen and the inside of Playa Santa Teresa — mellow, forgiving sandbottom waves, waist to chest high most mornings.
Best all year. Learn on soft-tops.
The outer peaks and Playa Hermosa's punchier A-frames. Faster take-offs, more shoulder to work with, occasional barrels on the right swell.
Best March–May & Oct–Nov.
Hidden reef breaks we'll drive you to — head-high on the small days, double overhead when the south swell fires.
Best May–October.
What people say
5 out of 5
Real reviews from Google for The Beach Boys — Isaac's surf school in Santa Teresa.
Read all reviews on Google★★★★★5 out of 5 stars"The Beach Boys were absolutely incredible to work with. Isaac was incredible and the absolute best to work with. I learned pro tips and gained confidence to surf on my own. He even got my nervous brother out there for a lesson. Can't wait for more lessons with Isaac."
★★★★★5 out of 5 stars"Would give 10 stars if it was an option. I'm super beginner but the instruction from Isaac and Sasha was incredibly helpful and helped me progress with each session. Super friendly, fun, great dudes all around. I won't go anywhere else when I come back to Santa Teresa."
★★★★★5 out of 5 stars"They're amazing. I've surfed with Daniel and Isaac on two trips now. Super patient, great energy, and they adapt classes daily based on the waves and how I felt. I've had both group and private classes and progressed so much on each trip. Would love to go back soon."
★★★★★5 out of 5 stars"AWESOME surf coach. Did a surf camp with him a year ago and came back for a private lesson and all my friends got one too. He's professional, fun, motivating, and taught me a lot about progressing my green wave catching. He took my friends from whitewash to green waves with confidence."
Frequently asked
The stuff everyone asks first.
Where is The Beach Boys based?+
We're a mobile surf school. We don't have a fixed shop — we meet you where the waves are, anywhere from Playa Carmen and Santa Teresa to Playa Hermosa, Cabuya, and the other breaks along the southern Nicoya Peninsula.
Is Santa Teresa good for beginner surfers?+
Yes. Santa Teresa's long sandy beach breaks have gentle inside waves perfect for learning, plus punchier outer peaks for intermediates and advanced surfers. Water is warm year-round (26–29°C / 79–84°F), so no wetsuit needed.
When is the best time to surf in Santa Teresa?+
December to April is the dry season with offshore winds and clean waves — great for all levels. May to November brings bigger south swells, warm rain, greener jungle, and emptier line-ups — ideal for intermediates chasing size.
What's included in a Surf & Stay retreat?+
Our 7-day retreats include jungle lodge accommodation, all meals with locally-sourced food, twice-daily surf coaching with local instructors, board and wetsuit-top rental, morning yoga, and a jungle hike day. Airport transfer is optional.
Do I need to know how to surf to book a lesson or retreat?+
No. Most of our guests are first-timers or returning intermediates. Every session is grouped by ability with a max of 2 guests per coach in the lineup and 3 in the whitewater.
Who runs The Beach Boys?+
The Beach Boys is 100% locally owned and run by a team of Santa Teresa surfers who grew up in these waves. Every instructor learned to read these tides before they could drive.