Adult Surf Camp in the Caribbean | Swell – Swell Surf Camp, Cabarete
surf yoga holiday
Adults-only, Cabarete
Learn to surf in the Caribbean

The best surf camp for adults: you won't be the oldest, or the only beginner, in the water.

From the guidebook

Think of Swell as the anti-surf camp.

There’s plenty of surfing, of course, but the similarities to other surf camps end there. For starters, the rooms are stylish — more boutique surf retreat than reggae-loving surfer digs. Then there are the legendary breakfasts: omelets, pancakes and crepes, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and fruit bowls.

Structured surf lessons take place each morning — an instructor alongside you and the head surf coach watching from shallow water, ready to offer learn-to-surf tips between riding waves. If you are serious about learning to surf, then Swell should be on top of your destination list.
Highly recommended!

Frommer’s Travel Guides Guidebook review
01For grown-ups who mean it
Dominican Republic

An adult surf camp built for the 35-plus crowd

A surf holiday for adults who want to learn or progress their surfing, with the comfort and style the grown-up traveler is after.

This is an adults-only surf camp in Cabarete, Dominican Republic, and it is built around people your age. Across our last 1,000 guests, 78% were over 35, and of the over-45s, 71% arrived as complete beginners. If you are booking solo and worried you’ll land in a group of twenty-somethings, the numbers say otherwise: 65% of everyone who comes travels alone.

We started Swell in 2009 as a small adults-only retreat, and the crowd has stayed the same ever since — capable adults who want to learn properly, eat well and share a table with people who get it. The rule for who we can teach is simple: if you can swim and you’re reasonably fit, we can teach you to surf.

What follows is the honest data, not a brochure. If it reads like your kind of trip, come see what a week here looks like.

78%
of guests are over 35
71%
of over-45s start as beginners
65%
arrive travelling solo
  1. A guest riding a wave
    I

    Surfing

    Professional coaching in English, fun waves & warm water, palm trees & Caribbean vibes

  2. A private ensuite room
    II

    The stay

    Ensuite rooms with AC, a fan and crispy clean 100% cotton sheets, a few steps from the pool.

  3. Guests walking out with their boards
    III

    Social

    A friendly vibe between guests and staff, with 65% of our guests travelling solo. Our big communal hub is the place to socialise, and when you’d rather unwind on your own, there’s plenty of space for that too.

  4. Adult Surf Camp in the Caribbean | Swell – Swell Surf Camp, Cabarete
    IV

    Food

    Our lovely kitchen team cooks healthy, homemade meals fresh every day in our open-plan kitchen. Wander in, say hi, and see what’s on the stove. It’s food made with care, the kind that fuels a day in the water.

  5. caribbean surf retreat
    V

    The setting

    Think palm trees, soft white sand and laid-back Caribbean vibes. The water’s warm year-round, so just pack your sunscreen.

Written by , co-founder of Swell Surf Camp · Updated 14 October 2026

Who you'll actually be surfing with

These are the age bands from our last 1,000 guests — the real spread, not a marketing average.

22%
aged 25–34
41%
aged 35–44
27%
aged 45–54
10%
aged 55+
Never surfed? Normal here

A beginner surf camp for adults, starting from zero

As a beginner surf camp for adults, the single biggest fear we hear isn’t about falling off the board. It’s about being the least experienced person in the water. Here’s the reassurance in one number: of our guests over 45, 71% arrived as complete beginners. First-timers aren’t the exception here — for the older crowd, they’re the majority.

Our only real requirement is straightforward. If you can swim and you’re reasonably fit, we can teach you to surf. Age is not the barrier most people think it is — balance and patience matter far more than youth, which is exactly why learning to surf after 40 works so well.

Coaching happens in small groups, in warm, forgiving water. If you want to understand where you’d fit before you book, read what level of surfer you are or how the week runs at our beginner surf retreat.

Coming on your own is the norm, not the exception

Nearly two in three of our guests arrive alone. That changes how the whole place feels: shared coached sessions, communal meals and an easy group rhythm mean solo travellers are folded in from day one, not left to hover at the edges.

