Coral Reef Surf Hostel and Camp

Location: Playa Tamarindo centro diagonal al BAC San Jose detrás de Longboards BBQ, Tamarindo, cr

Star Rating: 6.3 Stars

Property Type: Hostel/Backpacker accommodation

About this Property

Important Information

Policies

Check-in: N/A - Anytime

Check-out: N/A

Amenities & Facilities

• Offsite parking discounted rates available
• Nightclub
• Non-smoking rooms
• Air conditioning
• Restaurant
• Terrace
• Family rooms
• BBQ facilities
• Luggage storage
• Tour desk
• Car hire
• Table tennis
• Private check-in/check-out
• Shared lounge/TV area
• Board games/puzzles
• Shuttle service (additional charge)
• Concierge service
• Shared kitchen
• Outdoor furniture
• Coffee Shop on site
• Fire extinguishers
• 24-hour security
• Broadcast Live sport events
• Happy hour
• Nightclub
• Free wired internet
• Scuba diving on site
• Snorkeling on site
• Self parking (surcharge)
• Offsite parking discounted rates available
• Beach yoga on site
• Internet access
• Housekeeping on request
• Concerts/live shows
• Private picnics
• Japanese garden
• Covered parking
• Golf cart
• Fishing nearby
• Horse riding nearby
• Water sports equipment
• Beach club nearby (surcharge)
• Bicycle-friendly property
• Beach toys
• Accessible shuttle
• No accessible shuttle
• Accessible train station shuttle
• No accessible train station shuttle

Rooms Available

• Double Or Twin Room

  This air-conditioned room features a safe and boasts a shared bathroom.

  Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)

  • Shower
  • Air conditioning
  • Toilet
  • Linen
  • Toilet paper
  • Trash cans
  • Socket near the bed
  • Lockers

• Basic Triple Room With Shared Bathroom

  This triple room has a barbecue and kitchenware.

  Max Occupancy: 3 (3 Adults)

  • Shower
  • Air conditioning
  • Refrigerator
  • Toilet
  • Microwave
  • Kitchen
  • Barbecue
  • Linen
  • Dining table
  • Toilet paper
  • Trash cans
  • Socket near the bed
  • Lockers

• Economy Quadruple Room With Shared Bathroom

  This quadruple room features a patio and tea/coffee maker.

  Max Occupancy: 4 (4 Adults)

  • Shower
  • Air conditioning
  • Refrigerator
  • Toilet
  • Microwave
  • Kitchen
  • Barbecue
  • Linen
  • Dining table
  • Toilet paper
  • Trash cans
  • Socket near the bed
  • Lockers

• Bed In 8-Bed Dormitory Room

  This bed in dormitory has air conditioning and kitchenware.

  Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)

  • Shower
  • Air conditioning
  • Refrigerator
  • Toilet
  • Microwave
  • Kitchen
  • Barbecue
  • Linen
  • Dining table
  • Toilet paper
  • Trash cans
  • Lockers

• Bunk Bed In Mixed Dormitory Room

  This bed in dormitory has a microwave, kitchenware and kitchen.

  Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)

  • Shower
  • Air conditioning
  • Refrigerator
  • Toilet
  • Microwave
  • Private bathroom
  • Kitchen
  • Barbecue
  • Linen
  • Dining table
  • Toilet paper
  • Trash cans
  • Lockers

