Esmeralda Surf School
Esmeralda Surf School
5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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Esmeralda Surf School
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5.0
24 reviews
Excellent
23
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Jordan T
6 contributions
Sept 2020
Esmeralda Surf School is extraordinary and by far the best in every aspect! I have been to 4 highly rated surf schools around the world, but could never get the hang of it until coming to Esmeralda Surf School. The difference was the attention to safety and education that they offer. Julio is truly passionate about surfing, he is committed to your progress and teaching you EVERYTHING about surfing, not just standing up. He is extremely knowledgable, professional, and overall an incredible person. As a female, I've had other instructors make me feel uncomfortable in the past, but Julio and his team are beyond respectful and could not have made me feel more comfortable. Most instructors will put you on any wave with tons of people nearby, while Julio will take the time to educate you and wait for perfect waves that are safe and within your ability. By the end of my first lesson I had improved drastically and felt more confident in my abilities than ever before. In the month I was there, I went from being scared of waves to taking on waves by myself and feeling like a pro! If you are new to surfing or just trying to refine your skills, Esmeralda Surf School is where you need to be. There is no surf school that will give you lessons as high quality as theirs while still being affordable. I can't wait to come back!
Written 16 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maddison
2 contributions
Mar 2021
I have taken many surf lessons around the world, and none compared to the level of professionalism as well as resourcefulness at Esmeralda Surf School! Julio + his team are incredibly helpful, speak both English + Spanish, and truly provide an outstanding (& SAFE!) experience. I have taken so many lessons with them exclusively due to the level of support they provide both in the water & on the land.
Whether you are a brand-new beginner or an intermediate surfer, they really help you in technique + learning how to navigate the Ocean with ease on your board!
Whether you are a brand-new beginner or an intermediate surfer, they really help you in technique + learning how to navigate the Ocean with ease on your board!
Written 23 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carlos C
1 contribution
Apr 2020
Excellent! Over many years I've taken surfing lessons in many places all over the world - the UK, Spain, Bali, Florida, etc. - and none of them come anywhere close to the high level of instruction that I received from Julio. He works as a team with the surfer and teaches so many aspects of the sport such as balance, paddling, wave selection, breathing, etc. I highly, highly recommend that you choose Julio for your surfing lessons in Puerto Escondido (December 2019).
Written 5 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nat J
Madrid, Spain1 contribution
Feb 2022 • Solo
I’d heard about how great an instructor Julio was, and that seems to hold true, through the limited interaction I had with him. However, after booking two lessons directly with him and agreeing on payment, I learned 10 minutes before that my instructor would be someone else.
I came away quite unsatisfied with the level of instruction during my first lesson. After the first thirty minutes, when my instructor taught me how to stand up on land, I received little to no instruction (I’m a total beginner).
The second lesson was even worse. Had a different instructor (still not Julio) and received a text a half-hour before I was told to arrive that the lesson had begun. Showed up at the time I was supposed to be there and received a 1.5 hour lesson after I paid for two hours. No apology given. Little to no advice from the instructor, who was more interested in chatting with the other surfers and fooling around. The only time I did receive a useful tip was when I wiped out next to Julio, who was teaching someone else. I effectively paid $75 for the pushes the instructors give towards the shore.
The teachers are good, friendly guys who mean well. But they need to pay closer attention to their students.
I came away quite unsatisfied with the level of instruction during my first lesson. After the first thirty minutes, when my instructor taught me how to stand up on land, I received little to no instruction (I’m a total beginner).
The second lesson was even worse. Had a different instructor (still not Julio) and received a text a half-hour before I was told to arrive that the lesson had begun. Showed up at the time I was supposed to be there and received a 1.5 hour lesson after I paid for two hours. No apology given. Little to no advice from the instructor, who was more interested in chatting with the other surfers and fooling around. The only time I did receive a useful tip was when I wiped out next to Julio, who was teaching someone else. I effectively paid $75 for the pushes the instructors give towards the shore.
