Costa Rica is Leading the Global Charge in Sustainability

Turtles and more at Playa Guiones, Nosara

While most nations preach about sustainability but fail to follow through on the bulk of their promises, Costa Rica leads by example and has been doing so for decades. Long before sustainability was a trend, Costa Rica realized the importance of protecting its natural resources, in part because of their uniqueness. Costa Rica only takes up 0.03% of the Earth’s surface, but the small Latin American nation contains 5% of the world’s land-based biodiversity and 3.5% of its marine life. Since the 1980s, Costa Rica has taken the reigns and become a global leader in environmental protection and combating climate change. To find out how Costa Rica is Leading the Global Charge in Sustainability, continue reading below.

Eco-friendly Costa Rica

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Safari Surf School Staff Highlight: Our Surf Instructor Dani

surfer girls

As we mentioned in our Sustainability Goals for 2021 post, our local staff are the x-factor of Safari Surf School. As the first school to open up shop in Nosara, back in 1999, Safari Surf has been a trendsetter for similar businesses in Costa Rica. In over 20 years in business in Costa Rica, we’ve learned that no one quite compares to the local community. Our staff has a deep passion for surfing, the ocean, and sharing Costa Rican culture and Pura Vida hospitality with our guests. Since we were the first surf school to open in Nosara, some of our staff members have been with us for decades. Others have come on board a bit later, but either way, our staff is our family. In this week’s Safari Surf Staff Highlight, we introduce one of our surf coaches who is also the assistant manager and head of our women’s retreat, Dani. Dani and I caught up after his morning lesson.
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Safari Surf School Staff Highlight: Our Surf Instructor Alonzo

Alonso

As we mentioned in our Sustainability Goals for 2021 post, our local staff are the x-factor of Safari Surf School. As the first school to open up shop in Nosara, back in 1999, Safari Surf has been a trendsetter for similar businesses in Costa Rica. In over 20 years in business in Costa Rica, we’ve learned that no one quite compares to the local community. Our staff has a deep passion for surfing, the ocean, and sharing Costa Rican culture and Pura Vida hospitality with our guests. Since we were the first surf school to open in Nosara, some of our staff members have been with us for decades. Others have come on board a bit later, but either way, our staff is our family. In this week’s Safari Surf Staff Highlight, we introduce one of our long-time surf coaches, Alonzo.

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A Day in the Life at Safari Surf School: Surf lessons, Epic Meals, and More

Safari Surf School

If you’re thinking about planning a surf trip to Costa Rica, chances are you’re wondering what each day will bring. Maybe it’s your first surf trip, and you’re hoping to pick up a new hobby that will get you outside and active. Maybe, it’s your first time out of the country, and you’re using surfing as a vehicle of exploration to see the world. Regardless of your reason, if you choose to surf and stay with us at Safari Surf School, you’re all but guaranteed to have a unique travel experience centered around surf progression and exploring Costa Rica. At Safari Surf School, you can book a package or build your vacation from the ground up, picking and choosing from your favorite offerings. No matter what you choose, your days will have a few commonalities, like surfing and great meals. So, dive in below to check out A Day in the Life at Safari Surf School: Surf lessons, Epic Meals, and More.
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Safari Surf School Staff Highlight: Meet Our Surf Instructor Pio

As we mentioned in our Sustainability Goals for 2021 post, our local staff are the x-factor of Safari Surf School. As the first school to open up shop in Nosara, back in 1999, Safari Surf has been a trendsetter for similar businesses in Costa Rica. In over 20 years in business in Costa Rica, we’ve learned that no one quite compares to the local community. Our staff has a deep passion for surfing, the ocean, and sharing Costa Rican culture and Pura Vida hospitality with our guests. Since we were the first surf school to open in Nosara, some of our staff members have been with us for decades. Others have come on board a bit later, but either way, our staff is our family. In this week’s Safari Surf Staff Highlight, we introduce one of our surf coaches who has been with us for years, Pio. Pio and I caught up after his morning lesson.

