Going on an epic surf trip doesn’t mean you have to ditch the whole family. As two parents that surf, we recognize the dilemma that most married surfers with kids go through when choosing their precious few weeks of vacation a year. Your significant other and kids will be stoked that they get to take a break from the daily grind and you get a chance to score some waves. After a year of traveling around the world with our two small kids, we’ve found these 5 countries to be at the top of our list to keep the whole family entertained while still scoring waves. We haven’t been everywhere, but of the 30 or so countries in which we have surfed, these are the ones that scored highest on best family surf trips for us.
- South Africa – It doesn’t get much better than J-Bay for surf anywhere in the world. The amazing right hand point break of Super Tubes is what most people know about (and for good reason), however, there are several other take off zones in the bay to accommodate non-advanced levels too. The people are friendly, the town is safe, the food is good, the beaches are pretty and you are able to surf Jeffrey’s Bay! When you’re surfed out, or need to keep the rest of the family entertained, there is the Addo Elephant Safari Park near by for an incredible self-drive safari and Tsitsikamma National Park for some hiking.
- Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka has a lot of waves. While none would be considered world class, they are still really fun waves in really warm water. Surf shops are everywhere in Arugam Bay and Midigama, which are total surf towns, so you’ll be able to get set up with boards and gear easily, if you don’t want to haul it from home. The family will love going swimming with Sea Turtles in Hikkaduwa or on a safari in Uduwalewe Elephant Park. Sri Lanka is incredibly inexpensive and very kid friendly.
- Fiji – Fiji has some of the best child care options we’ve seen on any surf trip. The kids will be so entertained by the incredibly loving babysitters, that you won’t feel bad taking a boat trip and surfing your brains out at Cloud Break, Restaurants, Wilkes, or Frigates. Fiji is so beautiful that the whole family will love being at the beaches and playing in the water. The Fijians love children. When we got back from our boat trips, we saw them holding our young kids in the kitchen, feeding them and giving them kisses.
- Costa Rica- Costa Rica has waves everywhere. Every time we go there, we find good childcare options. We were able to stay right on Playa Negra and it only cost us $6/hour to watch our two kids while we got to surf Playa Negra all day. There is lots of wildlife to see and plenty of familiar food to eat for the kids when you’re finished surfing.
- India – First off, yes there are waves in India! The water is warm and the waves are uncrowded. There are a couple of surf shops to rent boards from, and the selection is pretty limited, but there are good quality boards. Head to the Kerala region during Temple Festival season and you will love spending the evenings experiencing the culture and festivities that go on during temple festivals. The Kerala backwaters are also worth a visit after a morning of surf. The beaches are beautiful and there is a very relaxing vibe for the kids to run around and play.
Varkala Beach, India
Honorable mentions***
Cook Islands is a family friendly country with great childcare options and surfable waves almost every day. The beaches are secluded and there are a ton of really cool things all over the island to do with the kids.
Jamaica has among the best childcare options we have seen among our travels, and they have fun waves too. The only downside is that the best waves are a couple hours drive from most of the great accommodation options. If you go on a good day, it will be well worth the drive and the hassle!
