Costa Rica Surfing Guide

Costa Rica has waves that can be surfed 365 days a year! What draws some of the best surfers in the world to these shores are comfortable water temperatures, inexpensive hotels in popular spots, sparsely populated beaches, and a variety of breaks on both the Pacific and Caribbean sides of the country.

The top six surfing destinations are Playa Hermosa, Pavones, Playa Grande, Witch's Rock/Ollie's Point and the infamous Salsa Brava and Jaco Beach. Surf camps and shops are located in many beach areas of Costa Rica . Whether you're a surfing "newbie" or veteran, surf camps can offer the "ultimate surfing adventure" on the beaches of Costa Rica .

See our coupons page for available discounts on camps, gear, restaurants, and rentals for your surfing needs.

Central Pacific Coast

Best surfing conditions: April-November. Waves are consistent especially during rainy season with beach and reef breaks along this coast.

Playa Hermosa

Located just two hours from the airport on paved roads, this beach is south of Jaco and has a small cluster of budget hotels and restaurants that cater to the surf crowd. This 10km beach has a consistent and very strong beach break, and draws more professional surfers. At both low and high tide when weather conditions are nice you can see some great tubular waves.The Circuito Nacional de Surf (CNS) is the international championship held here every year.

Jaco Beach

This is Costa Rica's most visited surf town with it's variety of surf shops, nightlife, cabins, hotels, campgrounds and restaurants. Jaco is a beach break and is home to Costa Rica's best surfers because it is a launch for a some bigger challenge waves just south.

Boca Baranca

Just off the main coastal route, this beach is not always the cleanest but it does have tradiotional waves at the river mouth with very long lefts.

Boca Damas

This surf beach sits next to the Damas River near the town of Quepos. Powerful good sized waves, but recommended that you not surf alone and go with someone who is familiar with these waters.

Quepos

This beach is 45 minutes from Jaco and it has a small left at the mouth of an estuary but conditions need a good swell. The town of Quepos is noted for it's fishing charters and offers plenty to do to entertain yourself with shopping, bars, and restaurants. Manuel Antonio Park is just over the hill and has the white sandy beaches that that are very long and laced with lush scenery. Nightlife and tourist are plenty due to the beaches, bars, restaurnats, hotels, and Manuel Antonio National Park the most visited national park in Costa Rica.

Playa Escondida

This beach is only accesible by boat from Playa Herradura, and acess to this beach is private. This beach is a favorite for locals when the swell is good so it can be crowed. Be aware of low tides it is dangerous.

Roca Loca (Crazy Rock)

Located at the southern tip of Jaco Beach off a cliff from the coastal highway. To get access you must climb down a steep cliff and paddle out over shollow rock strait. This beach is best at full swell and breaks over tricky shallow rocks.

South Pacific Coast

Best surfing conditions: April-November. There is a wide arrange of waves to choose from in this region. Some of the best know spots in the country are here and are similar to those in the winter months of the Southern Hemisphere.

Pavones

A five hour drive from San Jose , Pavones is a surfing paradise south of Golfito on the "Bahia de Pavones" of the Golfo Dulce coast . Pavones has beaches that are undeveloped and unpopulated. The coastline is a mixture of sand and rock. Pavones is not known for its consistency, but it does boast one of the longest waves in Costa Rica . Legendary left point breaks are best from April to November and the swells here are ideal for the serious surfer.

There are no banks or post offices. You must travel to Golfito for these services. Cell phones are the main form of communications with the outside world. There are no bars or restaurants, so everything is provided by the area cabinas and hotel. There is only one local surf shop.

Dominical

Much like Playa Hermosa it has a powerful and consistent beach beak. The Talamanca mountains meet the ocean surrounded by lush rainforest. This beach receives south and west swells at the river mouth and is changing all the time with left and rights with a great beach break.

Drake Bay

This area of the country is very isolated and remote with its lush and gorgeous landscape. Accesible only by boat, this beach area offers long powerful waves during a good swell.  The clear tropical waters here offer the best sitings for dolphins, sea turtles, manta rays, and Humpback whales who come to breed. Just south of Drake Bay is the largest virgin rainforest in Central America called Corcovado National Park. The coral reefs in this area are bursting with marine life and draw divers from around the world.

