ZOPILOTE SURFCAMP From 450€ for 7 nigths

Situation

The surf camp is located right in front of the beach at Playa Hermosa de Cobano on the southern part of the Nicoya Peninsula which is the northern pacific coast of Costa Rica.
Our surfing bed & breakfast offers you amazing views overlooking different surf spots that break all year long. You can see breaks you will be surfing from our beachfront campsite.

Here you'll find constant surf, year-round warm water temperatures and a very 'surf and easy' atmosphere.
It's a true paradise here in Playa Hermosa !

The most convenient & faster option to come to Zopilote Surfcamp is to take a local flight from San Jose to Tambor (25 min.). From there you have to take a taxi to our surf camp (1h). Check Sansa or Nature Air on our Flight Search Engine on our website, for more details.

Services Included

• Spots transfers
• Wifi
• Parking

Services non Included

• Airport transfers

Activities

Additionally, the camp facilities include a slackline, a skateboard-miniramp and a Yoga platform.

Other Activities

• Yoga
• Snorkeling
• Scuba Diving
• Fishing
• Horse Riding
• Bicycles
• Excursions

Lodging

You will be accommodated in one of our 4 lovely houses.
You'll never forget the wildness of the tropical forests, the endless horizon of the Pacific ocean and the many nearby surfbreaks which are in short walking distance from the camp.
The main camp house consists of two bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a bathroom and a big terrace with a  chill-out area overviewing the whole campsite.
The other four bungalows have each an 4-bed bedroom, a bathroom and a comfortable chill-area.

Lay down and watch majestic buzzards called ‘Zopilotes’ gliding through the sky...Or just listen to music, play entertaining games with your new friends, go biking or wildlife watching in the Parque Nacional Cabo Blanco or visit the beautiful waterfalls in Montezuma.

Meal Plan

You will be in Half Board during your stay at the Camp.
The hand-picked exotic fruits like papaya and coconut from our garden are one of the highlights in your morning muesli or your midnight cocktail.
Vegetarian and special meals are available upon request - they are included in all surfing vacation packages.

Sport Services

We'll bring you to hidden and well known spots ! Every morning we pack our truck in search for the perfect surfbreak.

• Boards can be rented for as low as 70€ per week (check out our special promotions - the board rental is for free). Save airline transport fees and troubles and use one of our boards. We have a variety of beginner boards, longboards, malibus, mini-malibus and shortboards.

• Private surf-lessons for beginners can be arranged anytime (2 hour-unit for 32€, boards are included).

Packages

Beginner surf package : 570 € per week and person (990 € for 2 weeks)

• Full accomodation in our spacious, friendly beachfront lodge
• Huge breakfast and dinner every day
• 2x surfguiding to different spots
• Use of all facilities at our campsite
• WiFi
• Surfboards for use
• 4 surflessons (2h each)/week

New Year prices (Dec 20, 2014 - Jan 10, 2015): 680 € per week and person (1160 € for 2 weeks)

Standard surf package : 410 € per week and person (710 € for 2 weeks)

• full accomodation in our spacious, friendly beachfront lodge
• huge breakfast and dinner every day
• 2x surfguiding to different spots
• use of all facilities at our campsite
• WiFi

New Year prices (Dec 20, 2014 - Jan 10, 2015): 490 € per week and person (850 € for 2 weeks)

Best Period

The destination provides a 180° window towards the Pacific Ocean, perfect to get the whole swell located in the area. A variety of coast and a mountainous region makes it an ideal destination for every kind of surfing, from the beginner to the longboarder, going through the more addicted hardcore surfers: extreme sensations and waves always there all year long since the Caribbean Sea also provides quality waves during the summer.
There are all kind of waves, from the fast beachbreak to the rivers’ waves, through the consistent peaks within a paradise and tropical scenery.
Costa Rica’s Northern region, that gets the S/SW swell from the roaring forties, has a reception angle for the swell, especially favourable.
-       The most consistent season from June to October (1.3m to 3m), when the depressions from New Zealand send their long lines.
-       From November to April, the N/W swell brings a clean swell, smaller (1m to 1.50m) with a nice weather, an offshore wind and less rain.
-       The dry season gets tropical paradise conditions, but many surfers go there and on the unknown spots so the American challenge is sometimes tight !
In the East of the country, in the Golfo de Nicoya, the major season goes from April to October with a solid S/SW swell generating powerful waves going from 1 to 3 meters, thanks to the depressions coming from New Zealand. Surfing everywhere, but the bad thing during the rainy season is that the roads near Mal Pais point are not in good conditions.

From November to April, during the dry season, there are dreamy conditions: weak offshore wind and a small regular swell on every spot.
Many people in the water on the famous spots but less busy than in Guanacaste.

WINDS & TIDES
The wind is quite weak. From May to October, there are summer storms. It is better to go in the water in the morning; the sea lap is rising in the afternoon.
During the dry season, the wind is weak and N/NE. Tides reach 4 meters and change a lot the spots’ orientation. Not many tide time-tables available – Bring binoculars to check the spots.
In the water, some jellyfishes and nettle-rashing seaweeds can bother you.
In the North, near the Potrero’s spots, sometimes some sharks, but no registered attacks. Bottoms are different, sand, coral, rocks on which unroll kilometres of waves. Water temperature = 27°C on average.
Not too much wind in general in the Golfo de Nicoya. Some storms during the summer.
Weak NE/NW wind during the beautiful days of the dry season.
Fairly important tides that might affect the rivers’ spots or the beachbreaks. Take a map or a tide time-table in Jaco’s surf shops.
Many black sandy beaches – watch out for feet burns! Some nettle-rashing seaweeds.