Because it’s adults-only, the conversations at dinner are the ones you actually want to have. If travelling alone is the part that worries you, our guide to surf holidays for solo travellers covers single rooms, safety and what a week alone really looks like.

A group of adult guests in their 40s and 50s laughing together around a communal dinner table at the surf camp
What this isn't

How an adults-only surf camp differs from the party version

A lot of surf camps are built for a young, busy, party crowd, and there’s nothing wrong with that — it’s just not this. Swell is quieter and deliberately grown-up: good food, comfortable rooms, proper coaching and no early-hours music by the pool.

  • Small coaching groups so you get real attention, not a scrum for one instructor.
  • Two coached surf sessions a day, with time to rest, eat and recover in between.
  • Optional yoga for anyone who wants a surf and yoga retreat for adults rather than surf alone.

If you’re weighing up the format, our piece on the difference between a surf camp and a surf retreat is a useful read before you enquire.

02The surf

Ideal conditions
to learn or to progress your surfing

Surfing Surfing the warm water in Cabarete
Progress your surfing
Warm water · Fun waves

Surf lessons

We’ve been teaching surfing since 2009, and in that time over 9,000 guests have learned to surf with us. Our structured method is built to get you standing on the surfboard and progress in a way that’s safe, efficient, and most of all, enjoyable.

We coach you at your pace so you’ll always know what you’re working on and why it matters for your next step. You won’t get moved on too quickly, or be left behind. Our surf coaches work in small groups and adjust to how fast each person picks things up.

Whether you’ve never stood on a surfboard or you’re already surfing a bit and want to progress, we have a coach for you.

  • Consistent waves
  • Waves for different levels
  • Quality equipment
  • Warm water
  • 2 Sessions per day
  • Small groups
  • Experienced instructors
  • Lessons in english
  • Year round surf season
  • Since 2009
Surfing
Season Year-round
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Water & air No wetsuit
Water 27°C · 81°F
Air 28°C · 82°F
Ages Mostly 30 to 65
20 30 40 50 60 70
Solo travelers Majority
65% Most guests arrive on their own — and leave with new friends
As seen in
AFAR Travel + Leisure Outside Men’s Journal TORONTO.COM Hannah Frommer’s The Boston Globe Sebastian Luxe
03The stay

Sleep (s)well.

A purpose-built surf retreat: a place to sleep in comfort, meet fellow travellers, chill between sessions and eat delicious, home-cooked meals.

The rooms
The rooms
The freshwater pool
The freshwater pool
Relaxing spaces
Relaxing spaces
The communal hub & garden
The communal hub & garden
Calm palette, generous beds
Calm palette, generous beds
Fresh, delicious food
Fresh, delicious food

In the air-conditioned private rooms, you will have a California king-sized bed (2mx2m), or you can elect to have twin beds if you are bringing someone along. Each room has its own ensuite shower/WC, a ceiling fan and crisp 100% cotton sheets.  After an action-packed day in or on the water, you can sleep as well as you should. We have kept the palette calm and relaxing.

At the centre of our surf retreat is the communal hub — an open living room with free WiFi and lots of space to lounge around.  There’s a huge dining table where guests eat together.  You’ll always find time to enjoy a game of pool with fellow guests, or relax completely on the sofas and chairs.

Outside, a freshwater pool sits in a beautiful, palm-shaded garden, with ample loungers for the down time between sessions.

  • Ensuite · AC · ceiling fan
  • 100% cotton sheets
  • Fresh breakfast & dinner
  • Restaurants minutes away
  • Communal area with WIFI
  • 24/7 staff onsite
  • Fresh water pool
  • Set in tropical garden
  • Walk to restaurants & shops
  • No need for a car
ACCOMMODATION INFO
The pool
The pool
Slow hours
Slow hours
The rooms
The rooms
The communal hub
The communal hub
Our surf beach
Our surf beach
04Getting here

Easy & hassle free
3 Different international airports

Puerto Plata (POP) has nonstop flights from Miami, New York, Boston and Toronto. From the terminal Swell is just a twenty-five minute drive down the coast road — and our driver will be waiting for you at arrivals.

