Surfs Up in Costa Rica

What's the perfect combination for a surf vacation? Sun, more than 800 miles of beaches between both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, 80°F year round warm waters, and waves for beginners, experienced surfers and everyone in between. Get your pick of river mouth, reef, beach and point breaks. Sounds pretty good, huh?

Some of Costa Rica's hottest surf spots like Tamarindo, Jaco, Pavones and Dominical are also full of top notch surf schools and surf camps. There's usually a surf shop or two (or three or four) in these towns to provide you with all the equipment you need to get into the water in no time.

Contact us to set you up on your surf adventure.

Where to Do It?

North Pacific Coast / Guanacaste Area

Surf the Gold Coast beaches where tons of breaks and great surf schools offer fun for all levels: 

• Tamarindo
• Playa Grande
• Playas Negra and Avellanas
• Witch's Rock
• Ollie's Point

Contact us for a great tour.

Southern Guanacaste

The southern Nicoya Peninsula is full of remote coastal towns with consistent swells. Best time to surf is December - April

• Samara
• Nosara
• Mal Pais
• Santa Teresa

Central Pacific

Jaco and Playa Hermosa are famous for their proximity to San Jose, year-round surf and a full-on party scene. Jaco is full of surf schools, restaurants, hotels and shops. And if you want to really challenge yourself, ten minutes south is Playa Hermosa with huge waves, and a laid-back atmosphere.

Continuing further south to Manuel Antonio all surfers will enjoy these rights and lefts, including a river mouth break in Quepos.

South Pacific

The best time to hit these breaks is from May to November. Dominical is popular for it's laid-back vibes and killer waves. Further south, the tiny village of Pavones is an internationally known surf destination for having the longest left point in the world. The break has been recorded to last up to three minutes on a slow, south swell.  Across the Sweet gulf is another well know (right) point break, Cabo Matapalo. Here surfers need to come equipped with their own boards, because facilities are minimal in this undeveloped area.

Caribbean Coast

Starting in Limon you can either go north or south. If you chose north, you'll need to hire a boat to get you to Isla Uvita's great reef breaks. The best time to go is November thru March. We can arrange it all for you.

The southern route is more accessible and much more popular. Playa Negra in Cahuita is surfer-friendly for all levels. However, if you're looking for real surf action, come to Salsa Brava in Puerto Viejo. This break is not for beginners, but you can go out with a professional instructor to show you the way. The best time to surf here is January thru April.

Inside Scoop

• It might be worth it to just buy a new or used board once you arrive in Costa Rica. Boards tend to take a beating in the airports and many domestic flights in Costa Rica do not allow surf boards.

Tours & Packages

• We can help organize a surf vacation anywhere in Costa Rica.
• We've got connections in Pavones. We can help organize transportaion, a place to stay and a board rental or purchase. Contact us and we'll put you in touch with the right people
• We offer private surf charters aboard luxury yachts in the north Pacific, including surf breaks in Nicaragua.  Contact us for more info.