About Selina

Serious about surfing? So are we. Ride waves and learn to safely use professional techniques with Selina's Surf Club.

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What Do People Say About Us?

All our reviews are from travellers with verified trips booked through our platform.

Anonymous

from Canada, March 2023

Surf package in Selina

Selina's hotel organization, swimming pool, area for chilling, yoga lessons were great.

Smoothies were delicious.

People staying in Selina are cool!

I would stay in Selina more but may not consider surfing package, just booking everything separately.

James Mccarthy

from Ireland, January 2023

Great surf lessons and hostel

Great experience! Lessons were very good. Instructors really tease out what you need to work on. Learned so much. Selina hostel is also very chill and has organized events and yoga in the evening

Ruslan Mullakhmetov

from Great Britain, January 2023

That is not a surf camp, it is an American-style hostel

Good common areas, next to the beach 😍, decent bar

Anonymous

from Mexico, August 2022

this is not a camp

I was taken to a spot depending on conditions, so I didn't have to choose where to go and to assess the weather by myself

Rohan Forbes-o'neill

from Costa Rica, October 2021

Better than expected

Really good level of attention to detail, friendly staff who are clearly very experienced.

Big props to:

-Matias

-Julian

For the great instruction and pura Vida attitude

Charles Woodward

from United States, February 2020

Nicest hostel I’ve ever stayed at. My instructor was Alfredo

Excellent facility and very good food. About 1 mile from the beach and other services, it is a good thingI like to walk! Instructor was a sub from coconut Harry’s,very good. Carrying the board crosswaysinatuktukwas prettyinterestingattimes!

Anonymous

from Costa Rica, December 2019

It’s not a surf camp

The instructors were great, the staff at Selina we’re friendly, the hostel is very comfortable.

Anonymous

from Sweden, December 2019

A cozy camp with friendly personnel and skilled instructors

- friendly personnel

- wildlife refuges in the vicinity

- good food

- skilled and dedicated instructors: mine was Jan. He was flexible with times and did his best to provide with a memorable surfing experience.

Anonymous

from Germany, December 2019

Great surfing school

Coco and his team were amazing. For our first time surfing, we learned fast and good. Instructors are giving you the right tips if you listen carefully. They help you to understand the waves and the safety rules.We can only recommend learning to surf there. Cafe was nice.

Therese Hylander

from Sweden, December 2019

The instructurs was realy good, they devided is in smaler groups depended in surf levels that was excellent ! And also wery friendly 🏄

I loved the hole experince and i Will defently recomed it! 🙌 Pura Vida!

Mauricio Caro

from United States, September 2019

Ruben & Rudy Are Excellent

My 2 instructors who aren't on the drop down list, were great they were the best part of the experience, i learned more from them in 6 days then i could have imagined. They were patient,funny, friendly and more importantly really knowledgeable.

Nicole Clark

from United States, August 2019

Good stay for the money but some things could be better

The surf lessons were excellent, thanks to Andres. The hostel room and facilities themselves were good as well.

Hans Ulrich Schläpfer

from Switzerland, July 2019

Super surfing

Die Surflehrer Victor, Rudi und Robin waren sehr unterstützend und kompetent. Vielleicht am Anfang etwas zu forsch für mein Können, dafür bekam ich das Gefühl, dass sie mir etwas zutrauen. Ich habe den Aufenthalt deshalb auch verlängert. Die Unterkunft Selina North war mir abends etwas zu laut, denn am Pool wurde Musik gespielt. Ich konnte problemlos ins Selina South umziehen, wo es ruhiger ist, hier hat es auch einen Co-Working Space, wo man in angenehmer Atmosphäre arbeiten kann oder auch nur Mails beantworten. Die ganze Crew von Selina ist sehr nett, kommunikativ und toll.

Shir Zvadia

from United States, April 2019

Excellent experience, lovely and attentive staff

Excellent experience, lovely and attentive staff. Great location and cool vibes in the hostle.

Anonymous

from Canada, April 2019

surf camp food peasants

location instruction

Ilana Sharlin

from Equatorial Guinea, April 2019

Perfect vacation

I did like the decoration of the place, the vibes. The surfing instructors were very nice and kind.

