Central America has become a tourist hotspot for those looking to surf epic waves a short plane ride away. Some surfers fell in love with the beautiful landscape, the warm people, and the excellent surf and decided to create a home for themselves.

Mark Veraat

There is plenty of undiscovered stunning coastline and great surfing all over Central America. But for those looking to live or invest, what are the surf towns that you could actually live in?

We’ve compiled a list of the towns that have strong communities and basic amenities for those who enjoy a side of comfort with their morning surf.

Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Tamarindo is Costa Rica’s top destination for surf tourism. Surf schools are aplenty and surfing has become integral to the local culture. All skill levels can surf here as there are beach, rivermouth, and reef breaks. It is also located near many other beaches for surfing day trips. Just north of Playa Tamarindo are Witch’s Rock and Ollie’s Point, which became world famous from the film Endless Summer II.

Located a short one hour drive on a paved road from the Liberia International airport, Tamarindo is highly accessible from North America. As a result it is one of the most tourist frequented towns in Costa Rica and the tourist businesses thrive. There are also many more amenities here than in other parts of Costa Rica, including plenty of restaurants, shopping, and bars. This gives the area a fairly North American feel, which some people may enjoy while others may not. However outside of town it is still possible to find peace, tranquility, and even waves all for yourself.

Santa Catalina, Panama

Guillermo Duran

Until recently Santa Catalina was a secret kept by the locals who enjoyed its excellent surf. While still a small, quiet town, Santa Catalina is the top surf destination in all of Panama. It is now bringing surfers from all over the world and actually hosted the 2010 ISA World Master’s Surfing Championship.

The influx of health conscious surfing expats in recent years has developed an overall health conscious attitude in the area. It is one of the few towns in all of Panama that has health food and yoga.

The town is still difficult to access which has kept it quiet and relatively undeveloped. Consequently land prices, even beachfront, are quite low. However Santa Catalina is rapidly paving its way as the next big surf destination in Central America which makes investing now an excellent opportunity.

Playa Guiones, Nosara, Costa Rica

Playa Guiones (sometimes called Nosara after the region it’s in) is one of the most beloved towns in all of Central America by expats, and in large part due to the surf. It has some of the most versatile surf in the country with waves surfable at any tide level.

At the shore are clean rows of white water for beginners, further out is an intermediate break, and on the outside are expert level waves. There is also a volcanic reef break at Playa Pelada as well as rivermouth break near the Nosara River for experts. Plenty of other nearby beaches have great surfing as well.

The town itself boasts two exceptional private schools, several world class yoga retreat centers, delicious international cuisine, raw health food cafes, kickboxing, pilates, and tons of other activities. There is an organic grocery store in town as well as a farmers’ market and local organic produce delivery service. The town is known for its strong expat community and dedication towards health and sustainability.

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

Jeff R.

This crescent-shaped bay surf town is the gateway to many of Nicaragua’s best beaches. Just across the border from Costa Rica’s famed Nicoya Peninsula, San Juan del Sur enjoys similar weather, landscape, and surf. Playa Maderas is a twenty minute drive from the center of San Juan del Sur and picks up most of the swells that hit Nicaragua. It is a fun spot for surfers of all levels.

San Juan del Sur is the most popular tourist destination in Nicaragua because of the incredible surfing opportunities. As a result there are many hotels, restaurants, bars, yoga studios, and plenty of other North American luxuries. It can become touristy and crowded at times, but the nearby beaches are often completely deserted.

Central America is a great place for surf lovers with the desire to live among world class waves. These are just a few of the best spots for those looking to relocate. What are some of your favorites?