The teachers are good, friendly guys who mean well. But they need to pay closer attention to their students.
Written 7 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Henry W
2 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
We were staying in Mexico for a few weeks and had plenty of lessons with both Julio and Miguel who were both great. It really made our trip and looking at the videos from the start of the trip to the end the improvement has been massive.
Julio is a great guy and an awesome instructor giving so much in depth coaching from small technique adjustments to reading the waves so you can be ready to go out and surf independently.
Highly recommend 🤙🏻
Julio is a great guy and an awesome instructor giving so much in depth coaching from small technique adjustments to reading the waves so you can be ready to go out and surf independently.
Highly recommend 🤙🏻
Written 23 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Natalia
Helsinki, Finland1 contribution
Jan 2019 • Solo
Had so much fun with Julio and others in Esmeralda Surf school!
Professional instructor with safety first -attitude and outstanding skills made sure that even though I started with a lack of trust, after eight days of surfing I left with confidence and joy.
In Esmeralda Surf School they don't just take you to water. They teach you how to do things by yourself, how to observe everything around you, how to read the waves. Like said, the best teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.
Customer service was so good that I felt almost spoiled.
Gracias!
Professional instructor with safety first -attitude and outstanding skills made sure that even though I started with a lack of trust, after eight days of surfing I left with confidence and joy.
In Esmeralda Surf School they don't just take you to water. They teach you how to do things by yourself, how to observe everything around you, how to read the waves. Like said, the best teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.
Customer service was so good that I felt almost spoiled.
Gracias!
Written 14 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ryan M
2 contributions
Dec 2018 • Solo
Esmerelda surf school was the best place to learn. I was in Puerto for a month so I had a chance to surf with all the instructors. They are all highly trained professionals who also know how to have a lot of fun in the water. They had me standing up riding a wave my first lesson and I have never swam in the ocean before. They taught me all about how the waves work and courtesy to other surfers in the line up and everything I needed to know about my safety and the safety of others. Julio the owner is the best surf instructor in town. He always knows at what time and where the best waves will be suitable for you to ride and his communication skills are superior. After a couple lessons I was surfing on my own and felt completely safe after learning the knowledge they taught me. A couple more lessons later Julio had me catching waves on the Mexican pipeline and I had no experience surfing prior.
Written 17 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NSpeirs
Winnipeg, Canada87 contributions
Feb 2015 • Family
Julio was wonderful! Patient, encouraging, knowledgable and fun!
My 16 year old son and I had never been on boards before so this was a real treat.
Julio picked us up at our hostel, carried the boards for us to the beach, and dropped us back at the hostel safe and sound!
The waves at Carrizalillo Beach weren't great that particular day, but Julio and his helper, Alix, were patient and spent the time between waves helping us practice standing up and learning how to watch for waves. They even took the time to help us with some GoPro video taping and photos.
All in all a great afternoon! We'll be going back for more lessons.
My 16 year old son and I had never been on boards before so this was a real treat.
Julio picked us up at our hostel, carried the boards for us to the beach, and dropped us back at the hostel safe and sound!
The waves at Carrizalillo Beach weren't great that particular day, but Julio and his helper, Alix, were patient and spent the time between waves helping us practice standing up and learning how to watch for waves. They even took the time to help us with some GoPro video taping and photos.
All in all a great afternoon! We'll be going back for more lessons.
Written 16 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Guide65106940901
1 contribution
Nov 2024 • Couples
Julio and his partner were amazing instructors. They were friendly, which is the most important factor in ensuring a great experience in a foreign country. Additionally, their excellent English made all the instructions clear and easy to follow. We had a fantastic time!
Written 13 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Angela W
4 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
Nene and Julio are the best surf teachers around! They are excellent with giving corrections and helping students read the waves. They also create a super fun environment for learning. Can't recommend enough if you're interested in surfing in Puerto!
Written 4 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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