Del Soul Surf School

What it's like

Del Soul Surf School has been teaching in Santa Teresa since 2006, which makes it one of the longer-running schools in a town where surf businesses come and go. Its shop sits on the main road in the northern part of town, and the team says it has more than 20 years of combined teaching experience behind it.

The approach is simple and practical. Rather than sending every class to the same patch of sand, the coaches look at the swell, wind and tide each day and choose the break that will give you the best chance of catching waves. That flexibility is useful on this coast, where conditions can change a lot from one beach to the next.

The lessons

Del Soul teaches beginner and intermediate surfers, in private or group lessons. The headline number is the ratio: 1 instructor for every 2 surfers, so even in a group you get plenty of personal attention in the water. When you book online, you give your level and the number of people, and the school matches you with the right session.

The school mainly uses 3 spots:

• Santa Teresa: beach breaks with lefts and rights that work on most tides, with something for most levels through the year.
• Playa Hermosa: just north of town, with a wide beach and softer waves on the inside, a favorite for beginners and improving surfers.
• Mar Azul: a right-hand point break over rock near the southern end of Mal País, before Cabo Blanco. It's an intermediate wave, best around mid to high tide.

The website doesn't spell out lesson length, what equipment is included or whether transport to other breaks is part of the deal, so ask when you book.

Who it suits (and who it doesn't)

Del Soul suits first-timers who want a coach close by, and intermediates who want help reading conditions and moving on to new breaks such as Mar Azul. The small ratio makes it a good pick if you learn best with direct feedback.

Kids' lessons aren't mentioned on the website, so families should check before booking. Advanced surfers looking for high-performance coaching may want a specialist. For more on the local breaks, see our surf guide, Playa Hermosa and Mal País pages.

Getting there

Del Soul is on the main road through Santa Teresa, about 250 m north of the soccer field. From the Playa Carmen junction, head north along the main road through town and keep going past the field. The shop is open daily from 8 am to 6 pm, and the website links to a map.

Where to stay in Santa Teresa

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