Enfrente de Economy Rental Car, Playa Tamarindo, Tamarindo, Costa Rica | (618) 248-8274
Prime beachfront location on Tamarindo beach
A cool, laid-back surfer vibe that attracts a mix of guests,
including many single women
Daily seminars with pro-surfer Robert August
Surf classes are small, allowing for personal attention
Unlimited use of surfboards
On-site surf shop that sells gear and clothing
Two lively, fun restaurants and a brewery on site
Custom surfboard business run by Robert August
Free breakfast included in the package rate
Penthouse rooms share a large terrace with views of the beach and ocean
Free shuttle service to Liberia Airport on Saturdays
Free Wi-Fi
Rooms lack basic amenities such as shampoo, hairdryers, and TVs
Water pressure varies and sometimes there’s no hot water
Beds have thin sheets and spongy pillows
Located on a busy road and rooms receive street noise
Located some distance from the actual Witch's Rock surf break
Tiny pool is better for a quick dip than a swim
Rooms are dark, lacking adequate light
Can't connect to Wi-Fi in rooms
No shop on site to purchase snacks or necessities
No gym or spa (but massage is offered on the beach)
This 18-room, no-frills surfing mecca sits on a prime stretch
of Tamarindo Beach perfect for learning to surf. The vibe is friendly, laid-back, and fun. Guests are encouraged to kick back in the two
lively restaurants, the brewery, or the tiny pool. There's also a busy surf shop that outfits guests with surfing gear. Rooms are bare-bones basic, lacking clocks, TVs, and adequate
lighting, but that’s part of the plan. Guests don’t come to Witch’s Rock to
lounge on high-thread-count sheets (they're pretty thin) or linger in luxurious
bathrooms (hot water is sporadic), they come to hone their surfing
skills and embrace the camaraderie and campy lifestyle that goes along with the sport.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
A well-know surf camp on Tamarindo Beach that caters to surfers of all levels and encourages camaraderie among guests
Named
after a legendary advanced wave located in the protected Santa Rosa National Park, North of
Tamarindo, Witch's Rock Surf Camp is more than just a hotel on the beach --
it's a state of mind. Guests come to Witch’s Rock to surf and embrace
the homey, camp-like camaraderie that a vacation here delivers. The resort is a
surfing institution, known for attracting celebrities, MTV camera crews, and legendary
surfers such as Robert August of Endless Summer fame, who runs a surfboard-shaping shop on the property. While single women are one of the hotel's biggest
demographics, it's also a place for families, mother-daughter bonding trips, and
surfer boys and girls rocking their board shorts and bikinis. Guests head out to group surfing classes and return back to gorge themselves on nachos, throw back a beer, or hit the nightlife of Tamarindo, a short walk down the beach.
Location
The entrance fronts a busy road that leads to downtown Tamarindo, while the back of the hotel opens onto Tamarindo Beach
The hotel’s entrance is across the street from a car rental business and a few feet from the busy street that
leads to the heart of bustling, touristy Tamarindo. The back of the hotel opens onto a grassy area with paths that lead directly onto the northern stretch of Tamarindo Beach.- 10-minute walk to downtown Tamarindo
Rooms
Basic rooms with surf-shack style but few amenities
The hotel’s 18 rooms reflect a surf-shack-chic aesthetic, with
light pine ceilings, gray tile floors, solid wooden dressers and
desks, and headboards carved with breaking waves. Walls are decorated with colorful surfboards and surf-inspired artwork. The effect is just shy of kitsch. Tiki Rooms, the smallest on site, have either one queen or two twin beds and little room for anything else, while Courtyard and Sunset Rooms feature two queen beds. Solo travelers can save money by opting for a Shared Room, which holds three beds and pairs guests with other travelers of the same
sex. Two Penthouse Rooms are ideal for families, offering two queen beds and a
twin bed in a loft, plus a kitchenette with a hot plate, microwave, and mini-fridge. These two rooms share a huge roof deck crisscrossed with strands of lights and outfitted with a smattering of plastic chairs. It's ideal for
sitting back and taking in the views of the sunset over the Pacific. Cute decor aside, the rooms purposely lack the amenities found in most standard hotel rooms
such as clocks, TVs, adequate lighting, toiletries, closets with doors, and hairdryers. Connecting to Wi-Fi is also challenging in
the rooms, and inadequate lighting makes it difficult to read in bed. But guests are encouraged to spend their time surfing and mingling with other guests in the restaurant and bar, so they primarily come to their rooms to sleep. On that front, there are some challenges: The sheets are thin, the pillows are
spongy, and some rooms receive noise from the street and the restaurant, which can be bothersome for light sleepers. Bathrooms are outfitted with a few tiny bars of soap, woven bath mats, and water-conserving showerheads (though they seem to spray the water in several directions). Drains are
missing covers and water pressure is variable, sometimes just a trickle, but bathrooms are cheerful, with cobalt-blue tile and striped shower curtains.
Features
Excellent surf classes, two casual restaurants, an on-site brewery, a surf shop, and a surfboard shaping studio
Based on ability, guests sign up for seven-day camp packages that pair small groups of same-ability surfers with enthusiastic instructors. Beginners start on the beach in front of the resort while more experienced surfers embark on daily van excursions to nearby breaks such as Playa Avellanas, Playa Grande, Ollie's Point, and Witch's Rock (reached by a van-and-boat journey). Along with the daily instruction, seminars, video analysis, and unlimited surfing is part of the plan. Surfers can try different boards from the hotel's boardcage or hit the surf shop. It's here guests can get equipped with all the necessary gear from T-shirts to rash guards to trendy watches, but the shop does lack snacks and toiletries. _The Endless Summer _movie star Robert August runs a small on-site business shaping surfboards for guests. And after a day riding waves, guests return to linger at the camp's restaurants.“Nachos as Big as Your Ass” is the prominent sign at the
entrance of Eat at Joe’s, one of two restaurants at Witch’s Rock. The heaping
pile of cheese and chips lives up to its reputation. (They also serve a
half-ass portion.) They're popular on a menu that also serves fish tacos, sushi from the sushi bar, and
other crowd-pleasers, along with casado, the Costa Rican staple of rice and beans, meat or fish, fried plantains, paired with a carrot, tomato, and cabbage salad. El Vaquero, the newest addition to the hotel, is a beachfront barbecue brewpub with tiki-umbrella covered tables on a terrace and brightly painted picnic tables set in the sand beneath stringed lights. It's a popular spot for happy hour, casual dinners, and live music on the weekends. Both restaurants serve brews from the Volcano brewery, located on site.The resort also offers massage on the beach or in a semi-sheltered nook close to the restaurant. The pool, a deep cobalt-blue swimming hole, offers views of the beach, but it's closer to hot-tub size. Witch's Rock is involved with Pack for a Cause, a non-profit organization that connects travelers
to local charitable foundations. Before arrival, guests check the website to browse a list of items requested by organizations and fills extra space in their luggage with whatever is requested. The surf camp then takes the items from guests and delivers them to those in need.