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What to Do in Nosara When You’re Not Surfing

At Safari Surf School, we’re in the business of turning regular people into surfers, which, as you may assume, require a lot of water time. For 99.9% of our guests, the more time in the ocean, the better. As guests become more acquainted with surfing and its many nuances, they can’t help but be consumed by it. When guests aren’t surfing, they’re talking about surfing, planning their next surf session, or at the very least, thinking about surfing. There are those rare moments when you surf so much and so often that you need to take a break. That break could last a few hours or even a whole day. Fortunately for our guests, there is plenty to do in Nosara and Playa Guiones, both in and out of the water, that doesn’t involve riding waves.
Nosara
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Safari Surf Staff Highlight: Meet Our Manager, Jeffery

As we mentioned in our Sustainability Goals for 2021 post, our local staff are the x-factor of Safari Surf School. As the first school to open up shop in Nosara, back in 1999, Safari Surf has been a trendsetter for similar businesses in Costa Rica. In over 20 years in business in Costa Rica, we’ve learned that no one quite compares to the local community. Our staff has a deep passion for surfing, the ocean, and sharing Costa Rican culture and Pura Vida hospitality with our guests. Since we were the first surf school to open in Nosara, some of our staff members have been with us for decades. Others have come on board a bit later, but either way, our staff is our family. In this week’s Safari Surf Staff Highlight, we introduce our long-time Operations Manager, Jeffery Noguera. Jeffery and I sat down after my morning surf when he was just getting back to the office from filming clients on the beach.

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Safari Surf School’s Sustainability Goals for 2021 and Onward

As surfers, we feel we must be as environmentally conscious as possible in all facets of life, including our business. Sustainability, however, goes beyond just one’s environmental impact. Sustainability in travel and tourism means not only being eco-conscious and reducing waste but ensuring our existence as a business doesn’t displace, diminish, or damage the local culture and economy. 2020 was a rocky year for travel, but we used that time to reflect on our core values as a business in Costa Rica and as surfers. This year, we aim to continue our sustainable mission through a commitment to preserving, protecting, and improving the natural environment of Nosara, its culture, and its people. To find out more about our sustainability goals for 2021, continue reading below.

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Our Costa Rica Surf School’s Guide to Experiencing Costa Rican Wildlife

Our Costa Rica surf school is perfectly positioned for our guests to have a complete Costa Rica experience, both in and out of the water. Located in Guanacaste on a remote stretch of the Nicoya Peninsula, travelers in Nosara can experience Costa Rica’s abundant wildlife on land and sea. If you’re surfed out for the day or need to give yourself a bit of a break, head to one of the nearby protected nature reserves and see Costa Rica’s exotic wildlife. Nearly one-third of Costa Rica’s land is protected as national parks, nature reserves, and wildlife refuges. Additionally, since the 1980s Costa Rica has successfully reversed its deforestation by 200%. To say that wildlife thrives in Costa Rica would be an understatement. Costa Rica is home to exotic and endangered wildlife that once dominated the entire Central America region but has since but poached out of existence in many other countries. Sloths, Scarlet Macaws, Spider Monkeys, Howler Monkeys, Jaguars, and more all call Costa Rica home. If you want to find out how to experience Costa Rican wildlife on your visit to our Costa Rica surf school, continue reading below.

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Everything You Need to Know About Surfing in Panama & Our Home Break, Playa Venao

Panama’s serpentine dual coastlines have been attracting surfers for decades. The heavy military, industrial, and financial presence of the United States in Panama during the twentieth century led to the inevitable surf exploration of both coastlines during the seventies and eighties. As Central America’s most populated country, one would assume that Panama’s waves break onto densely populated beaches with fancy high-rise hotels just beyond the sand, but that is far from the case. Panama’s coastlines wind southward from Costa Rica to Columbia in an S shape pattern for nearly 500 miles. Both sides of the country are teaming with world-class waves just begging to be surfed. While there’s plenty of untouched coastline littered with points, reef passes, and beach breaks, most surfers find themselves in one of four areas between Panama’s two coasts. To find out more about the wave in Playa Venao and Panama’s other world-class setups, continue reading below.
Playa Venao
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What Costa Rican Wave is Right for Your Skill Level: Our Nosara Wave Guide

So, you’re thinking about taking a surf trip to Costa Rica? Regardless of your skill level or prior surfing experience, Costa Rica has a wave for you. For beginners, Costa Rica’s Pacific coastline stretches for hundreds of miles and is dotted with friendly beach breaks that are ideal for learning. For intermediate surfers, Costa Rica has a variety of waves that are perfect for progression, like sizable beach breaks and slow rolling rocky points. Advanced surfers will get their fill at Costa Rica’s notorious barreling beachies and seemingly endless left points. To find out which wave you should be surfing on your next Costa Rica surf trip, continue reading below.

