Kris

I stayed at Kalon in March 2015 with my teenage daughter. I've been surfing for a few years, and my daughter had been surfing maybe once or twice.

I've been to several surf camps over the years, and this is by far the best one I've ever attended. If you've searched around, you already know it's on the expensive side, so it's not for everyone. But in my view, it's worth every penny. The lodge facility is outstanding, the location is breathtaking, the food is to die for, and the staff is wonderful.

Most surf lodges or surf camps are started by former surfers who just stayed in country and turned their passion into a business. That's just fine, but many of these places are not run as full-on professional hospitality-oriented businesses. Instead, they are a bit laid back, a few things slip through the cracks, and you just deal with it.

Kalon is different. It was started by business-oriented folks who wanted to create a world-class experience built around surfing and the beauty of Costa Rica.

So they apply super high standards and operational rigor to everything. The lodge is gorgeous, with great craftsmanship, super clean, very well kept. The food is all fresh and homemade with interesting flavors, creativity, and flair. There is attention to detail everywhere you look.

The surfing itself is distinguished by the wave, the staff, and the photo/video. We surfed every day at Playa Linda, about a 20 minute drive from the lodge. The wave is a beach break — when we were there it was 2–5 feet with some short stretches to ride down the line. What really set it apart was that no one was on it. We literally had it all to ourselves, every single day for 3–4 hours at a time.

The student to staff ratio is crazy good — like a guide for every 2–3 people. Makes a huge difference. And here is the real kicker — at most other surf camps, the guides go out in the water and sort of surf next to the guests. With Kalon, the guides spend all their time helping the guests catch and ride waves. They only go out and rip themselves when the guests are taking a break. It's a big difference.

The staff films and photographs every session extensively and then reviews it afterward as a group. It's a fun bonding experience and it's also incredibly useful. People advanced their skills dramatically. You could literally watch it happen from day to day.

One last thing — before I chose Kalon, I stressed about the lodge being 1,200 feet up a mountain and a 20–25 minute drive from the beach. But don't worry, they made the right choice. It's a beautiful and remote location, so you feel like you're in the middle of the rainforest (because you are). No pounding music from 10 other surf camps clustered together on the beach. You are all by yourself with the sounds of the jungle. And an amazing view. And fewer bugs, better breezes, cooler temperatures.

If you're looking for a first-class experience, I highly recommend it.