Manuel Antonio Beach: Private Surf Lesson & Guaranteed Stand-Up

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.95 (122 reviews) 98% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellation

1/19

Duration2h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · NL +1

Mobile ticketAccepted

Your First Wave in Manuel Antonio

You get a private surf lesson with a 15-year veteran instructor who guarantees you'll stand up on the board, plus access to Manuel Antonio Beach's waves and views for the rest of the afternoon. The lesson starts on sand, moves to water, and includes all boards, shade, snacks and transport from your hotel. Plan for a half-day in the water, with the option to keep practicing after the formal instruction ends.

Step-by-step itinerary

Private surf lesson at Manuel Antonio Beach

Receive dry surf instruction on sand
Practice surfing in the water
Use provided chairs, umbrella, water, fruits
Enjoy boogie boards and extra surf time

The Experience

The sand is still warm under your feet when Alejandro walks you through the basics—how to paddle, where your hands go, what your body does when the board catches the wave. It's all dry land at first, maybe ten minutes of him showing you the motion and you copying it back. Then you're in the water, and the lesson starts for real. Manuel Antonio's waves roll in steady and forgiving, the kind that let you feel what you're doing instead of throwing you around. Alejandro's been teaching surf for over fifteen years, and he means it when he says everyone stands up—he's built the lesson so it happens.

The beach itself is the thing you didn't expect. Monkeys move through the trees behind the sand, close enough that you hear them before you see them, and the whole curve of Manuel Antonio National Park rises up to one side. You're not just learning to surf; you're doing it in a place where the view keeps pulling your eyes away from the board. After the formal lesson ends, you can keep paddling if you want, or switch to a boogie board and just play in the shallows. Alejandro leaves the boards with you for a couple more hours, so there's no rush to get out of the water the second the instruction stops.

The setup takes care of the details that usually wreck a beach day. Chairs and an umbrella stay planted in the sand so you have somewhere to sit that isn't wet, fruit and water are there when you get thirsty, and if you need a ride from your hotel in Quepos, that's included too. The air-conditioned vehicle picks you up and drops you back, so you're not negotiating transport or figuring out parking. Families come here—kids, grandparents, people who've never been on a board—and the lesson scales to whoever shows up that day.

What’s included

Your lesson includes a private surf instructor with over 15 years of teaching experience, a surfboard and boogie boards for the water, a chair and umbrella for the sand, fresh fruit and water throughout the day, and an air-conditioned vehicle for transport from your hotel if you need it. After the formal lesson, you can keep using the boards for a couple more hours to practice or play in the waves.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Alejandro Surf School

Is this one for you?Right for travelers staying in Quepos who want to learn to surf without arranging a guide or transport—the lesson is private, pickup is included, and the guarantee means you'll actually stand up instead of spending the session frustrated. Expect a half-day in the water and sun; that's what makes the calm waves and the monkeys in the trees part of the same morning.