Guest Reviews

• Michael (10/5): - ubicación perfecta para movilizarme sin ningún problema, todo lo tenía cerca
• Orozco (5/5): Lugar aceptable - La comodidad de la habitación y el personal Que los baños estaban muy sucios y había poca iluminación en zonas compartidas
• Arianna (3/5): - La ubicación, el personal y el bar al lado del hotel. La habitación olía bastante a humedad y falta mantenimiento. Los baños son básicos y un poco antiguos pero limpios. La cocina también necesita una renovación.
• Carrizo (10/5): -
• Laura (8/5): -
• Jose (10/5): -
• Urbina (9/5): - La ubicación y Melvin y su esposa muy amable Todo 👍🏽
• Gareth (9/5): Cheapest place in town so don’t expect too much. Staff are great - The staff are fantastic. The bar and restaurant is great and you get discount if staying at the hostel. Location is perfect. The toilets/showers are like something from an Afghanistan prison, but apart from that the place is great.
• Mahnoor (7/5): great location, good value for money - Location was great and the staff were very helpful. Was also very happy with room cleanliness. Also enjoyed the free coffee in the morning :)
• Siro (8/5): Very good -
• Mathilde (7/5): Good -
• Colin (8/5): Very good -
• Noe (10/5): Exceptional -
• Grace (9/5): Amazing stay, great location, lovely owners. - The hostel is in an amazing location. Right in the centre of Tamarindo, it is a 2 minute walk to the beach and located near lots of shops and the infamous Sharky’s bar. The owners are so lovely and extremely helpful. There is a friendly vibe to the hostel which we loved. The WiFi works very well and the room was perfect for what we needed. The kitchen was a bit dirty.
• Garrett (10/5): It was a friendly and welcoming environment to be able to come and leave when you wanted - Ac was great in the rooms. Also nice cooking area None
• Emma (5/5): Good location but apart from it nothing much - Staff was nice, bed was comfy A/C was either very loud or not working at all, showers were not very clean, pressure was non existant, toilets were kinda dirty, one had a broken door, one had a thing on it blocking the access, room was right next the shared kitchen that was open on the outside so every smell seeped in my room
• Irina (9/5): Superb -
• Jeffrey (10/5): Exceptional -
• Rastislav (10/5): Exceptional -
• Fabio (5/5): Passable - The costumers The kitchen
• Jenny (2/5): Good location, that’s about it - Location was amazing! Super loud, everything felt dirty, beds and pillows were lumpy
• William (10/5): Exceptional - Love the staff, very kind, friendly and helpful
• Jody (5/5): Passable as a cheap place to stay - Great location so close to the beach and many restaurants around. Secure parking (even though you can only put it in parking at night so it discouraged us from taking the car out to explore each day as you need the staff to let you in and out). No hot water in the shower but at least the shower pressure was really good. It was fairly quiet until Friday night came around and next door was playing (very average) live music so loud as well as a DJ after until 1-2am. We had the worst sleep because of this, as the window with the only airflow was on that side of the live music. But even closing the window didn’t do much, we had to put in earplugs and play sleep music to try get to sleep. Only book here on the weekend if you’re there to party or stay out. It’s not very nice decor or atmosphere to hang out here, only a place to sleep and access to kitchen and shower etc. Despite being a backpackers that looked like it was social, it didn’t have that vibe… maybe because of off season. But despite all the hangout space no one was out socializing in the hostel itself, because it’s very outdated and smells funky. When I first arrived I got a headache from all the weird stenches outside and even in the room, but eventually got used to it. The toilets were very small rooms and a bit awkward to get in. The showers had good pressure but the atmosphere of the place felt so dingy and dark that it felt creepy at times. Overall seems safe don’t get me wrong, but at nights there’s dudes hanging out front offering all kinds of non PG related substances if you get what I mean. I was with my boyfriend so I never felt unsafe but if I was a solo female traveler I’d probably reconsider this place unless you wanna save some money. The location is the biggest benefit of this accommodation.
• Michael (10/5): Exceptional - Couldn’t be in a better location for the beach, shops and bars. Lovely staff and cool place
• Jose (10/5): Exceptional -
