Surf schools in Santa Teresa, Playa Hermosa and Mal Pais compared on 2026 group and private prices, lesson length, instructor ratio, beach, gear included, kids and multi-day packages.
A 90 minute group surf lesson in Santa Teresa costs $60 to $85 per person in 2026, and a private lesson costs $90 to $115, with board and rash guard included almost everywhere. Blue Mystic has the lowest published group price at $60, Nalu is the only school that publishes a clean three and five day package table, and Salt Water Surfing Co. is the one I would book for a nervous beginner or an intermediate who wants to work in the lineup.
The short version
Prices sit in a narrow band, so choose on ratio, beach and how you like to book. Group lessons run a maximum of three students per instructor at the schools that publish a ratio. Most lessons start on Playa Carmen or Playa Hermosa and move around with the tide and the swell.
- Cheapest group lesson: Blue Mystic at $60, then Nalu and Costa Rica Surf and Sup at $65.
- Best for packages: Nalu, with $180 for three lessons and $275 for five in a group.
- Best for kids: Costa Rica Surf and Sup, which caps kids at two per instructor and charges the same as adults.
- Best for intermediates: Salt Water Surfing Co., with a separate $100 lineup lesson.
- Best for a family or a mixed ability group: Monkey Adventures, which sorts groups by age and level.
- Quietest water: High Tide in Montezuma, which teaches at Playa Grande.
This guide compares the providers. For what a first lesson feels like, which beach suits which level and what to bring, read learning to surf in Santa Teresa. If you want lodging, meals and coaching in one booking, surf camps in Santa Teresa compares those.
Blue Mystic Surf School
Blue Mystic is based at Playa Carmen next to Taco Corner and teaches at Playa Carmen, Playa Hermosa or Playa Mar Azul depending on the swell that morning. Group lessons are $60 per person for 90 minutes with a maximum of three students per instructor. Private lessons are $90. Board, leash, fins, wax and rash guard are included.
You book on their website calendar or by WhatsApp on +506 8920-6846. They also quote a family rate on request if you send group size, ages and dates. Google shows 4.9 from 444 reviews, and the reviews name individual instructors, which is a good sign in a school where the person matters more than the brand.
Who it suits: first timers who want the lowest price without a bigger class. The caveat: the site lists no kids program or video, so ask before you assume either.
Nalu Surf School
Nalu sits next to Ronny's supermarket, 300 metres north of the cruce, and is both a school and a rental shop. It publishes the clearest price table in town. For 90 minute lessons: group $65, semi private for two $75 each, and private $100. Packages drop the per lesson price: three days is $180 group, $210 semi private and $285 private, and five days is $275, $325 and $450.
Lessons are usually at Playa Carmen and include a board and rash guard. Rentals run $12 a day for a softop, $18 for a funboard or longboard and $25 for a Channel Islands, DHD or Firewire, with weekly rates of $72, $108 and $150 except from December 15 to January 15. WhatsApp is +506 8733 1661 and the shop is open 8am to 7pm daily.
Who it suits: anyone who plans three or more lessons in a week, and anyone who wants to rent a board in the same place afterwards. The caveat: Google shows 4.2 from 80 reviews, the lowest score of the established schools here, so read the recent ones for the instructor you are assigned.
Salt Water Surfing Co.
Salt Water Surfing Co. is not in the Onda directory yet. It is run by a certified instructor who lists ISA Level 2, lifeguard certification and more than 15 years of teaching. Group lessons are $85 for one person, $160 for two and $215 for three, 90 minutes, board and rash guard included, and a hard cap of three students per instructor. They take groups and families up to 12.
The private options are the useful part. A beginner private in the whitewater is $90 and a lineup lesson for intermediates and advanced surfers is $100, both one to one. Rentals are $20 a day for a mid or longboard and $30 for a six foot performance board. The office is open 6am to 6pm daily, phone +506 8803 0964, and the site is saltwatersurfingco.com.
Who it suits: someone who wants real coaching in the lineup, not another whitewater session. The caveat: the group price is the highest in town if you are alone, because $85 for one person is $25 more than Blue Mystic.
Costa Rica Surf and Sup
Costa Rica Surf and Sup is Audrey's school at Playa Carmen. Group is $65 per person with up to three per instructor, semi private is $75 each for two, and private is $90, all for 90 minutes with board and rash guard. The kids prices are identical, $65, $75 and $90, with a maximum of two children per instructor, which is the best published kids ratio in this guide.
Book through the contact form at costaricasurfandsup.com or WhatsApp +506 8434 0444. Hours are 6am to 8pm daily, and it also runs SUP tours, covered in kayak and SUP in Santa Teresa. Google shows 5.0 from 69 reviews.
Who it suits: families with children, since the kids rate matches the adult rate and the ratio is the tightest published. The caveat: the page names no beach, so confirm where you are meeting.
Monkey Adventures
Monkey Adventures is the most expensive of the published rates, at $75 for a group of up to three, $95 semi private and $115 private, about 90 minutes including warm up and theory. All gear is included. It welcomes children, teens, adults and seniors with no age limit, and groups are organised by age and level, which helps a family whose members surf at different speeds.
