A message from Hillary
25 years ago, my family purchased a beachfront lot here in Montezuma and started building the villa that would become home and eventually surf camp. Throughout my childhood, my family traveled between Seattle, WA where we embraced life in a mountain town- skiing, hiking, mountain biking and enjoying the beauty of the pacific northwest, and our home here in Costa Rica. Over the years, we expanded the property to include three guest houses which worked into the perfect layout for a surf camp with the most amazing point breaks as well as a beach break to choose from.
As professional mountain bikers, my husband Ryan and I traveled the world exploring new mountain towns and we loved every minute of it. But when a knee injury landed me in Costa Rica for an extended rehab, an idea began to form. Surfing has always been a part of life here, but as I tried to teach myself the sport, I realized that there was a lack of strong, technical instruction. Most people were just battling their way out into the water, or going with a friend who might give them a few tips. The sports I loved up north, mountain biking and skiing, had a much different approach to instruction and I believed the same philosophy could be applied to surfing.
Ryan and I founded Peaks ‘n Swells in 2010 with that mission always at the forefront. We can’t wait to get our daughter, Coco, out into the waves!
And, my mom is still here with us every day, helping to run the camps and taking photographs of guests. As a professional photographer, she travels to all the breaks with us, handing out fresh pipas and capturing incredible images both on and off the water. We are a true family-run operation, and love meeting all the people who come to stay with us.
Hope to see you soon!
– Hillary Harrison