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How Implement Sustainable Travel When You Visit Our Nosara Surf School

As surfers, we spend quite a lot of time close to nature. It could be argued that there is no single activity that is as in tune with nature as surfing. Riding waves in the ocean that are created by storm systems thousands of miles away is about as close to nature as you can get. It’s surfing’s proximity to nature that drives surfers to protect the environment. The ocean is our playground, and it is heartbreaking to see it filled with trash, single-use plastics, and discarded fishing gear. As a traveler, your movement already weighs heavily on the environment. The carbon emissions from one long flight exceed approximately 14% of your car’s annual fossil fuel emissions. Additionally, modern traveling is ripe with wasteful single-use products. So, what is a traveler to do? Without giving up travel altogether, there are a few steps travelers can take to help reduce their environmental impact while on the road. If you’re visiting our Nosara surf school and want to reduce waste during your journey, continue reading below for How to Travel Sustainably When You Visit Our Nosara Surf School.
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Tips for Intermediate Surfers from Our Nosara Surf School

Making the leap from an intermediate surfer who can catch waves on their own, cleanly ride down the line, and turn, to an advanced surfer who is comfortable in most conditions, can ride a variety of boards, and maneuver with ease on the waves face, is one of the most difficult transitions to make in surfing. The instructors and guides at our Nosara surf school, Safari Surf School, want to make that transition as seamless as possible, so we’ve compiled a list of tips that will help intermediate surfers progress in the water. While there’s no replacement for time in the water, these tips are a step in the right direction for intermediate surfers looking to improve. To learn Tips for Intermediate Surfers from Our Nosara Surf School, continue reading below

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Why Playa Guiones in front of our Nosara Surf School is the Ultimate Learning Break

Learning to surf is no easy feat. It takes a lifetime to truly master surfing and understand all the nuances of the ocean and the art of wave riding. While it can take years to become technically proficient and self-reliant in the water, the process is fun as hell. As we have said over and over again, once you catch your first wave, you’re hooked for life. Quite a bit of work will go into catching that first wave. To make that process easier, you’ll want to be sure you’re surfing in a proper learning environment, like our home break at our Nosara surf school. An ideal beginner-friendly wave has a sand bottom, minimal crowds, friendly locals, and a variety of peaks, just like our home break in Nosara, Playa Guiones. To learn more about why Playa Guiones is the ultimate wave for learning and progression, continue reading below.
Nosara Surf School
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Why More Visitors are Heading to Panama & How we Settled on Playa Venao

As much as we love our home in Nosara, Costa Rica, and our home break Playa Guiones, we can’t say no to a new adventure. When we decided to expand our operations at Safari Surf, we looked far and wide for a wave and location that reminded us a bit of our roots in Playa Guiones but still had an independent culture and identity. Most of all, we wanted a new adventure for ourselves, and our Safari Surf guests. After leaving no stone unturned and much deliberation, we settled on a little slice of paradise known as Playa Venao, Panama. To find out more about our Panama operation and why we fell in love with Playa Venao, continue reading below for Why More Visitors are Heading to Panama & How we Settled on Playa Venao for Safari Surf.

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Have you tried surfing Nicaragua yet?


10% OFF ALL PACKAGES…INCLUDING CUSTOM TRIPS
It’s no secret that this time of year is one of the most popular for surf trips. Most of us have time off work, want to celebrate the season and head down to the tropical waters to catch some solid sets. There is also no bigger bummer than hearing the dreaded “we’re all booked up”. We hate saying it…you hate hearing it. And, unfortunately, unless you book super early…this time of year is notorious for that very phrase.
But fret not, fellow surfers…we’re here to help! We are so stoked to announce that our Nicaragua location is finished renovations and is back online and ready for business.
Nicaragua has recently experienced a resurgence amount surf travelers because it offers some of the best surf in the world, is fairly easily traveled and frankly, is just a damn good time.

Headed up by one of our head coaches, Nicolas “Nico” Almeida, our Nicaragua location offers incredible top-notch instruction, amazing cultural adventures, and perfect surf conditions. Located at La Jolla de Guasacate, the Safari Surf Resort is perched upon a gorgeous landscaped hill with majestic ocean and mountain views. Pristine beaches and world-class waves for every level of surfer are just a short hop away. With a stylish clubhouse, restaurant, 2 pools, 18 room boutique hotel, with a luxurious spa, yoga center, and a 4 bedroom luxury rental home, Safari Surf Resort is the hottest new full-service lodging facility in the Tola and Playa Popoyo area.

We are also providing an incredible array of other activities, like deep sea fishing, SUP, yoga, horseback riding, golf (Guacalito de la Isla Golf Course & Hacienda Iguana Club), day trips to Granada, Ometepe, or other towns close by.
Just like our Costa Rica program, we provide an array of packages in Nicaragua…including completely customized trips (currently at 10% off). This is the place to book your next surf vacation.