Direct gateway Airport code Airport to Swell Status
Puerto Plata POP 25 minutes Pick-up included
Santiago STI 1 h 20 minutes Pick-up optional
Santo Domingo SDQ 3 h 35 minutes Pick-up optional

Puerto Plata (POP) is the closest airport to us but it isn’t the only one. Two more international airports sit within an easy drive: Santiago (STI) is about an hour and a half away, and Santo Domingo (SDQ) around three and a half — both worth a look if the fare or the timing happens to work better for you on the day you want to travel.

Whichever you choose, we’ll help you line up the transfer so the final leg is sorted before you touch down. There’s a full breakdown of routes, drive times and transfer costs/options on the Getting here page.

Final leg · POP → Swell 25 minutes by private transfer
GETTING HERE & OUR LOCATION
Guests at Swell Surf Camp, Cabarete
06Good to know

Questions,
answered.

Almost certainly not. Across our last 1,000 guests, 78% were over 35, and 37% were 45 or older. The 35–44 band alone is our largest at 41%. This is an adults-only camp with a genuinely mature crowd, so the twenty-something party scene you may be picturing simply isn’t the setting here.
long stay surf camp

Yes — it’s one of the most common ways people arrive. Of our guests over 45, 71% came as complete beginners. Coaching is in small groups in warm, gentle water, and our only real requirement is that you can swim and are reasonably fit.

Very much so — 65% of our guests arrive travelling solo. Shared lessons and communal meals build connection in for you, so you’re not left to make your own way. Our solo surf holiday guide explains single rooms and how the social side works.

You need to be reasonably fit and able to swim, but you don’t need to be an athlete. Surfing rewards balance and patience more than raw strength or youth. If you’d like to prepare, our surf fitness exercises are a good place to start.

Yes. Yoga is available alongside the coached surf sessions, which makes Swell work as a surf and yoga retreat for adults as well as a pure surf holiday. You can read more on our surf and yoga retreat page.

We’re in Cabarete, on the north coast of the Dominican Republic — a Caribbean town known for reliable, beginner-friendly conditions. Our Dominican Republic surf camp page and getting here guide cover travel and location.

Clare, co-founder of Swell Surf Camp

Anything we’ve missed? Write to us — Swell's owner, Clare, will get back to you within a day.

Write to Clare
From our guests

Don’t take our word for it.
Take theirs

4.9 300+ Reviews
Megan S, Swell Surf Camp guest
Megan S
Age
43
From
San Diego
Level
Beginner
Travelled
Travelled solo
If I could give Swell 10 stars I would!! My partner and I visited Swell at the end of March 2026. We had an absolutely amazing trip. The rooms are clean and spaceship. The A/C works great and had warm water to shower. The WiFi is spotty in the upstairs rooms but works perfectly in the downstairs communal room. The staff is above & beyond!! The meals were some of the best I’ve had. The surf instructors are phenomenal.. they work with your experience and levels of surfing and join you for breakfast & dinner nights. The yoga is great mostly long holds and stretches which are great after 2 sessions of surfing. Haudy is the best. She runs the place and without her Swell wouldn’t be Swell. I highly recommend doing the canyon tour with Helmut. And last but not least the people that I stayed there with honestly became my family for the week. I honestly want to come back!
Tripadvisor April 2026
Aerial view of the cove at Swell, Cabarete
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25 Min
SWELL
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Watersport paradise

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Swell Surf camp at a glance

Swell Surf Camp is an adults-only, beginner-focused surf and wingfoil retreat in Cabarete, Dominican Republic, open since 2009 and limited to 16 guests at a time. The average guest is 39, around 65% travel solo, and more than 9,000 adults have learned to surf here. A 7-night Surf & Yoga stay with lessons, equipment, breakfast, three dinners and airport transfers costs from $1,999 USD per person. See what a week includes.