(Condé Nast Traveler) – If you want something with a bit more polish, the new Sendero Hotel is the way to go. Everything was designed with sustainability in mind, integrating existing trees into the roofs, recycling wastewater, and adding tons of shade into the buildings to reduce the need for air conditioning. The Jungle Rooms are well-appointed with comfortable beds and outdoor showers that gaze into the forest. It has a nice, cool pool, it’s just steps to the beach, and it has a well-curated quiver of surfboards through the attached Chorotegas Surf School. Plus one of the best restaurants in town sits right in the open-air lobby.

For us surfers who are stuck somewhere in the middle—and for first-timers, too—traveling to the stunning town of Nosara in Costa Rica is one of the best places to learn how to surf. Chorotegas Surf School, named for the Indigenous people native to the area, is Costa Rican owned and operated by some legendary locals, and it offers excellent instruction for all levels.

— By Brent Rose

Read the full article at Condé Nast Traveler here.