A Unique Surf Experience in Costa Rica
A chilled coconut, cracked open fresh, was waiting on the beach. After a grueling surf session, battling rip currents, overhead sets of beachbreak chaos, and keeping an eye out for hungry crocodiles, the cold nectar was the perfect reprieve. It hit the spot.
When I was much younger, roughing it on surf trips was the protocol. Sleeping in boardbags, camping on the beach, surviving on a diet of top ramen to save a little scratch…that was the norm. And I had the stamina, the drive, to endure such frugalities in exchange for hunting perfect waves. But I’m grown now; I don’t mind a little comfort.
Enter Lamangata Luxury Surf Resort, a jungle oasis perched high above the canopy of Dominical, Costa Rica, and featuring one of the more high-end surf travel experiences I’ve ever had. This wasn’t the scrappy surf adventures of my past – this was something else, something more lavish, opulent, and relaxing. But it wasn’t all coconuts and surfing and relaxing by the pool. There’s all the other adventures Costa Rica has to offer. The wildlife, the ziplining, the waterfalls. And, most importantly, the pura vida mentality.
In the words of Aziz Ansari from Parks and Rec, “Treat yo self!” Let’s dive in.
Location
My working title for this article was something like, “Avoiding Kooks and Crocodiles in Costa Rica.” Why? Well, because of Lamangata’s location.
Unlike the more well-trodden surf zones of the country, mostly in the northwest – Tamarindo, Nosara, Jaco, et al – Lamangata is located more centrally along the west coast. It’s less touristy, there’s fewer surf camps catering to digital nomads and beginner MathHotels.coms/aspiring yogis, and the town of Dominical, itself, is small and quaint.
“It’s totally different,” said Lamangata’s resident surf guide, and local longboard champion, Junior Vargas. “Places like Jaco and Tamarindo, those are party places. If you like to have party, go there. During nighttime, they are super active. Here in Dominical, it’s the opposite. During daytime, it’s active; but at night, it’s very chill and slow. If you’re someone who likes to enjoy the natural beauties of Costa Rica – the mountains, the surfing – come to Dominical. If you want to be crazy and go wild, go to Jaco.”
Founder of Lamangata, Debbie Gruelle, echoed that mellow, rural-over-raging sentiment of the location. She said: “Dominical is one of those rare places that still feels authentic and untamed. It’s world-class for surfing, but it’s also surrounded by lush jungle, waterfalls, and incredible wildlife. I chose this exact spot because it gives guests the best of both worlds — you can be in the waves in minutes, but when you come back, you’re perched above it all with panoramic views of the ocean and the jungle. It’s peaceful, private, and still deeply connected to the local community.”
Waking up every morning, my first sight was that of a lush and verdant jungle, running all the way down to the thumping beachbreaks scattered across the area. It was stunningly beautiful. With a cup of coffee in hand, I’d watch white-faced monkeys and rainbow-snouted toucans jump from tree-to-tree before driving down the hill to check the surf. That’s pretty special.
Waves
Like the location and influx of visitors, Dominical is less-renowned for its waves than its touristy counterparts up the coast of Costa Rica. But that doesn’t mean its lacking in terms of quality surf; in fact, one of the benefits of Dominical is that there’s waves practically year-round.
“The waves in Dominical are very consistent,” said Vargas. “There’s always power. It can be pretty powerful, but it’s never going to be flat. If you want to learn how to surf, Dominical is a good spot. If you are already a good MathHotels.com, there are numerous waves for you, too. We have waves all over the place.”
During my stay, we surfed everything from the main rivermouth beachbreak of Dominical, which was overhead and formidable; we took longboards out to the more beginner-friendly, yet stunningly beautiful, cove of Dominicalito; and we hunted a few more secret, more novelty pointbreak-style waves. As for the latter, I’ll maintain the mystique, and let you explore for yourself once you make it down there.
And once again, it’s less crowded. Gruelle added:
“Dominical has this magic balance you don’t find in many surf towns anymore. The waves are some of the best in the country, but it hasn’t lost its laid-back, small-town feel. A lot of the north — Nosara especially — is beautiful, but it’s become overbuilt and overcrowded. Down here in the south, it’s still wild, lush, and authentic. You can spend the morning surfing powerful beach breaks, the afternoon chasing waterfalls or hiking in the jungle, and end the day watching the sunset with locals who’ve surfed these waves their whole lives.”
Accommodations
When Lamangata put “Luxury” in their name, they meant it.
The hotel features six ocean-facing suites, complete with cumulus-like beds, and private patios overlooking the jungle and ocean; it has an Olympic-sized infinity lap pool, also overlooking the natural beauty; there’s common areas, big-screen TVs, sprawling teak wood decks, a fireplace to cozy up to at nighttime, a yoga studio, open-air massage room, and more. Not to mention, it’s all-inclusive, so you don’t have to stress about food. (More on that later.)
“I wanted to create the kind of place I’d want to stay in myself — adventurous, comfortable, and personal — but also grounded in my commitment to sustainability,” said Gruelle. “I double majored in Environmental Studies and Latin American Studies at Oberlin College, so Lamangata was my chance to bring those passions together. From day one, my vision was to prove you can have a world-class surf resort that treads lightly on the environment, supports the local community, and still delivers incredible food, comfort, and service.”