• Anahitta (4/5): In the middle of town and feels like a summer camp. - The staff was friendly and the rooms were clean. There was a parking spot in a gated area that was safe and they had an outdoor shower and sitting place for meals. A Because all the doors are open there are a LOT of mosquitos and I basically looked like I had a skin disease after we left. But that’s nature not really something you can change. Maybe mosquito nets or closing doors. The showers are communal and tinnnnyyyy as are the toilets. Also very dark and eerie. You need to give a towel deposit but I understand that if people take the towel to the beach and lose it or steal it.
• Richard (4/5): Disappointing -
• Marina (5/5): Passable - The owners were super helpful with a lock problem we had and really nice Quite dirty AC did not work great Parking was small
• Guillermo (3/5): Poor -
• Devan (8/5): great staff great location - location was great, private room was spacious and had ac, was clean (dont know what people were complaining about in other comments?), kitchen was stocked, and staff was amazing. I lost my cellphone coming back from the bar and the front desk worker found it and gave it back to me the next day. although like every other hostel in tamarindo price was a bit much.
• Elizabeth (5/5): Passable -
• Nathan (2/5): Would not Recommend - Been staying at lots of places in this price range and every other one has been significantly better. Lots of bugs, was getting bit all night and considered leaving at 11pm. Hostel is also located nextdoor to a night club so heavy base music through the morning. Photos are misleading. Idek where the first photo was taken but I don't think it was at this hostel. Mattress cover wouldn't stay on at all, revealing how dirty the mattresses was, so all night I was constantly trying to stretch it back on. Don't think I slept more than an hour or two all night, between the noise and bugs.
• Nataliia (9/5): Superb -
• Marie (10/5): Super - Great location, hot water, air conditioning in room, great personnel very helpful Not applicable
• Robert (6/5): Pleasant -
• Luca (7/5): Good -
• Laura (4/5): Private room not worth $50 - Good location, nice showers with hot water and good pressure. Not worth what you pay for a private room. I stayed in a private room not far away at another property for the same price as this and the other place had breakfast included and an ensuite bathroom.
• Achilleas (5/5): Okay but needs improvements - Needs a lot of maintenance and reparation . There was no light in the bathroom. No sockets near the bed . Bed was about to collapse if you moved a bit Location is nice, staff was okay
• Katie (1/5): Dirt hostel with a great location. - AC in the room. Only a 5 minute walk to the beach. Dirty bathrooms (poop stains on the walls and trash cans) Cockroaches in the kitchen. Community area was being used for a kids birthday party and unusable. Community space was also being used as a living room by the family with kids that live onsite. Noise from other rooms and night clubs could be heard in room.
• Florence (8/5): Very good - staff was quick to help with a situation with ants in the room and gave us a green night the outdoor chilling spot is really nice bathrooms could use a little clean up
• Chase (10/5): Exceptional -
• Samuel (2/5): Very poor - Location is good, close proximity to everything going on in Tamarindo The first room we were given had a bunch of mosquito's in it, the air con didn't work and there were ants in the bed. After speaking with the staff they moved us to another room where the air con worked, however there were still plenty of ants. A friend of ours also stayed in the dorm room where he woke up to a bunch of ants in his bed too, so seems it's a problem with the whole place. There are a couple of clubs close by that play pumping music until 3am - overall i'd recommend finding somewhere else to stay!
• Jessica (1/5): BEDBUGS!!! STAY AWAY! Worst I've ever seen - Staff were really lovely. Friendly, fair. Didn't charge me for the night I asked to leave. But.... I had to spend way more than that and a day of my time to have all of my things treated for bedbugs. BEDBUGS!! STAY AWAY. My photos of actual bedbugs on their beds don't even do it justice... this is the worst case I've ever seen. No efforts made to address the bedbug problem in dorms. A staff member specifically mentioned that they don't even try. They're definitely also in the other rooms. People in more expensive rooms were also covered in their bites. Staff demonstrated little understanding of what they were or how to address the problem. I'm happy roughing it, I've done the backpacker hostel thing a whole bunch, but these were very gross conditions. Also lots of cockroaches, some rats, dirty kitchen and bathroom... But I was mostly concerned about the bed bug problem. Very bad.