North Pacific Coast

Best surfing conditions: Decemberl-July. The Guanacaste Pacific waters are a dream come true for alot of surfers because its coastal area boasts river, reef, beach, and point breaks all matched up with a constant offshore wind during this high season.

Playa Grande

Half an hour north of Tamarindo and in close proximity to other favorite surfing spots like Ollie's Points and Witch's Rock, Playa Grande is an alternative for surfers looking to get away from the crowds. Playa Grande is noted for its house rentals with surfing available right out the front door. For the most part, the surfing is consistent. Conditions are beach break with perfect left and right peaks; waves can be held to almost double-overhead. This area is located inside a protected park system and is noted for the nesting grounds for the Leatherback Turtles.

Tamarindo

Like Jaco Beach it is a strategic point to reach other great surfing spots. The Tamarindo area is full of all kinds of accomodations for the surfer and is one of Costa Rica most visited surf towns for its variety. The locals favorite spots are Pico Pequeno, El Estero with its river mouth break, and Langosta which is the strongest wave in Tamarindo that comes off the mouth of a small river.

Witch's Rock (Roca Bruha)

Every surfer's dream is to go to Witch's Rock. This beautiful and remote location in the Santa Rosa National Park is best visited from December to March when winds are predominant and fierce. The fierce winds that swirl from around the basin cut out of this rock produce the eerie sounds that Witches Rock is noted for. In the early morning hours in Playas del Coco, surfers can find a boat ride to take them to Witch's Rock and Ollie's Point. This beach break has many points along its shoreline but the best break is right in front of the rock. Camping is very popular in the park and the $6.00 per person is fee is most reasonable. Be warned that there are no supplies in the park. Come prepared with supplies of water, food, mosquito nets and repellent. (All is readily available for purchase in nearby Tamarindo.) Accommodation can be found in Tamarindo, Playa Grande or Playa del Coco.

Ollie's Point

North of Witch's Rock and only accessible by boat is Ollie's Point. It was discovered in the early 1980s at the height of the U.S. Iran-Contra scandal, when American Colonel Oliver North supposedly had a "secret" Costa Rican air strip location on a large ranch nearby that supplied arms to Nicaragua . Ollie's Point is a fast and perfect wave that breaks to the right at the river mouth over a rocky sea bottom. Best conditions are at outgoing to mid-low tide and south/southwest swell with offshore winds and waves from 3 - 8 feet. Like Witch's Rock, there are no services and accommodations are available in Tamarindo, Playa Grande or Playa del Coco.

Caribbean Coast

Best surfing conditions: Decemberl-July. This coastline is quite different from the rest of Costa Rica. The waters here have the most powerful waves in the country because of the nature of this area with their storms and shallow coral reefs, surfing conditions are prime. Always surf this area with others and with someone who is familiar with the surf.
Puerto Viejo is the most popular town in this region. It was the wave that made this" laid back" town the limelight it is today. Surfers have been gracing these beaches well before the roads were considered passable. This area is now known today for its Caribbean culture and tourist mix and one could have a problem finding a place to stay in the high season (December to April). Puerto Viejo has a jumping nightlife teaming with reggae bars and discos. Also, restaurants and cabinas are plentiful. The biggest event of this region takes place in Limon around Columbus Day. Its annual one week celebration of Carnival is one of the biggest festivals in Costa Rica for reggae, soca and calypso music.

Salsa Brava

Being the the mother of all waves in Costa Rica, we recommend extreme caution. Salsa Brava is treacherous with Hawaiian style waves that break over shallow coral reefs. Salsa Brava has been called Costa Rica 's heaviest and best wave with quadruple overheads. Salsa Brava is only for the most advanced surfers and can be very dangerous due to its shallow coral drop off reef. Many broken boards lie in its wake, so we recommend you bring more than one. Other nearby surf breaks that are good for novices and intermediates are Cocles, Punt Uva, and Manzanillo..

Playa Cocles

A short ten minute drive from Salsa Brava, this beach break offers hollow waves with short and fast rides. The waters here are loaded with sea drifts and currents, so beware.

Manzanillo

A thirty minute drive from Salsa Brava this exoctic and remote wildlife refuge extends all the way to the Panmanian border. The area has a cresent shape beach with sections of tubular waves that has a constant beach break point. There are strong rip tides in this area heed caution.