Best Costa Rica Surf Spots – Where To Surf In Costa Rica
Lauren Collison March 5th, 2018 Posted In: Articles Tags: Surfing
Costa Rica Surf Spots: The Best Surf Spots in Costa Rica
Many of my wetsuit clients love to sing Costa Rica’s praises. It’s an appealing, exotic site with plenty of rain forests and gorgeous beaches but is close enough to the United States that it isn’t too expensive. Based on my conversations with clients, here’s a little Costa Rica surf guide featuring the best Costa Rica surf spots.
Shot of Tamarindo Beach.
Playa Pavones
Playa Pavones, or Beach of the Peacocks, is far and away one of the best Costa Rica surf spots. This jungle beach is far out of the way of tourists, so only the most dedicated surfers come here (along with a few visitors who fish for sport). The waves here aren’t necessarily consistent, but they’re spectacular: Playa Pavones has the longest left in the world, and you can surf a single wave for over two minutes!
The best time to visit is during the rainy season, which runs from April to November. The water at the start of the season hovers around 85 degrees Fahrenheit before dipping down to about 82 by November’s end. Just watch out for this beach’s rocky bottom.
Playa Guiones
Playa Guiones tops many Costa Rica surf guides, thanks to over 300 surfable days a year. This sandy-bottomed beach has something for everything: There are small, predictable waves for novices and bigger waves challenge experts. This is by far one of the cleanest beaches in the country and — interestingly enough — is home to some of the healthiest people in the world. I’d like to think the beautiful beach has something to do with it.
Like most of Costa Rica’s beaches, the water temperature hovers around 83 degrees all year. Drop by whenever you’d like — the surfing here is very consistent.
Tamarindo is one of the biggest epicenters of Costa Rican surfing culture and is one of the hottest surf spots in the Pacific. That means plenty of attractions, including nightclubs and fine dining, along with surf shops and instructors. Offshore winds, underwater reefs and sandy beaches all make this a consistent, delightful surfing spot.
Temperatures here are a little lower than elsewhere on the coast, dipping down to 77 in early February and peaking around 86 in mid-May. If you’re still yearning for adventure once you’re done surfing, check out nearby Playa Langosta and Playa Grande for their famously fast-moving waves, or enjoy one of the area’s nearby eco-tours.
