“Free your soul and express your creativity”
7 Day Photography and Surf Camp in Playa Jaco, Puntarenas
School of the World, 300 M Este 50 N De La Pops, Escuela del Mundo, Playa Jaco, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Outstanding Surf Camp Costa Rica
Beginner difficulty
Airport transfer available
Exercise your mind, body, and spirit. School of the World’s expert instructors cater to all skill levels from beginners to advanced, and they have a lot of different combinations to choose from. The surprisingly affordable programs are offered in a week. This isn’t your typical vacation. This is a chance to have a vacation with a passion. Learn to surf and master digital photography, all in a beautiful tropical setting.
Highlights
- Spend 2 hours per day in the ocean working on your surf
- Take a photography field trip to a secret spot to capture the beauty of Costa Rica
- Guidance from an experienced instructors
- Use of surf equipment during lessons
- Enjoy all-year-round warm water temperature and a variety of breaks
- 6 nights accommodation
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
Styles
5 days with instruction
Airport transfer available:
Juan Santamaría International Airport (US$ 90 per person)
Juan Santamaría International Airport (US$ 90 per person)
Accommodation
Facilities
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
- Air-conditioned rooms
- Dining area
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Yoga studio
You will be staying in the School of the World's lodging. The facilities include a common kitchen and dining area, a yoga studio, a photo / video editing studio, offices, 12 guestrooms, a small swimming pool, and a relaxing garden.
It is located in a quiet neighborhood close to the center of town and is just a few minutes walk from the beach, dozens of great restaurants, bars, grocery stores, and everything else you could need.
The school is filled with tons of boutique hotel style design details including tropical hardwoods and bamboo, stained glass, handmade ceramic sinks, mosaic floors, custom furniture, a Zen waterfall fountain, and artwork throughout. Located in a quiet neighborhood close to the center of Jaco, their building is one of the most beautiful in all of Costa Rica.
Shared rooms
All of School of the World's shared guest rooms (double occupancy) have private bathrooms, air conditioning, ceiling fans, hot water, refrigerators, cotton sheets, and comfortable beds. You will be paired with someone of the same gender and age range if you are traveling alone or you can request a roommate.
Private rooms
This option includes all of the amenities listed for the shared room but you will have the room to yourself. Most of the private guestrooms are located in the main building, which has the peaceful feel of a tropical tree house.
Please bring your own towels. They do not provide towels or laundry service. There is a laundromat nearby. If you forget or don’t want to travel with towels, you can buy them in town once you arrive. It is recommended to bring an extra if you are taking surfing or yoga classes.
Program
Surfing
Beginners will learn the basics of paddling, standing, and turning, as well as wave selection and other fundamental skills from the instructors, some of the best and most experienced in the country. They have completed rigorous international surf instructor and ocean lifesaver training, so you will feel comfortable and safe in the water.
In addition to the daily surf sessions, there will be land-based balance training and photo and video review sessions. Intermediate and advanced surfers can hone their skills and explore many of the best breaks in the area.
If you are already a surfer? Then you know great surf is a recipe of a lot of elements coming together perfectly. The swell, direction, tide, wind, time of day, and season are all factors.
Local knowledge is key to scoring great waves on vacation and having a great place to hang out between surf sessions is a big bonus. It's just a few reasons why surfers keep coming back to School of the World’s surf camp! Let the experienced Costa Rica surf guides show you the best waves around and help you take your surfing to the next level.
Surfboards are provided for use during class. However, to minimize the equipment loss and damage, School of the World does not loan them out after class. If you wish to surf outside of the class time you will need to bring your own board or rent one from a surf shop in town. Please send an inquiry for more details.
Photography
School of the World has developed a photography program that satisfies everyone from first-time photographers to working professionals looking to learn new techniques, and every level in between. The photography program was started by School of the World founder Zach McDuffie, an award-winning photographer whose travel and beauty photography have appeared in publications around the world.
