THE SURF RETREAT AT THE EDGE OF THE MAP
THE SURF RETREAT AT THE EDGE OF THE MAP
The journey to Punta Banco separates the committed from the curious. From San José, a 50-minute scenic flight lands you in Golfito. Then two hours by car, heading south as the asphalt deteriorates into gravel, then dirt. You pass through Pavones and keep driving until the road surrenders.
The journey to Punta Banco separates the committed from the curious. From San José, a 50-minute scenic flight lands you in Golfito. Then two hours by car, heading south as the asphalt deteriorates into gravel, then dirt. You pass through Pavones and keep driving until the road surrenders.
Marthe Barends and Jonne Roeland discovered this corner after years of surf trips. They found a hideout in the hills, a short walk from the beach, surrounded by jungle. This is where they host small-group retreats, helping a happy few experience Punta Banco as it actually is.
Intimate by design, the atmosphere is off-grid and untamed. Over the course of the eight-day retreat, guests are treated to a carefully curated mix of adventures. Daily surf sessions at breaks around Punta Banco and Pavones. Yoga each morning. Meals cooked by local chefs. Horseback riding through the mountains, boat trips across Golfo Dulce, turtle releases with a conservation project. Everything's included except the flight.
Marthe Barends and Jonne Roeland discovered this corner after years of surf trips. They found a hideout in the hills, a short walk from the beach, surrounded by jungle. This is where they host small-group retreats, helping a happy few experience Punta Banco as it actually is.
Intimate by design, the atmosphere is off-grid and untamed. Over the course of the eight-day retreat, guests are treated to a carefully curated mix of adventures. Daily surf sessions at breaks around Punta Banco and Pavones. Yoga each morning. Meals cooked by local chefs. Horseback riding through the mountains, boat trips across Golfo Dulce, turtle releases with a conservation project. Everything's included except the flight.
Rooms
The villa feels like a secret hideout. Perched on a hill, overlooking the ocean on one side, the jungle on the other. You are somewhere genuinely remote, yet the cosiness makes you feel at home.
The vibe is barefoot comfort. Bright, comfortable bedrooms, generous indoor and outdoor living spaces, and an infinity pool overlooking Golfo Dulce. It’s the ideal place to recharge between sessions; taking in the views, listening to the jungle, and stretching long conversations into the evening by the pool.
Rooms sleep two or three, shared with your own travel companion or another retreat guest. Two rooms have their own private bathroom; the other two share a spacious bathroom with double showers and jungle views. All rooms have air conditioning and look out onto either ocean or jungle. Nothing fussy. Everything you need.
The villa feels like a secret hideout. Perched on a hill, overlooking the ocean on one side, the jungle on the other. You are somewhere genuinely remote, yet the cosiness makes you feel at home.
The vibe is barefoot comfort. Bright, comfortable bedrooms, generous indoor and outdoor living spaces, and an infinity pool overlooking Golfo Dulce. It’s the ideal place to recharge between sessions; taking in the views, listening to the jungle, and stretching long conversations into the evening by the pool.
Rooms sleep two or three, shared with your own travel companion or another retreat guest. Two rooms have their own private bathroom; the other two share a spacious bathroom with double showers and jungle views. All rooms have air conditioning and look out onto either ocean or jungle. Nothing fussy. Everything you need.
Food & Drinks
Marthe and Jonne are foodies, and it shows.
Served after your morning surf, breakfast feels like an event: bowls of tropical fruit, homemade bread still warm from the oven, yogurt with granola, or the traditional gallo pinto. Lunch is vegetarian; perhaps quesadillas, grilled veggie wraps, or couscous salad. Afternoons are for surfing or napping, not digesting. After sunset, dinner brings everyone back together around a long table. The chefs prepare a daily changing menu of local and Western dishes, and one evening is reserved for the welcome barbecue.
Everything is cooked by local chefs. A small but telling detail: they often sit down with guests, sharing not just their food but their passion and stories.
Marthe and Jonne are foodies, and it shows.
Served after your morning surf, breakfast feels like an event: bowls of tropical fruit, homemade bread still warm from the oven, yogurt with granola, or the traditional gallo pinto. Lunch is vegetarian; perhaps quesadillas, grilled veggie wraps, or couscous salad. Afternoons are for surfing or napping, not digesting. After sunset, dinner brings everyone back together around a long table. The chefs prepare a daily changing menu of local and Western dishes, and one evening is reserved for the welcome barbecue.
Everything is cooked by local chefs. A small but telling detail: they often sit down with guests, sharing not just their food but their passion and stories.
Activities
Yoga happens daily on what might be the most beautiful yoga deck you'll ever practice on. Surrounded by jungle, overlooking the Pacific, with nothing but the sounds of nature. Classes are Hatha-inspired, with stretching and balance work tailored specifically for surfers.
Beyond yoga and surfing, the week is packed with adventures. One afternoon you saddle up for a horseback ride through an indigenous reserve and gallop on the beach. Another day you hop on a boat across Golfo Dulce to Matapalo, have breakfast on the beach and hike to waterfalls. During turtle season, guided walks with a local conservation project and witness baby turtle releases.