Nicole Laboy

from United States, March 2019

Awesome Experience

The vibe and energy

Anonymous

from United States, March 2019

Noisy, Only Got One Yoga Class

Food was quite good and staff were friendly and helpful

Emilie Laurent

from United States, March 2019

Not a yoga retreat

The facility is amazing with nice rooms, nice location, very enjoyable shared spaces, quiet and large yoga space in the forest in Manuel Antonio. Selina's employees are really nice and welcoming.

Nicola Lopez

from Italy, February 2019

Ideal for those who are truly interested in improving their

We particularly appreciated the dedication of the Surf Instructors Team and crew. They were very attentive to our learning, went beyond what would actually match the expectations and showed true care towards the individuals.

Anonymous

from United States, January 2019

SelinasTamarindo

The hostel has a wicked social scene, staff are all super friendly and accomadating. Dorm was great and cleaned daily if wanted.

Claudyne Vielot

from United States, January 2019

I like how close the hotel was to the city center and city landmarks. The staff was friendly and the food was fine. There were very few vegan options.

Anonymous

from Germany, January 2019

Schlechte Preis / Leistung

Lage ist gut

Patrik Tellqvist

from Haiti, January 2019

Perfect spot, great personell, and a super instructor,Andres

The environmet and the personell!!

Anonymous

from Switzerland, January 2019

Mixed feelings

I liked the Surfcamp itself as long as the instructors and managers Pauline and Jacobo were at the camp. It was high quality of class and feedback. After they left it wasn’t clear what time surfing is. That way I couldn’t take my last class...

Also it’s nice that the Surfcamp is situated right at the beach.

Anonymous

from United States, January 2019

Not a yoga retreat

The hostel is nice and in a good location

Tavi Sookhoo

from United States, January 2019

Not really a detox retreat

The room was nice and clean and the hostel is in a good location. Nice to practice yoga on the outdoor patio area. but i could only do my practice there for one day, because the intrsuctor said the blinds were broken and space could not be opened up

Anonymous

from United States, December 2018

Very good surf for beginners and intermediates

The surf instructors supported us during the take off in the green waves by pushing us into the waves. We had the possibility to surf all day starting around 6 am every day. The Selina was close to the beach (5 min walk). Everybody was in a good and positive mood.

Sarah Adlam

from Netherlands, December 2018

Nice yoga instructors, but not really a yoga retreat

The location in La Fortuna is good for doing other outdoor activities (which you need to pay for, there are limited things to do which don’t incur additional cost). The staff at Selina were really friendly and helpful and the food was nice

Christos Votsis

from Greece, December 2018

Location

Anonymous

from United States, December 2018

Not as expected. Communication poor.

The location was good. Lots of surrounding wildlife. Once our room was changed (because of wifi issues) we were happier with the view. We loved sitting on the balcony playing cards listening to the monkeys and birds around us. The bed was very comfortable and we slept well. The yoga that we managed to attend was good. Limited menu for food but pretty tasty options!

Shayna Powers

from United States, December 2018

This was NOT a yoga retreat

Selina itself is a very nice place. It was minimal, but that’s to be expected at such a low price. Clean, good food, mostly nice and helpful staff. The area is nice and safe.

Stephen Edwards

from Dominica, December 2018

Selina Santa Teresa (North)

The staff at the facility were wonderful. All very kind, helpful, and fun. The food at the restaurant was great. The bartender, Paola, was amazing. She made great cocktails and provided wonderful service.

Anonymous

from United States, November 2018

The Yoga instructor John was excellent , so we're the staff at Selina Jairo, Enrique, the guy making the drinks, the crowd in my room.

The toilet stank and didn't flush properly. The food and smoothies were great!

Kurt Knudson

from Canada, October 2018

Surfing was good, the place wasn't to my cleanliness

The instructors were friendly, the hostel had nice "hip" vibe to it.

Anonymous

from Costa Rica, October 2018

Okay

Okay, for a spontaneous trip, and have some fun trying to surf. The video analysis are really helpfull. Nice surfguides, really helpfull stuff, and delicious food. Had a great couples of days.

Anonymous

from Argentina, October 2018

Best Option in Playa Venao!