Beginners become acquainted with the fundamentals of photography, digital workflow, and basic digital editing. Intermediate and advanced photographers learn new shooting techniques and advanced editing, and students of all skill levels benefit from having a local guide take them to shoot at amazing locales they otherwise would never see.
Schedule
Their classes are Monday through Friday. The schedule is created weekly and is written on the tides of the ocean, the number of students, and their course combinations. Therefore, it changes every week. Below are the average hours in class per day.
- Surf: 1 session (2 hours) a day, transportation to the beach, surfboard and instructor is included. Surf can take place anywhere between 6 am to 4 pm, depending on the tides of the ocean
- Photography: Approximately 2 hours a day, a minimum 2-3 field trips per week are included. Field trip classes may be a little longer
Everyone meets in the lounge about 15 minutes before class time to chat, grab your gear, and load your board on to their surf trailer. Then you’ll jump in one of their old surf vans and take a quick ride to the beach. At the beach, you’ll check out the waves and their instructors will pick the best spot for class.
Mid-week, you all meet in the lounge for their surf video analysis session. Be prepared to laugh a little, and learn a lot as the instructors analyze your surfing and coach you towards being a better surfer.
The surf schedule is designed to give you at least 10 minutes between surf sessions and your other classes. Weekends are yours to do what you like. It is a great time to explore the area, travel independently, go to the local surf competition, zipline, or just relax by the pool.
Location
This surf camp takes place in Playa Jaco, Costa Rica. Costa Rica is home to some of the best surf in the world. The Playa Jacó / Hermosa area is widely regarded as the most consistent surf in the country. The water temperature stays warm all year round and the variety of breaks in the area ensures uncrowded waves for everyone.
Jaco is about 90 minutes from San Jose and is on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Jaco is a cool beach town with something for everyone. Their campus is in a quiet neighborhood less than a 10-minute walk to the beach.
Distances
- Beach - 10 minutes
- San Jose - 90 minutes
Features
Activities
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
General
- Air-conditioned rooms
- Dining area
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Yoga studio
Food
Food is not included in the program. The guest rooms have refrigerators, the school has a fully equipped shared kitchen, and there is a wide array of restaurants and grocery stores within walking distance. Jaco has plenty of restaurants to satisfy most people’s dietary needs.
What's included
- Daily (Monday - Friday) 2-hour photography classes
- Daily (Monday - Friday) 2-hour surf sessions
- Frequent field trips to beautiful local destinations
- 6 nights accommodation
- Use of surf equipment during lessons
What's not included
- Meals
- Airfare
- Airport transfers
How to get there
Recommended Airports
SJO
Juan Santamaría International Airport
61 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 90 per person
Arrival by bus
From the airport, you can take this bus service called Grayline or Interbus. These are 8-10 passenger vans that offer service to and from San Jose. Their schedules are limited to one to three trips per day and your airplane would have to arrive at a time that lines up with their schedule in order to use their service.
The cost is around 45 to 50 USD. This service is comfortable and cheaper than the private taxi. You would have to call them to make a reservation, you can find the numbers on their websites.
Alternatively, you can also take the public bus. This option currently cost around 5 to 10 USD, but you would have to catch a bus or cab to the bus station in downtown San Jose (30-40 minutes from the airport). The bus station is called “Terminal 7-10” in San Jose. Then, wait for the next available bus to Jaco.
They run about every two hours, and the bus ride is approximately three hours long. The last bus currently leaves at 7:00 p.m. This option is the cheapest by far, but you would need to speak a little Spanish and feel comfortable navigating your way into San Jose.
Arrival by taxi
You can take a private taxi which would meet you at the airport and bring you directly to the school. The cost is 90 USD and can be shared by up to five people.
School of the World will try to pair students together when possible, but there are no guarantees due to delayed / missed flights, etc. The school is located approximately 1.5 hours from the airport by this method. This option is the easiest and fastest, but also can be the most expensive.
Airport: Juan Santamaría International Airport
Airport transfer available:
Juan Santamaría International Airport (US$ 90 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 23% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookSurfCamps.com. All major credit cards supported.
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