Spots

Our homebreak is located in Playa Manzanillo de Cobano. This is a great place to surf and one of the last uncrowded surfing areas in Costa Rica. This place suits beginners and surfers with all levels.
There are consistant beach break lefts and rights when it´s small and two reef breaks which get very fast & hollow with big swell.
We will show you several other places and do surf tours around Playa Manzanillo.

• Santa Teresa : A very popular surf spot for surfers of all levels with tons of beach breaks.
• Playa del Carmen, Mal Pais : Offers long right and shorter left surfing over sand and a very consistant reef break (sunset reef).
• Manzanillo : Excellent outer reef break for big swell.

Weather / Temperature

Air temperature : 28°C (Summer) / 26°C (Winter)

Water temperature : 27°C (Summer) / 24°C (Winter)

Surf Story

Many American champions have been on its shores, immortalized in Endless Summer II : the witch rock, Tamarindo and its beachbreaks, wild beaches of Guanacaste and many more exotic spots.

A paradise for ecotourism, surftrips looking for all kind of waves on the beaches often deserted, in a Latino atmosphere and a completely safe country.

History

« Pura Vida ! » This fetish expression from Costa Rica best describes this country overflowing of life in every way.
The “Ticos” kindness and their warmness is nothing compared to the huge wealth of nature.

Going to Costa Rica, first is going on a trip to act like Indiana Jones within a true wild paradise! A paradise that have everything at the same time: dreamy beaches and high summits, the thicker forest and moon-like bushes, underwater bottoms worthy the most beautiful fish tanks and huge breathe taking forests, inextricable mangroves and two oceans with impressive waves…
The whole is packed into a tiny territory of barely 51 000 km². But Costa Rica is especially about meeting people, an open-minded population, sensitive and welcoming…A country that have given away its army to first take care of health and education and did not wait for the growth of the lasting development. A place where it is easy to be a happy and pleased traveller-surfer !

Geography

Demarcated by Nicaragua in the North and Panama in the South, Costa Rica hugs the Caribbean Sea in the East and the Pacific Ocean in the West.
A volcanic chain splits the country, from the Nicaraguan frontier in the Northwest to the Panaman frontier in the Southeast.
A high plateau divides the American cordilleras in the centre, bordered with low coastal lands in the East and in the West.
More of half of the population live in this plain, with a volcanic fertile soil. Mangroves, marshlands and sandy beaches characterize the Caribbean coast, 212 long. More cut and rocky, the Pacific coast spreads out 1 016 km, dotted by gulfs and peninsulas.

Infos

FORMALITIES :
For French nationals, a passport valid 6 months after your return home is compulsory, a return plane ticket as well.
No visa for stays of less than a month.
The capital is San Jose.

LANGUAGE :
the official language is Spanish. English is spoken only in major cities.

HEALTH :
No vaccine is required to enter Costa Rica. Nevertheless, think about taking a treatment against malaria if you wish to hazard in the jungle.

TIME DIFFERENCES :
-7 hours in winter, -8 hours in summer.

WEATHER :
Costa Rica is a tropical country and only has two seasons: humid and dry.
The dry season usually lasts from the end of December to mid-April.
The wet season lasts the rest of the year.The Caribbean coast remains humid all year long. Temperatures not change too much. Only in heights, it is different. San Jose is 1 150 m high and this is where what the “Ticos” (cute nickname that the inhabitants give to each others) called the everlasting spring, with 15°C min and 26°C max.
The Caribbean coast is warmer, with an average of 21°C at night and more than 30°C during the day.Temperatures are even higher in the Pacific Coast. In low altitude, the humidity can be suffocating.

DRIVING CONDITIONS :
For instance: San José/Tamarindo = 295 km/ 5 hours.

ENVIRONMENT :
Here, there are no hollow promises but a true political will and a life reference. Everything has been settled for more than 15 years now, for a harmonious and lasting development.Ecology in Costa Rica is a position for the whole nation.

WATER/ELECTRICITY :
Do not drink the tap water and bring along medicine for intestinal problems.Use an American outlet with flat connections because the electric current is 110 V.

CURRENCY :
The local currency is Colon (CRC) but it is not exportable.
We recommend you to have US dollars in small denominations and change on the way there.Credit cards are not accepted everywhere.

Price from

450€ for 7 nigths

Price includes

Standard surf package : 450 € per week and person (750 € for 2 weeks)

• Full accomodation in our spacious, friendly beachfront lodge
• Huge breakfast and dinner every day
• 2x surfguiding to different spots
• Use of all facilities at our campsite
• WiFi

New Year prices (Dec 20, 2017 - Jan 10, 2018): 500 € per week and person (750 € for 2 weeks)


Beginner surf package : 570 € per week and person (990 € for 2 weeks)

• Full accomodation in our spacious, friendly beachfront lodge
• Huge breakfast and dinner every day
• 2x surfguiding to different spots
• Use of all facilities at our campsite
• WiFi
• Surfboards for use
• 4 surflessons (2h each)/week

New Year prices (Dec 20, 2017 - Jan 10, 2018): 680 € per week and person (1160 € for 2 weeks)

Users Booking Terms and Conditions

Water Sports Photos

Other Photos

www.zopilote-surfcamp.com