In Garopaba, a small coastal town in southern Brazil, surfing is deeply embedded in the local culture. Warm water for most of the year and consistent swells make it the kind of place where wave pools might seem almost unnecessary.
Just a few minutes from the beach, Surfland sits within that same landscape, operating alongside an already established surf destination.
For now, it also holds a unique position in the country: it is currently the only wave pool in Brazil open to the public. That status, however, is temporary. On December 4th, access to surf sessions will shift, becoming restricted and prioritised for property owners.
A Model Rooted in Real Estate
Surfland was conceived and developed by André Giesta, a Brazilian entrepreneur with a background in high-end real estate, who led the project from the outset without relying on external investors.
The development is structured around 278 apartments, each divided into 26 fractions, resulting in a total of 7,228 owners. With an average ticket of around 42,000 USD per fraction, each unit represents approximately 1,092,000 USD in value, forming the financial foundation of the project.
“We created a hybrid between real estate and a surf park, and I believe this is the model that works for this type of project,” André Giesta explains. The residential component generates upfront capital, while the park operates independently with recurring revenue streams.
Multipropriedade and Built-In Demand
Each fraction grants two non-consecutive weeks of use per year, with units typically accommodating four to five people. This structure creates a recurring flow of users returning annually.
“In practice, we will have close to 30,000 people rotating through the project over the course of the year,” Giesta says. “These owners return every year, staying for a full week, which creates consistent movement and activity throughout the site.”
The apartments operate under a hotel-style model, with a third-party operator handling maintenance, operations, and guest services. Owners are not involved in day-to-day management and can choose in advance whether to use their weeks or place them into the rental pool.
“It’s a standard condominium with 7,228 owners, but everything is managed within a structured system. The owner simply uses their weeks or places them into the rental pool,” Giesta explains.
This allows units to remain active year-round, either through owner stays or rentals, which are expected to average around 500 USD per night for groups of four to five people.
How Surf Sessions Work
Access to surf sessions is structured within the ownership system.
During a seven-day stay, each apartment includes two sessions per day, one in the Reef and one in the Bay, shared among the group.
“Owners don’t have unlimited access to waves. They have included sessions, and anything beyond that needs to be paid for,” explains Giovanni Mancuso, Operations Manager.
For groups staying on site, this creates an initial level of access, but it often does not cover total demand. When multiple people want to surf, additional sessions need to be purchased. Each fraction has the right to buy one additional session per day, meaning each unit is guaranteed at least two Reef sessions and one Bay session daily. Any further sessions are subject to availability.
Sessions that are not used by on-site owners remain within the system and can be booked by other owners who are not staying during that week.
Not all guests surf, which allows unused capacity to circulate within the system. Over time, booking behaviour is expected to adapt to this dynamic.
“It will be natural for owners to book their sessions at the same time they reserve their stay, sometimes months in advance,” Mancuso says.
Revenue Beyond the Water
The development includes eight retail stores and eight restaurants, an events space, all operating within the park. These businesses are independent operations but contribute to the overall economic activity of the site through leases and partnerships.
According to André Giesta, these layers are designed to complement the surf experience rather than depend on it.
“Today, the wave ticket represents around 80% of the revenue, but we also have parking, retail, equipment rental, photo and video. It’s all part of the system,” he explains.
At the same time, the park remains accessible beyond surfing.
After December 4th, surf sessions will be restricted to owners and guests within the system, but the site itself will continue to operate with public access. Visitors will be able to purchase day tickets and use the facilities, access the restaurants and shops, and experience the space as a leisure destination.
“The park will stay open. People will come to spend the day, enjoy the environment, listen to music, watch events. It works like a beach club,” Giesta says.
With approximately 400,000 square meters, the site includes activities such as skateboarding, beach tennis, and events, allowing it to attract visitors even when they are not surfing.
“It’s like having multiple businesses operating within the same space,” he adds.
This structure allows Surfland to generate revenue across different touchpoints, while maintaining activity on site beyond the wave itself.
A Model Built for Repeat Use
For André Giesta, the long-term strength of the model is not only in how access is structured, but in how people engage with it over time.
“The difference with our model is the evolution you have in surfing,” he says. “You come here, you improve, and you want to come back again.”
This, according to Giesta, is what distinguishes the project from more traditional hospitality or tourism-based models, where the experience tends to remain the same with each visit.
“A multipropriedade without an attraction can get repetitive,” he explains. “You go back to the same place and everything is the same. Here, what changes is your level.”
Within this structure, the return is not only linked to the property itself, but to the progression tied to the experience.
As Giesta describes it, this dynamic is central to how the model sustains engagement over time.
