Miguel Surf Camp

Fancy a crack at catching top-class waves in Costa Rica? Course you do – so make your way to Miguel Surf Camp for lessons with Miguel himself from a park within minutes’ walk of the beach. Guests can see the sea from this serene site, meaning they can keep an eye on the swell (and sprint straight towards the water when conditions are at their gnarliest).

After perfecting that reverse 360, slide back on over from the sand to the grounds and fill up on Miguel’s brekkie or fire up some bangers on the barbecue. A supermarket is in Quepos a 30-minute drive away if you need to stock up.

And after that? Let the food settle while lying out under the swaying palm trees, then arrange your next adventure – everything from snorkelling with brightly coloured parrotfish to kayaking through the mangrove forest can be organised from this site. You can also go whitewater rafting on the rapids of the Savegre and Naranjo Rivers or horseback ride through the jungle.

Want to check out waves up and down the coast? Hire a bike or car from the site and get out there: some of the best rides can be had at Dominical beach (an hour and 10 minutes away), Hermosa beach (an hour and 25 minutes) and Jaco beach (an hour and 30 minutes).

But it’s not all about the surf... Biesanz beach (45 minutes) is a top spot for snorkelling because of its underwater creatures lurking around the rocky sections of the coastline, and the main beach at Manuel Antonio National Park (50 minutes) is a swimmers’ paradise thanks to its golden sand, lack of rocks and calm water.