Costa Rica

Where to surf in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is by far the most popular Central American surfing holiday destination, attracting an international crowd to frolic in the warm waves that wash up on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. Factors like political stability, tourist infrastructure, clean water, natural beauty, friendly people and good security compared to its neighbours has driven a tourism and property investment boom that shows no sign of slowing. CR’s surf runs the full gamut of shapes, if not size, and each province boasts at least one draw card wave, often in the world-class category. Volcanic black sand, squeaky white sand and craggy reef can all be found and while the cheapness and emptiness factors have been eroded, Costa Rica is still a place where all surfers from newbies to grizzled shredders can still find that feeling of pure stoke in a sublime exotic environment.

Guanacaste

The northern part of Guanacaste abuts Nicaragua, so the consistent, almost year-round offshores are more prevalent in the Santa Rosa National Park which will requires time, money and effort to explore, usually by boat from Playa del Coco.

Volcanic black sand, squeaky white sand and craggy reef can all be found in Guanacaste, the northern part includes the well-documented wonder-walls like Potrero Grande, Roca Bruja and the peaks of Tamarindo.

To the south past the growing surf school towns of Nosara and Guiones, the southern coast of the province sees plenty of less frequented beachbreaks at Buena Vista, Samara, Carrillo and most notably Camaronal, where any sniff of S swell will hit the river-fed banks. Carillo has some sizeable, offshore reefs and local surf operators provide boat trips for the journeymen, while beginners have an easy wave in the protected bay.

Puntarenas

The huge coastal province of Puntarenas begins on the Nicoya Peninsula, encapsulating the Golfo de Nicoya, where bigger S-SW swells push in and hit a number of breaks that are all offshore in NW winds, which can be handy in the wet season.

The surf hub of Jaco/Playa Hermosa merges into Central Puntarenas Province, then down to the Panamanian border, encompassing the Golfo Dulce. More famous waves like Boca Baranca, Playa Hermosa, Playa Dominical and Pavones are encountered along the way.

Caribbean Sea

Over on the Caribbean coast are the surprisingly chunky reefbreaks of Limon.