• Hana (7/5): This place was good for us because we were there for a single night and we weren’t planning on spending any time in the - The location is great, right in the middle of the city and very close to the beach. It is surrounded by restaurants and bars and cafes! It is not the cleanest, the bathrooms are very (very) small and a bit suffocating in the heat. The showers are good but there is very little sense of privacy.
• Nicole (3/5): Poor - It was fairly cheap This place was so loud, it was like you’re sleeping in a club - music and base until 4am
• Diego (6/5): Fulfills the purpose of a safe place to spend a night. - Location Offered me a rate for a later date and then changed it. I was offered a rate of 70 for Dec 31 and then another employee said it was 600. Private parking holds 3 cars only.
• Nuria (8/5): nice place, comfortable, super nice located and good vibes - The girl in the reception was very nice little info about transportation
• Génesis (10/5): Exceptional -
• Pavol (1/5): Bad - There were a bed bugs. I spent 2 hours in this hostel. Then they gave me back my money ( it was very fair from them, I appreciate it) and moved to another hostel.
• Alison (9/5): Superb - Near to the beach Bathrooms and restrooms are terrible experience, they should be cleaned more frequently or get an upgrade cause for real they are totally abandoned
• Jonathan (8/5): Great - I had a short notice change of plans. I was able to stay here right in the center of Tamarindo for an amazing price. Nice staff, friendly travellers. The bars close by are loud, but headphones took car of that. Great place for the price!
• Warwick (1/5): The worst hostel I have ever stayed in. Filthy, uncomfortable and loud. Stay away! - Nothing at all. Maybe that is was close to things to do. But that made it very loud! Everything. Beds were very uncomfortable, the rooms are old and bathrooms are old and dirty. The kitchen was filthy. A family lives above the dorms and their wooden floor is your roof and you can hear everything. There was one plug socket for 8 beds to share to charge their phones. All others are hidden behind the bed posts and you can’t reach them. There is no comfortable place to relax outside the room. It was so bad I even checked out 2 days before even though I had already paid for those days. I would highly recommend paying to stay somewhere else. Don’t try save $3/5 dollars here!
• Vicky (6/5): Pleasant stay. Good location. - Location was great. Aircon in room. Toilet lights not working in some of shared bathroom. Needed a good clean too. Woke up first night and had loads of ants in my bed. Bitten all over.
• Tariq (1/5): Will Never stay here again - Location but as it shows in pictures, it is NOT Beach Front at all but it is close by Dirty, nasty and filthy. Full of germs Nora and Betsy are very friendly staff
• Cristina (3/5): Not a great place - The person at the front door is a very helpful and nice. The noise was awful. Constant all day and night. Very dirty and small bathroom. The room had a weird smell.
• Caroline (6/5): Pleasant - Friendly people. Nice atmosphere. Dark area. Our room had no window. Toilet and showers were not really clean!
• Patrik (4/5): No good/fun surf-vibe – completely “dead” - The location was perfect, close to the beach and all the restaurants. It’s not a “surf hostel” what so ever. There is no music, the bar was a building site (but no one was working on it). There was a family with many kids staying there during my whole stay at least, they were at the hostel all days long. There was kids toys laying around, small toys, big toy cars, the kids were running around making noice and playing. I came here to get a surf vibe with other backpackers. This is the first hostel in the world for me where a family with kids is staying. Maybe not a place for kids? A surf hostel meant for a young crowd? Where was the music? the social events? the bar? Avoid this place and find a more fun place where they don’t have kids. (Nothing wrong with kids, but not what I came here for) The staff was saying “it’s low season”. But I met backpackers staying at other hostels with a lot of people and they said their hostel was fun and had a vibe. So “low season” argument is just an excuse. Decide what you want to be - a family friendly place or a young fun hostel. It’s impossible to be both at the same time.
