About Mamita's Surf School
Mamita's Surf School is a long-running beachfront surf school based at La Costa de Papito in the Cocles area of Puerto Viejo, with its primary teaching break right across the road at Cocles Beach. The school has become one of the most recognised names for learning to surf on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast, with a family-oriented, safety-first reputation built over many seasons.
Lessons run about an hour and a half and use specialised longboard training boards designed to get beginners up and riding quickly, with instruction available in both English and Spanish. Instructors are skilled local surfers who focus on building confidence and genuine technique rather than just a one-off push into a wave. When conditions call for it, the school relocates lessons to the better breaks at Playa Grande or Punta Uva, with optional transport provided.
What makes Mamita's stand out is its consistency and approachability — small-group and private pricing, patient coaching pitched at nervous first-timers and families, and a prime location at one of the area's best-known beach breaks. Its base at an established eco-lodge makes it an easy, well-supported entry point into Caribbean surf culture.
