About Us

CRSURF.com was created in 1999 to help surfers in Costa Rica find the best place to surf, to help travelers plan their trip, and to keep them informed of news and upcoming events. Hotels and surf shops on both coasts sent in surf reports once a week, giving details on the size, their prediction for the next week, and what was happening in their communities. In 2001 the owner drove down to Costa Rica from California and began to explore the variety of adventure tours around the country, focusing on the southern Pacific coast. Some of the highlights were climbing Mount Chirripo, camping and white water rafting on the Rio Savegre, and rapelling down the side of Tinamaste Falls and staying in the caves behind the waterfall. For work, he directed an adventure spanish school Dominical, bringing together students from all over the world and immersing them in the culture and natural beauty of the region. Of course, he also surfed as much as possible, discovering waves and new friends in all corners of the country.

Meanwhile, he was (and we still are) heavily involved with the Surfrider Foundation, a grassroots organization that works to protect the world's oceans, waves, and beaches. He worked to organize local chapters in Tamarindo, Jaco, Puerto Viejo, and Dominical, and helped by organizing beach cleanups, building and donating recycle bins, and supporting other local environmental and community groups like PRETOMA, ASANA, and the lifeguards. Each year CRSURF donates $100 to the Dominical lifeguards, and another $100 to the group that runs turtle hatcheries in Dominical. We also have committed $100 to Surfrider's Tamarindo chapter to help in their efforts to monitor water quality and the surrounding rampant development.

Currently we sponsor one local surfer, Debbie Zec, from Dominical who competes on the Circuito Nacional de Surf, or national surf tour. She was chosen for her dedication to the sport and the connection she has with her community. Every community in Costa Rica has some great athletes who deserve sponsorship, so we report their accomplishments on the website and in monthly articles published in Costa Rica and the United States (The Beachside Resident). You can read them all on the FAQs page.

We are committed to promoting eco-friendly options for travelers, and will never advertise hotels, development projects, or realtors that maliciously damage the environment or the culture of the country. We want to treat every client with the highest level of service, and work hard with our suppliers to deliver it.

Here's what others had to say...

4-18-10 - Hey Greg, The rest of my trip was great. I spent a night in Avallanas after boca then flew home tuesday. Everything was easy with your service. The rate you got us on the Europecar was cheaper than their website and all the paperwork was taken care of before we even landed. I'll definitely book through CR Surf Travel Co. in the future. Peace ~ Jen

10-2-09 - Got the shirt and it's perfect! I love it! Thank you for everything. Absolutely love your web site. Keep up the good work. - Connie

9-22-09 - Everything worked out very well.  The car was in great shape and had very low mileage.  The pick up at the airport went smoothly, as well as the drop off when we returned the car.  I appreciate all the help you provided.  They definitely do business differently down there so it was very helpful having you as a middleman!  We really enjoyed our time down there and if we make a return trip, I'll definitely use your agency again.  - Jennifer

7-18-09 - We are here until Aug. 25th, and I loved my car and will always use you folks. We used you last year as well. I will send some shots later as I am in town right now as my computer will not work where we are until I get this part that is expected today. Thanks for everything, and I will always plug your site. I wish you had a car rental place here in San Isidro as I am going to have to use Brunca which is the only one I´ve even seen. - Linda

6-26-09 - Thanks for checking in. The trip was great and everything was perfect with the car. Derek was the best. He was so helpful and professional. We all really appreciated him. I've attached a few pics. Enjoy. - John

6-26-09 - Thanks again. This trip was awesome and your help was incredible. - Marc-Andre

9-22-08 - Just wanted to let you know that everything with the rental worked out great. We'll be going down again on Jan 5th. Our flight doesn't arrive until 7pm or so. Do you know if the car rental places are open in the evening? It usually takes 1/2 hour or so to get out of the airport at Liberia. Thanks! - Chris

9-5-08 - Greg and Chella, I know you never heard from us again when we went our our CR trip this past April. However, I wanted you to know how much we appreciated your service. I wanted you to see this review I posted on Fodors in their travel forum: "We had an excellent experience with CR Surf and Tico Travel. They booked our car with EuropCar in Liberia. We pre-paid the car with them and our encounter with Europcar was flawless. They had a more competitive rate than anywhere else we checked. Also, the owner was a great resource for tides and surfing info. He also gave us a great hint. Go for the larger vehicle if you're making the drive in the mountains between Arenal and Monteverde. The larger vehicles have higher clearance and thicker tire tread. We did and were not sorry for a mere $40 difference in price. Have fun! Mom23rugrats" - Sharon

8-25-08 - Hey Greg! Thanks for the email! The car rental service with Europcar was great! They are extremely friendly and professional! We were very surprised how great they were. Strange enough, someone stole our front license plate. Europcar took care of it for us. We caught the tail end of a swell and it faded fast. We at least had a few days of great waves. Attached a few random pics. Thanks for contributing to our great vacation. We will contact you for future trips to Costa! Thanks Again. - Drew

8-10-06 - Thanks Greg.  I'll chew on this in the morning, but you did me a huge favor.  Thanks for all the pertinent info.  Sounds like it's going to be a fun trip!  And my wife deserves a good trip having giving me two incredible sons (3 and 1), and a beautiful (currently screaming) daughter (9 weeks). - Jeff H.

7-9-08 - Your site makes a difference for the good.- John L.

4-22-08 - Thanks for the info Greg!  My husband will be glad to hear that.  He grew up surfing Virginia Beach, where he and my son make the trip from Richmond several times a year when conditions are good.  Wow...it's a small world, huh? - Lulu

4-28-08 - Nichole J. - Thank you so much for your advice!! It can be hard to travel alone and find decent places. I think I have decided to keep it Jaco local for the next few days and go to Manuel Antonio for my big adventure.

4-20-08 - You emailed me a great Itinerary back a couple months ago about
traveling to Costa Rica for surf and vacation.  I very much like the ideas you have given us, but still have some questions if.  If you have a minute and don't mind answering. We have read and heard all about bungalows that cost only $10 a night to stay at.  Are these a good idea? We are worried about the heat and bugs in June.  Is it better to pay the $100 a night and stay in a full accommodating hotel like you previously mentioned? My girlfriend has heard great things about Mal Pais.  Would it be too much to spend a few nights near dominical and then head over to Mal Pais in one week? Thanks again for the help. Aloha!- Travis H.

6-27-06 - Thanks for your helpful response...we are going to go with the Toyota Hace type mini van.- Beth M.