Everything was amazing!!!!

Everything!

Anonymous

from Turkey, September 2018

Great surf instruction!

Our surf instructor was great, talking about the philosophy of surf to everything we need to correct about our style. In addition to this Selina organized a great presentation for everyone during our stay. We were really happy!

Anonymous

from France, September 2018

Great first experience learning to surf

Really amazing staff working here. Always friendly, smiling and ready to help. Really impressed with them! The food was really nice too. About the surf lessons: My instructor was very patient with me and got me on the board catching some waves by myself which was great! There was plenty of time to practice and the schedule was flexible.

Anonymous

from Mexico, September 2018

Buena experiencia

La clase que me dio la maestra Amairani fueron excelentes. Me gustó mucho

Cecilia Phuong Thu Ho

from Canada, August 2018

Amazing experience!

My surf instructor was Mathias and he was absolutely AMAZING! He was extremely patient and very clear in his explanations. Even when it was hard he motivated everyone to never give up and to give their 100%. Thank you again for everything!

I love everything about the surf camp. The staff at Selina was friendly and really helpful. Food was delicious and there was always vegetarian and vegan options. The rooms and bathrooms are very clean. The whole experience went beyond all my expectations.

Christoph Götz

from Costa Rica, August 2018

Super Einsteiger surfkurs

Wir hatten einen sehr guten Surf Kurs. Matthias hat uns immer unterstützt und bei allen Fragen (auch außerhalb des Kurses) weitergeholfen.

Iris Egenter

from Switzerland, August 2018

Paradise!

I had a wonderful time in Selina Santa Teresa North. My room was nice and the bathroom in the dorm was a big plus. At this place you can find a great atmosphere and lots of young people. Even though during the day it's always played music, they turn it off at a reasonable time so you get a good sleep.The staff at the hostel are extremely lovely people and very helpful. At the surf camp you will have lots of fun and great teachers. The surf instructors are very professional! Thank you so much for the amazing time :)

Brad King

from United States, July 2018

Selina 7 days

The surfing instructors were awesome. Marcos was really great and spearows will take great pictures of you while you surf.

Liana Röthlisberger

from Switzerland, July 2018

Awesome time surfing & socialising!

We liked the surflessons a lot (many thanks to Danny!), the staff, the dorms, the whole Hostel area, the beach. As we had a whole package, we could order all the food from the menu for lunch&dinner, which was delicious! Just the whole atmosphere was awesome! :-) We met so many cool people!

Patrick Dunne

from United States, July 2018

Patrick

Really good waves, fun community, great atmosphere. Majo and Jena were great. The city was fantastic

Caroline Joly

from Canada, July 2018

First surf camp - very good experience

Practice everyday and give me advises how I can increase my condition by doing some stretching and also bodybuilding of my arms! They give me so many things I can reuse, and they keep me motivated everyday.

Luis Quinones

from Puerto Rico, July 2018

Awesome experience!

Tavo and his group are just amazing: what a group of great instructors, awesome individuals.

My instructor Veronica (Vero) Quiros – a consummate professional, not just an amazing surfer but an outstanding, professional and knowledgeable instructor. A teacher that explains, demonstrates and inspires, she will take any surfer to the next level. Vero is without equal, in a class of its own “second to none”

The bar staff, what a group of amazing individuals, true professionals in their trade. They literally "bend over backwards" to make your experience memorable! 

Caroline Gagné

from Canada, July 2018

What a wonderful week

Such an amazing trip in Jaco!! Everything was perfect: people, food, the place and the rooms! The staff is super friendly. Thank you to Matias and Rodrigo the amazing surf instructors! They help me guetting better and the progression is so fast! I will never forget this place and I hope I will be back soon!

John Portelli

from Australia, June 2018

The surf instructors were helpful

Stephen Barbee

from United States, June 2018

Oldtimers Paradise

All the employee's were very nice and helpful. I really enjoyed all the surf sessions and lessons. We had a "blast" driving to and from the surf breaks. They were most helpful in keeping us safe and entertained. If you don't want to surf, they always have something else to try. Great value for the money!

Nele Pohling

from United States, June 2018

More than I could have asked for!