• Méndez (10/5): Exceptional -
• Mauro (7/5): Ok for one night - Excellent position. No windows in bedroom and bathroom.
• Austin (10/5): Amazing place to stay and would recommend to anyone! - The location is in the best spot in town! Right on the main road so lots of places to eat, markets less than 3 minutes away, and less than 4 minutes to the best spots on the beach, and both the best clubs were neighbors to the hostel! (Directly across the street as well as in the beside ally. The hostel was very accommodating; kitchens with full use at any time, no curfew on the building, multiple showers and toilets, discount at neighboring restaurant, an amazing common area. . Would recommend this hostel to anyone! The one and only con was that on the weekends you could here the bass from the clubs playing late into the night. If you are a light sleeper maybe its not the best place for you, but overall I found the hot sun made it easy to just fall asleep. Not a con, but the hostel location is inside two open door restaurants. There is a walkway between these two restaurants that leads to a gate and right there is the front desk. It wasn't posted anywhere so it took us a few minutes to find. Though its not down a sketchy ally, its just subtly tucked away.
• Lennyohly (7/5): Good - Decent hostel with friendly staff, and with Tamarindos current prices one of the cheapest options in town. The coffee wasn't very great but its free so can't really complain. Other than that the biggest deficit was the cleanliness of the bathroom. Even after it had been ""cleaned" it was still not clean.
• Anna (10/5): perfect - omg the staff was AMAZING. not only is this the perfect location but it just feels like home and so safe. everyone was so kind. i extended my stay three times! the bathroom could have been cleaner but its a hostel afterall
• Caroline (8/5): Very good - Friendly staff, comfortable beds, in the center of Tamarindo, enough space to chill. Clean in the morning, but dirty at the end of the day. Maybe would need more cleaning staff. Also, need more things to cook in the kitchen (vegetables knifes, scissors, strainors for pastas for example).
• Joshua (7/5): Good -
• Joshua (7/5): Good -
• Magaly (1/5): Don’t go, so many better options in tamarindo. - location is good beware of bugs and eggs in the beds. disgusting stains on the mattress. spider weds all around the bed. We had to leave and find a new spot at 10:30pm because of how dirty it was. AVOID
• Andrew (3/5): Great location, but could use a lot more upkeep. This place has potential but is sadly lacking clean bathrooms/rooms - great location bathrooms not clean, minimal maintenance done to property. Termites everywhere throughout the room. had multiple bug bites all over my body from sleeping here.
• Anna.dalessio (6/5): Pleasant - Position Smell in the toilet and kitchen
• Silvia (5/5): Passable -
• Silvia (5/5): Passable -
• Stephanie (7/5): Great Location! Awesome place to meet friends and experience tamarindo! - Loved the location! Super central, close to bars, the beach, shops, restaurants and more! The staff was wonderful and super attentive! We even hung out with Augustine one night! Super nice :) Didn't love the bathroom facilities--definitely needed a little extra love and care. Multiple times they were out of toliet paper, one shower didn't have a light. Just little things like hooks for towels and clothes would be super helpful.
• Josiane (8/5): Very good -
• Baptiste (7/5): Good -
• Nadine (3/5): Extortionate price for the room and the facilities available. - The location was very central to the beach, shops and restaurants. The staff were friendly. The hostel was dirty, there were cockroaches, ants and insects in the room and shared communal space. The shared toilet and shower room was dirty and there was no hot water. The room smelt damp and the bed/pillows were uncomfortable. The gate key can’t be used to unlock the door from the outside, but was never told and had to try and figure out how to open it from the inside to get in to the hostel in the middle of the night. It was way too overpriced for what you were getting.
• Juan (5/5): Passable -
• Thujenth (7/5): Good Stay, Not worth it - Staff were really friendly and helpful Shared washroom were not great - they were in bad condition, burnt out lights, hot water was not working rooms were not fully clean
• Martin (5/5): Passable -
• Chantal (7/5): Good -
• Yaniv (2/5): Very poor -
• David (1/5): Bad -

Photos