It is at Funky Monkey Lodge, 150 metres east of the public school, and also sells yoga and SUP. Google shows 5.0 from 253 reviews, the most reviews of any 5.0 school. WhatsApp +506 8350 4788. Who it suits: families and mixed groups who care about being sorted by ability. The caveat: you pay $10 to $15 more than the cheaper schools for the same 90 minutes.
Del Soul Surf School
Del Soul has taught in Santa Teresa since 2006 according to a booking listing, and its own site says one instructor for every two surfers and more than 20 years of teaching, with groups of any size by arrangement. The shop is on the main road 100 metres north of Selina. Google shows 4.9 from 158 reviews. The site publishes no prices, so message +506 8878 0880 for the current rate. A booking marketplace listing showed $101 for a two hour lesson, which I treat as a rough guide only.
Who it suits: beginners and intermediates who want the closest ratio, 1:2, on a group booking. The caveat: you cannot compare its price in advance.
The Girl and the Sea, El Mango, DELMAR and Santa Teresa Surf and Adventures
Four more schools are worth a message. The Girl and the Sea runs private, semi private and group lessons for all ages and sells Surf and Skate and Surf and Stay packages from its base near Dream on Wheels, under five minutes from Mal Pais beach. Google shows 5.0 from 314 reviews. Prices are not published; WhatsApp +506 8415 0389.
El Mango Surf, opposite the soccer field, charges $80 for a lesson and $20 a day for a board, and is closed Sundays. DELMAR has 4.9 from 103 reviews and an Instagram page only, @delmarsurfschoolcr. Santa Teresa Surf and Adventures at Playa Carmen is 5.0 from 61 reviews and opens until 7pm, phone +506 8801 5656. The last two publish no lesson prices.
High Tide in Montezuma
High Tide Surf School, run by Mauricio Saborio, teaches at Playa Grande north of Montezuma, about a 30 minute walk through a nature preserve, with boards already waiting on the beach. It is much quieter than Santa Teresa and the page recommends high tide. Packages exist (beginner, intermediate, private, safari) but prices are not published; WhatsApp +506 8890 2864. It suits anyone already spending a day in Montezuma, and pairs with a day in Montezuma from Santa Teresa.
Coaching, video and packages
None of the schools above publishes video analysis, so treat anyone who promises it as needing proof: ask whether they film, how the clip reaches you and whether the coach reviews it with you. DFI Surf Training is the exception in spirit. It is a fascia based strength and mobility program for surfers with a coach, mostly online, and the page lists no prices, so it suits someone who already surfs and wants to move better.
Multi day packages are published only by Nalu. Everywhere else, ask for a multi lesson rate when you message. For lodging included, read surf camps, and for boards after your lessons see surfboard rental and repair and surf shops.
How to choose
| School | Group | Private | Ratio | Usual beach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Mystic | $60 | $90 | Up to 3 | Carmen, Hermosa, Mar Azul |
| Nalu | $65 | $100 | 3 or more | Carmen |
| Costa Rica Surf and Sup | $65 | $90 | Up to 3, kids 2 | Ask |
| Monkey Adventures | $75 | $115 | 1:3 | Ask |
| Salt Water Surfing Co. | $85 | $90 to $100 | 3:1 | Santa Teresa and Hermosa |
| El Mango | $80 | Ask | Ask | Ask |
Choose on the instructor more than the brochure. Ask who will teach you, how many students are in the group that morning and which beach you will use, and get the answers in writing on WhatsApp. For timing, the tide guide for surfers covers the day and the surf season guide covers the months.
Book the first lesson of the day. Mornings are calmer, and a 7am start beats a 2pm session on both wind and crowds. Traveling with children is covered in Santa Teresa with kids.
Browse every school, shop and instructor in the /directory/surf hub.
FAQ
How much is a surf lesson in Santa Teresa?
A group lesson is $60 to $85 per person for 90 minutes, and a private lesson is $90 to $115. Blue Mystic is $60 and $90, Nalu is $65 and $100, and Monkey Adventures is $75 and $115. Board and rash guard are included at every school that publishes its terms.
Which beach do surf lessons use?
Playa Carmen and Playa Hermosa are the usual choices, with Playa Mar Azul used by Blue Mystic when conditions suit. Hermosa is the gentler option on bigger days, and High Tide teaches at Playa Grande near Montezuma. The instructor decides on the morning, so ask the night before.
Is a group or private lesson better?
Group is fine for most beginners and costs $25 to $50 less. Go private if you are nervous in the water, want to fix one thing or only have one day. Salt Water Surfing Co. offers a $100 private lineup lesson for intermediates.
Do surf schools teach kids in Santa Teresa?
Yes. Costa Rica Surf and Sup charges kids the same $65, $75 or $90 as adults and keeps a maximum of two children per instructor. Monkey Adventures has no age limit and groups by age and level, and Blue Mystic quotes a family rate on request.
Can I get a discount for several lessons?
Nalu does, publicly: three group lessons are $180 and five are $275 against $65 each singly. Other schools will often give a better rate if you ask for three or more by WhatsApp, but only Nalu publishes it.
Do surf schools in Santa Teresa offer video analysis?
None of the schools I checked advertises it. Ask the school whether they film and send the clip, since some instructors do informally. For structured improvement work, look at DFI Surf Training or a camp that lists coaching sessions.