The surfteacher and all the staff was super friendly, the accommodation was clean and as described. The food was outstanding and the location was great, right at the beach and the bar with the pool area was the perfect spot to hang out after an exhausting day.

Thomas Kruth

from United States, June 2018

Awesome Experience! Will return

This was a perfect getaway. I was able to wake up early, surf, eat, work, then surf some more! Rodrigo and Matias observed my surfing and were able to give me some good tips on how I can improve my abilities. I'm looking forward to doing another trip here in the future.

Isabel Araya

from Chile, May 2018

me subí a la ola!

lo mejor fue que Jacó beach es muy tranquila, bastante turismo local, por lo que fue ideal para conocer la vida diaria de los Ticos. El mar muy variante durante el día. desde casi cero olas a olones de 3 mts. fue una muy dura experiencia, pero siento y creo que valió mucho la pena. nuestro instructor / manager / host Rodrigo Cerezo es una excelente persona, impecable instructor, me enseño muchísimo y ayudó en todo momento siempre con la mejor disposición y alentándome a no perder el entusiasmo, llevándonos a otros playas para surfear, etc. de todas formas todo el equipo del surf club fue muy bueno. recomiendo este surf camp 1000%, tienes de todo para lograr suerfearte unas olas. Ahora depende de mi continuar con mi práctica y llevarla to the next level. gracias totales :)

Pharuewisa Jordan

from United States, May 2018

Great surfing experience with Selina Jaco

The Location is great. just at by the beach. we took a surf lesson for 4 days.

The Instructor "Rodrigo" and his team Matias and Andres are very good. he know how to teach, not only being a professional surfer. it more than worth with the money u pay for. all staff at the hotel are friendly and helpful.

My husband and I was very happy with this trip with Selina.

Owen Hayward

from Canada, May 2018

surf Instruction

excellent instructors and surfing facilitation - friendly and accommodating - good communicators - top notch

Leonie Wirthensohn

from Costa Rica, April 2018

Perfect Stay and best Instructors

We had six days in the Camp und five days Surfing. The Instructors Rodrigues, Matias and Byront were so friendly and competent. We really felt well in their lessons! The food was really Good and the location at the beach perfect.

Dezi Siler

from Colombia, April 2018

Our instructor was Ricardo- he is amazing!

Our surf lessons with Ricardo were for changing. The two women who typically work the bar are friendly and professional. The karaoke/trivia/king of dance nightlife employee is a gem.

Evgeny Kusmenko

from Germany, April 2018

Great Stay for Surf in Santa Teresa

Our surf instructor, Lorena, was great and we learned a lot. The food at funky monkey was excellent.

Selina has a nice chill out area with a pool and a variety of boards to choose from. Supermarkets, batidos, cafes and restaurants are a few meters away.

Gustavo Gabriel Genta

from Argentina, April 2018

pura vida

la atencion del surf club y la comida

Romana Ruoss

from Switzerland, March 2018

surfweek, fun, crazy, sunburned:-)

Perfect surfteacher - friendly, crazy, strictly, good practice before starting in the water. The beach is very close!! The location is very lovely and you feel welcome (summer/surffeeling). The food was delicious.

Anonymous

from United States, March 2018

Cool hostel, great location but some downers

The food included in the meal plan was very good and varied, also very filling especially after 2h of surfing! However, in the evening the sandwiches were always unavailable and the salads are too light and dont contain any source of protein.

Drinkable tap water!

AMAZING weather, and great spot to learn how to surf, surf coaches are patient and fun, the hostel is at walking distance from the ocean, and there are plenty of ocean view bars and restaurants, from which the most amazing sunsets can be seen everyday.

Alot of fun places around to hang out in the evening, just make sure you ask when the party will start and where it'll be. Costa Rican time.

Anonymous

from Canada, March 2018

Excellent Surf Camp

Surf Camp:Matia was my primary instructor and Rodrigo was there to provide advice and help me along the way. This is an awesome camp! It is quite intensive but I cant wait to go back. They break down all you need to do to get up on the board and are super patient with you. They do go by the tide so timing of the lesson will depend on that and if the water is shallow or not. They keep watching conditions to make sure it is ok to go out. By the last class we were out in the ocean surfing. It was amazing!