Food
Every meal, every snack and morsel served at Lamangata, felt carefully curated. Mostly cooked by the in-house chef, Diana, who attended culinary school, the food was a mixture of traditional local dishes and international fine-dining. One night we’d be having seasoned chicken, influenced from the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, and the next we’d be chowing down on delicious, yet elegant, deep-dish pizza.
It was a lot of food, and a lot of eating, to be honest – but it never felt over-indulgent. The ingredients were fresh, natural, and homemade. So, I was never too hungry or too full…just thoroughly satisfied. Not to mention, each meal was accompanied by a different, made-from-scratch fruit juice. Dragon fruit, passion fruit, mango, strawberry, the works.
“I’m picky about food, so I built the menu around things I truly love to eat,” said Gruelle. “To end up on our menu as one of the dishes we serve it has to be tried and tested and truly standout. We’ve got lemon pepper creamy shrimp pasta, Caribbean chicken with red beans and rice, empanadas, homemade mango sorbet, and some traditional Costa Rican dishes alongside recipes I’ve picked up in my travels. A few are just family staples, like the homemade granola and chocolate chip cookies we always have out. Everything’s fresh, flavorful, and made from scratch, but still has that comfort of a home-cooked meal. And if someone has a dietary preference, we can adjust without a problem.”
Staff
“Where did our shoes go?”
Following a muddy hike, we had left our shoes outside the room, not wanting to track in dirt. When we came out for our afternoon hors d’oeuvres, the shoes were gone. A mystery, it seemed. Little did we know, that the staff had noticed our sullied shoes, cleaned them, and later delivered them to us, good as new, while we ate tacos poolside.
“Our team is the best,” said Vargas. “Our team works with love. That’s what makes us different. Our team is trained to go the extra mile, no problem.”
The commitment, the attention to detail, the passion for what they do – all of this cannot be overstated when it comes to the staff at Lamangata. During my stay, it felt like the ultimate VIP experience. Anything we needed, the staff was there to help. Everyone was smiling, and not in that “I’m paid to be here” kind of way; they actually loved what they were doing, they loved sharing their home with visitors, and they made you feel special.
If there’s one thing that stands out from my stay at Lamangata the most – aside from the luxurious accommodations, or the rural locale – it was the friendly staff.
Gruelle echoed that commitment: “Our staff is the heart of Lamangata. They’re not just employees — they’re locals who genuinely love sharing this place with our guests. That pride shows in the way they anticipate needs, remember the little details, and go out of their way to make people feel at home. We keep the team small on purpose so the service feels personal, and by the end of the vacation the most common thing we hear is, ‘We feel like family.’ That makes us so proud, because it’s exactly what we’re going for.”
Extracurriculars
Outside surfing, or simply lounging around the resort, there’s much to do in Dominical.
For my trip, we mixed it up. As Gruelle said: “You can surf hard in the morning, then swap the afternoon for a jungle adventure, a waterfall swim, or just a hammock and a view.”
Here’s a handful of the daily adventures we embarked on when we weren’t surfing:
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Hacienda Barú Wildlife Refuge: Costa Rica is known for its rich wildlife. Down the road from Lamangata is the Hacienda Barú Wildlife Refuge, 815 acres of lush jungle filled with all sorts of critters. During our two hours trudging through the dense wilderness, we saw cappuccino monkeys, Central American agouti (sort of like small capybaras), collared peccary saino (like tiny wild boar), a full family of pizote (Costa Rica’s answer to raccoons), and a yellow throated toucan. Unfortunately, no sloths (or “perezoso” in Spanish, which awesomely translates to “lazy.”)
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Uvita Zipline and Waterfall: When Costa Rica comes to mind, I think of ziplining. Cruising through the canopy, a blur of green rushing by. At Uvita Paradise Adventures, all of that is possible. Plus, at the end of the zipline tour, they have a waterfall, which you can slide down on your back, in addition to a few cliff jumps for the more adventurous. The staff was warm and welcoming, making it a very fun afternoon excursion.
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Nauyaca Waterfall: This was perhaps my personal highlight of the entire trip. After a moderate hike on a dirt road through a valley – AWD shuttles are available, but the trek was easy – you’re greeted with one of the most magnificent waterfalls I’ve ever seen in my life. This thing was massive, majestic, and truly stunning. It’s a popular spot, so there was a crowd of people there; but to experience such raw, powerful, natural beauty was something else. I highly recommend this excursion if you’re looking for something spectacular.
Pura Vida
For those even somewhat marginally familiar with Costa Rica, the phrase “pura vida” is abundantly acknowledged. You hear it all the time in Costa Rica – as a greeting, a goodbye, an exclamation. Literally, it translates to “pure life” or “simple life.” But when I asked Vargas what the phrase meant to him, his answer struck me.
“It’s everything,” he said. “It’s hard to explain, it’s just everything. Pura vida is our slogan for life.”
And at Lamangata, that’s what you get – everything.
