The Best Luxury Surf Resorts
You’ve saved up enough vacation days at work and set aside enough money for an epic holiday. You have the best surfboard fins money can buy and now you’re ready to indulge in the ultimate surf vacation. But where do you go? Surfing the web, you’ll find various lists of the top surfing destinations and luxury resorts catering to surfers. The resorts’ amenities tend to be standard: surf lessons for all abilities, guided trips to local breaks, day spas, fitness centers, multiple dining options, etc. Not sure where to go? Then ask yourself two questions: Am I looking for the tried and true or off the beaten path? What is there to do when the seas are flat or for my non-surfing companions to do while I’m out on the water? Aside from the surf breaks, this is what makes a destination unique.
Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s North Shore |Photo Credits|Pond5.com
The Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s North Shore is close to Ehukai Beach and the world-famous Banzai Pipeline with its epic winter swells. (But be careful! More than just surf fins have been broken on the Pipeline.) Oahu is rich with history. Just across the road from Ehukai Beach, a trail leads to two World War II military bunkers, known as pillboxes, that are open for exploration. Standing on the ridge top here offers expansive views of the North Shore coastline and the beach below. You can also head to the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. And, after a day of surfing or sightseeing, treat yourself to a luau dinner.
Mukul Beach Resort in Nicaragua | Photo Credits | MukulResort.com
Looking for a less touristy location? Head to the Mukul Beach Resort in Nicaragua. Not only is the resort close to numerous surf breaks, but many of them are along the resort’s private beach, perfect for escaping the crowds. Give your best surfing fins a rest and try a different kind of surfing. Head over to the Cerro Negro and surf (or slide) down the side of the 728-meter-high active volcano. For something less adventurous, check out Laguna de Apoyo, a lake in the large crater of an extinct volcano. Swim, kayak, or stand-up paddle board in the warm water.
Put your surf fins in the waters at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay. Visit a 9th century cave temple, participate in authentic Balinese arts and crafts, or watch a dance performance, to name a few of the activities offered by the resort.
If you left your board and surfboard fins at home, you could surf on the non-toxic, eco-friendly boards provided by the remote Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives. You can also indulge in a “true Robinson Crusoe experience” with a picnic lunch, including a bottle of wine and dessert, while relaxing on a private island. At the end of the day, you can wind down and relax under the stars with a privately screened movie.
No matter where in the world your surfboard fins take you for your luxury surf holiday, you will find something unique at every destination to make your trip the most memorable it can be.
