These lodges combine world-class surfing with a taste of another culture—from Costa Rica to Indo to Mexico and beyond. You’ll put in some hours traveling there, but it’ll all be worth it when you drop in on that first wave. Enjoy worldly accommodations, eclectic dining, and first-class surf instruction. And best of all you're never more than just steps from the beach.
Playa Colorado Surf Resort, Tola, Nicaragua
Playa Colorado is one of Nicaragua’s most notorious breaks. It’s not for beginners, but rippers rave about the year-round deep-water swell. It’s a private beach, accessed only by tenants of Hacienda Iguana, a gated golf resort. So stay at (from $95), within Hacienda Iguana, and you can rent a one-bedroom, two-bedroom, or three-bedroom condo within steps of the sand.
Nihiwatu Surf Resort, Sumba, Indonesia
You’ll come for the private heavy left-hand reef break, but you’ll stay for ’s high-end villas—you can sleep in a deluxe two-story treehouse perched on wooden stilts (from $650 including all meals)—as well the private tropical feel of the remote west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumba. Surf lessons are offered for all abilities and the best season to visit is April through October.
Casa Creando Olas, La Saladita, Mexico
feels like more of a home than a hotel—including the comfort-food Mexican breakfast you’ll have cooked for you each morning. Located near the small surf town of Los Llanos, the lodge sleeps 12 in private rooms and is situated right on the beach in La Saladita, known amongst longboarders for its consistent left break, and there are over a dozen other breaks nearby. After surfing, rinse off in the outdoor shower and take a yoga class in nearby Troncones.
Olas Verdes, Nosara, Costa Rica
—the world’s first LEED certified surf hotel—opened with 17 rooms in December on Playa Guiones, a popular surf destination in Costa Rica. You’ll walk a trail through the jungle to reach the four-mile-long beach, which has swell year round. There’s an in-house surf school and a yoga deck.
Long Beach Lodge, Tofino, British Columbia
Want an international surf vacation that’s a little closer to home? Check out Tofino, BC, and the (from $166). The lodge has 41 beachfront rooms plus 20 stand-alone cottages steps from the surf break at Cox Bay Beach, one of Canada’s most fabled spots. The beach is long enough that you won’t feel stuck in the crowds and the hotel has an on-site surf school, plus sauna, hot tub, and locally-made boards for rent.