Accommodation:Room was clean.my only peeve: had some run ins with mosquitos on the 2nd and third day & toilet cover was scratched up. Bedroom and ac were both good. I didn't have hot water in my room for some reason so I used the communal showers which were always empty and had hot water. Also, the communal showers were waaayyy nicer than the bathroom in my room...just saying.I had the hostel standard room.

Food:Great!Try the grilled whole fish...which I'm pretty sure is fried ...but still very delicious.Surfers stew with calamari needs adjusting.Pina colada disappeared in a flash😀

Location:Excellente!1.5hrs from SJO. I used monkeyrider to get there -43us.. Selina is right on the strip with lots of restaurants, shopping,grocery. Everything is there and it's right on the beach. Layout of the property is perfect for relaxing.

Overall:I had a great experience at Selina and Id do the surf camp again.Matia and Rodrigo are great and everyone was very polite. I'd recommend to anyone.

Luna Roos

from Nicaragua, March 2018

Ive been to many many surfcamps to improve my surfing and ive never learned so much in such a short time. The instructors make sure they’ll never train more than 2 people at one time so they can put an eye on them and make sure they truly improve their surfing within the lesson. You will laugh, have fun, drink the best coconuts ever and simply have the week of your life - if you want to though. Everything is a matter of your mindset and if you love having energetic people around you that will gently push your limits you should do it! The staff (literally everybody) were super amazing people and tried their best to make you feel comfortable and satisfy your wishes. If you walk around with a smile and treat everybody with respect they will do the same and be even happier . Book it, do it and enjoy it - you will regret not going.

Kate Gilbert

from Costa Rica, February 2018

Selina Surf Camp- An Amazing Experience! Highly Recommended!

I enjoyed every aspect of the surf camp at Selina! Not only were the instructors amazing and highly knowledgeable, the location was perfect & the food was delicious. A very cool and fun atmosphere at Selina - definitely the best hostel and surf camp I have ever attended!

Rebecca Langevin

from Canada, February 2018

Great energy, good is Much better then expected, drinks are good, staff is very friendly overall surf board are in good shape

Gunnar Göransson

from Sweden, February 2018

Surflessons were very good! I had a great time with my instructor Sascha and learned so much at every lesson. Videoanalysis in the evning where also very good! Surf manager Tavo is super nice and gives great points to think about for next lesson. The whole team at Selina is super friendly and proffessional! I had a great week there. Pura vida!

Brooke Abernathy

from United States, January 2018

Good times

The entire staff was incredibly accommodating, very professional and really genuine people.

Adrian Fettes

from Canada, January 2018

Short trip to Jaco

Great location with waves right outside the hostel, accommodating staff helped work out some issues we had, good surf instructors for beginners. Also plenty of extra stuff to do, we went on a crocodile tour, and on a fun trip to a nearby beach where we saw wildlife and ate fresh coconuts.

Esteban Salazar

from Costa Rica, January 2018

Excelente experiencia

Los instructores insisto Rodrigo y Matías fueron de lo mejor, realmente te transmiten esa pasión por el surf, y te enseñan muy bien realmente de primera clase. Pienso que el surf club tiene un gran potencial gracias a ellos definitivamente, y al excelente equipo y tablas en las cuales han invertido. Por otro lado la ubicación frente al mar es perfecta, que haya un bar en el lugar también es muy cómodo. La habitación en la qué me hospedé fue realmente cómoda, muy aseada y súper bonita. Yo definitivamente voy a volver a Selina Jacó para seguir aprendiendo, y debido a esta misma experiencia siempre Selina va a ser mi primera opción de hospedaje aún cuando vaya a otro lugar. El servicio al cliente también es muy bueno, siempre fueron amables conmigo y me atendieron bien.

Lorenz Engeli

from United States, January 2018

surfcamp

good surfguiding

Vincent Raeber

from Costa Rica, December 2017

11 days surf camp

I spent in Selina Jaco more than the 11 days initially planed ! probably the best surf experience I have had ever ! The waves, the people, the surf boards, etc. every thing was perfect to improve my surfing. So glad I have done it, I will come back there if I have the opportunity to do it !! Fore sure !!!