Special Stay: Blue Surf Sanctuary, Santa Teresa

Last updated on May 20, 2025

Remember how much we loved our family surf retreat in France? Well, we found the perfect equivalent in Costa Rica. Our stay at Blue Surf Sanctuary has gone down in family history as one of the best and most relaxing trips we’ve ever been on. It’s thanks to its perfect blend of laid-back community vibes, an unbeatable surf instructor named Toro, and its ideal location in a family-friendly part of Santa Teresa where the jungle meets the sea. It’s easily one of the best places we experienced in Costa Rica, and a huge highlight of our Costa Rica itinerary.

There are a lot of fairly soulless (although admittedly impressive) Malibu-style rentals being built around Santa Teresa, largely by people who spend just a few weeks of the year there and often don’t pay local taxes on their rental income. These properties are flooding the tourist market and making it tricky for the more local, established businesses. Staying at Blue Surf is a good way to support the local economy.

Here’s our full review and everything you need to know about Blue Surf Sanctuary.

Highlights

• Just a few minutes’ walk from a gorgeous, family-friendly white-sand beach, known for its excellent surf and epic sunsets
• Outstanding surf lessons with the wonderful Toro, ideal for all levels, including children and nervous surfers (like me!)
• Friendly communal spaces where it’s easy to connect with other guests, for example over morning coffee or at the pool
• Rocamar beachfront restaurant nearby with live music, a family-friendly atmosphere, and a fun rope swing 

Best bits for kids

• The shady pool area, ideal for swimming and making new friends
• Surfing for the first time with Toro – fun, supportive, and confidence-building
• Rocamar’s rope swing, keeping them happily occupied for hours 
• Exploring nearby tide pools, spotting crabs and sea creatures

Best bits for grown-ups

• Relaxed, friendly community atmosphere, a bit like a grown-up hostel 
• Evenings at Rocamar, with live music, good food, and a casual surfer vibe – the rope swing was like a babysitter for us!
• Host Leah is on hand to help with information and anything you need, so you feel well taken care of.

Good to know

• The communal atmosphere encourages plenty of social interaction, which is wonderful if you enjoy meeting new people, though perhaps less ideal if you’re seeking complete solitude and privacy. That said, you can easily retreat to your bungalow if you want to be alone.
• The pool has afternoon shade – a big plus for families with kids needing a break from the sun. 

Style and vibe

Blue Surf Sanctuary is a boutique retreat that captures Santa Teresa’s laid-back surf charm perfectly. Nestled between the jungle and the ocean, the four thoughtfully designed bungalows are arranged around a communal pool and rancho kitchen. And the aesthetic is stylish yet relaxed, creating a welcoming boutique feel with plenty of creature comforts without being overly luxe. 

There’s a friendly, community vibe with plenty of opportunity to meet other guests, which makes it feel a bit like a grown-up, luxury version of a hostel.

You can either book a package with Blue Surf Sanctuary and do surf lessons with Toro as part of your stay, or you can go independent and use it like a hotel. Either is a great option.

Location

Blue Surf Sanctuary sits a few minutes walk from the beach, in a quiet, family-friendly area of Santa Teresa, away from the more young, nightlife-oriented spots in town. The beach is stunning and famous for its Surf Rock surf break, and the whole place is surrounded by jungle. 

Santa Teresa is bigger than we imagined and you ideally need a car/ATV to explore it all. The town is all arranged along one long road with a few hubs of restaurants/shops along the way. Blue Surf is at one end of Santa Teresa and it takes around 10 minutes to drive to the other end. There are plenty of good restaurants and shops in walking distance. 

Rooms

Each bungalow is stylish and spacious with attractive, high ceilings panelled in wood and a calming surf aesthetic that makes use of natural materials. All have a balcony overlooking the communal areas with relaxing seating and a jungle resort feel. They’re a comfortable, relaxing retreat after a day at the beach.

Facilities

The pool is a highlight, especially in the afternoons when its well shaded from the sun. Our kids spent hours in there! There are sun loungers so you can supervise kids easily from the poolside, plus there’s a ledge within the pool, which is ideal for lounging on too.

The shared, outdoor kitchen has all you need to self-cater, and coffee is provided every morning. We also enjoyed the shared dining area/lounge spaces where they have books and games on offer, plus beach equipment you can borrow (chairs, umbrella beach games etc).

The concierge service by Leah is really useful, making you feel at home and taken care of. She can arrange all sorts of activities for you, from horseback riding to boat trips.

Food and drink

Although there’s no onsite dining, we enjoyed exploring local places to eat (the food scene in Santa Teresa is fantastic!). 

Beachfront Rocamar quickly became our go-to, with a friendly atmosphere, delicious food, and regular live music. Breakfast options are plentiful nearby (we love Cafe Social across the road), and self-catering is easy thanks to the communal kitchen.

Things to do nearby

If you want to surf, the in-house surf instructor, Toro, is an exceptionally good teacher. I’m nervous in the water and he managed to build my confidence significantly. Based on my experience, we decided to book a surf lesson for the kids. They were initially hesitant, but Toro put them perfectly at ease and made the whole experience fun. It was the perfect first way to experience surfing. You can book single lessons or packages with Toro, and I really can’t recommend doing that enough!

As mentioned before, Leah can also arrange all sorts of things to do in the local area, including horseriding, ATV tours, waterfall hikes, boat trips, bioluminescence tours, kayaking, hiking, fishing, skydiving and zip-lining.

Some of the local free things to do include the tide pools at El Peñon, Cabuya Island Cemetery, the Mal Pais fish market, and Playa Cuevas, a picturesque beach.

Do we recommend it?

Absolutely. Blue Surf Sanctuary perfectly balances fun, community, and relaxation, set in an ideal location that feels truly special for adults and kids alike. It’s the kind of place where you’d happily spend a week, enjoying the surf, community atmosphere, and everything Santa Teresa has to offer. We’re dreaming of re-visiting. It’s genuinely one of my favourite locations on earth.

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