If you are exhausted after days of waves, an hour-long massage is included. And there is always time to do nothing at all, and rest by the infinity pool or in a hammock.
Yoga happens daily on what might be the most beautiful yoga deck you'll ever practice on. Surrounded by jungle, overlooking the Pacific, with nothing but the sounds of nature. Classes are Hatha-inspired, with stretching and balance work tailored specifically for surfers.
Beyond yoga and surfing, the week is packed with adventures. One afternoon you saddle up for a horseback ride through an indigenous reserve and gallop on the beach. Another day you hop on a boat across Golfo Dulce to Matapalo, have breakfast on the beach and hike to waterfalls. During turtle season, guided walks with a local conservation project and witness baby turtle releases.
If you are exhausted after days of waves, an hour-long massage is included. And there is always time to do nothing at all, and rest by the infinity pool or in a hammock.
Surfing
As a surf destination, this corner of Costa Rica is the stuff of legend.
Just up the “road”, Pavones is the second-longest left in the world. Up to a kilometre on a solid swell. If conditions align, your hosts will happily shuffle the day's plans to get you there at first light. You might just score the longest ride of your life.
But you'll also explore waves with far fewer people. The “garden wave” breaks directly in front of the villa. A fun reef with clean lefts peeling for 150 metres, ideal for long, cruisy rides. On your trip across Golfo Dulce to Matapalo, more right-hand options appear, including Pan Dulce and the more powerful Backwash Bay. Guests have been raving about the emptiness of the lineups and the quality of the coaching.
Daily sessions run with qualified local guides. Groups stay small and split by skill level, with an instructor-to-surfer ratio around 1:2. Video analysis is a regular feature, using drone footage and in-water filming. Boards are provided, many shaped locally. If conditions light up at a specific break, plans shift. If everyone is cooked after consecutive dawn patrols, they pull back. The founders know that it’s this flexibility that actually helps progression, not what sounds good in marketing copy.
As a surf destination, this corner of Costa Rica is the stuff of legend.
Just up the “road”, Pavones is the second-longest left in the world. Up to a kilometre on a solid swell. If conditions align, your hosts will happily shuffle the day's plans to get you there at first light. You might just score the longest ride of your life.
But you'll also explore waves with far fewer people. The “garden wave” breaks directly in front of the villa. A fun reef with clean lefts peeling for 150 metres, ideal for long, cruisy rides. On your trip across Golfo Dulce to Matapalo, more right-hand options appear, including Pan Dulce and the more powerful Backwash Bay. Guests have been raving about the emptiness of the lineups and the quality of the coaching.
Daily sessions run with qualified local guides. Groups stay small and split by skill level, with an instructor-to-surfer ratio around 1:2. Video analysis is a regular feature, using drone footage and in-water filming. Boards are provided, many shaped locally. If conditions light up at a specific break, plans shift. If everyone is cooked after consecutive dawn patrols, they pull back. The founders know that it’s this flexibility that actually helps progression, not what sounds good in marketing copy.
The People Behind
Marthe Barends learned to surf at 18 in Australia. At first, she thought she would hate it. Instead, she had to be dragged out of the water after sunset every day. Back in Amsterdam, every holiday became a surf trip. When she met Jonne Roeland, the two began racking up European road trips together.
They started Mokum Surf Club as a blog straight out of university in 2015, documenting where to surf, eat, and sleep. As the platform grew, retreat invitations began to follow. But as intermediate surfers themselves, they noticed a recurring problem: most surf camps focused almost entirely on beginners, leaving anyone with basic skills to fend for themselves. In 2019, Mokum Surf Club launched its own retreats, the kind they couldn’t find elsewhere.
Marthe and Jonne run just a handful of retreats a year, working with local surf guides, cooks, and community initiatives such as the turtle conservation project. Off season, they operate MSC Agency, a digital studio for travel brands. Their story is not about escape. It is about connecting a city-bred surf itch with a remote coastline and inviting others along.
Marthe Barends learned to surf at 18 in Australia. At first, she thought she would hate it. Instead, she had to be dragged out of the water after sunset every day. Back in Amsterdam, every holiday became a surf trip. When she met Jonne Roeland, the two began racking up European road trips together.
They started Mokum Surf Club as a blog straight out of university in 2015, documenting where to surf, eat, and sleep. As the platform grew, retreat invitations began to follow. But as intermediate surfers themselves, they noticed a recurring problem: most surf camps focused almost entirely on beginners, leaving anyone with basic skills to fend for themselves. In 2019, Mokum Surf Club launched its own retreats, the kind they couldn’t find elsewhere.
Marthe and Jonne run just a handful of retreats a year, working with local surf guides, cooks, and community initiatives such as the turtle conservation project. Off season, they operate MSC Agency, a digital studio for travel brands. Their story is not about escape. It is about connecting a city-bred surf itch with a remote coastline and inviting others along.
