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Best Surfing Conditions in Costa Rica Central Pacific

Best Surfing Conditions in Costa Rica Central Pacific including Jaco Beach, Playa Escondida, Tivives, Valor, Puerto Caldera, Boca Barranca, Roca Loca, Playa Hermosa, Estirillos, Boca Damas, Dominical, Quepos, Manuel Antonio Beach, Playa El Rey, Playa Dominical.

Surfing Costa Rica

The best time to surf in Costa Rica's Central Pacific coast are the months of April through November.

Surfing Town of Jaco Beach
Jaco Beach is the ideal town for surfers. It's located close to Jaco Beach and other great nearby surfing spots. Jaco has a great variety of hotel and lodging facilities for every budget, as well as great restaurants and nightlife. If your surf board needs repair, you'll find numerous shops that can repair, sell or rent surf boards and surfing equipment. You can also find tons of surfing lessons available.
Playa Escondida
Access to this beach Costa Rica Surfing beach is private. It can only be reached by boat from Playa Herradura. It has constant left and right breaking waves. Best spot for surfers when Costa Rica weather conditions are stable, but beware of low tides.

Tivives
Entrance to this surfing beach is from the Costanera Highway, to the south of Caldera. This beach offers right and left breaking with strong currents. At the mouth of the river you can find an almost perfect, sometimes tubular, left wave. Not many options for hotels & lodging, but you can camp right on the beach, and there are a couple of good restaurants. Despite its many attractions, the water in Tivives is quite polluted and the ocean is dangerous.

Valor
South of Tivives, this rocky headland offers much surfing action. You will have to paddle your way across the river, and then walk through the trails. Just like Tivives, this site has many great spots for surfing. Water is also polluted and the ocean is just as dangerous.

Puerto Caldera
Twenty-five minutes north from Jaco beach is Puerto Caldera, a very popular beach with a well-shaped left breaking wave. The surfing gets better when the tide is coming in.

Boca Barranca
The most traditional wave of Costa Rica is to be found at this beach: well-shaped left breaking wave, and some waves range from 3 to 10 feet, when good waves hit shore from the south. The best surfing time in this area is 5 am. You will find many nice hotels in the area close to the point.

Roca Loca
This rock lies 5 minutes south of Jaco beach; to get there you must climb down a deep cliff and walk across a rocky strait. Waves are really good and heights range between 4 and 10 feet. There are just as many left waves as right waves. Be careful, this is a dangerous place!

Playa Hermosa
Playa Hermosa lies 10 minutes south of Jaco beach. There are great beach breaks at low and high tides. When weather conditions are nice, you may see some amazing tubular waves rolling in. Be aware of undertows.

Esterillos Beach
This beach is 40 minutes south of Jaco beach. It has great local restaurants serving Costa Rica specialties, great beach break spots, and few surfers.

Boca Damas Beach
This surfing spot, Boca Damas, is an hour and a half drive from Jaco beach. This beach sits next to the mouth of Damas river, near the fishing town of Quepos. It offers big waves. We recommend you go surfing with other locals, specially someone who knows the area.

Dominical
This beach sits some three and a half hours from San Jose (two and a half hours from Jaco beach). It offers great hotels and restaurants, and it holds some of the best beach breaks of Costa Rica. One of its waves ranges from 3 to 8 feet high.

Quepos
Waves here break mostly towards the left. You will need strong waves for great performance. This beach faces the town of Quepos. There are many restaurants and hotels in the area, and located minutes from Costa Rica's Manuel Antonio national park. This is one of Costa Rica's most visited areas, and has great nightlife.

Playita Manuel Antonio Beach
This popular Costa Rica beach has waves breaking towards the right and left. Wait for strong waves to roll in, otherwise the beach is too small for good surfing. We also recommend an expedition into the Manuel Antonio National Park.

Playa El Rey Beach
This surfing beach offers left and right breaking waves, similar to Playa Hermosa, next to Jaco. There are no hotels or lodging, but it is great for camping and surfing. You will have to ask surfing locals in Quepos how to get there, since the entrance to this beach is inside a palm tree plantation.

Playa Dominical Beach
If you are fortunate, you'll be able to do some surfing while watching near-by dolphins. There are many great restaurants, hotels and lodging at varied prices. In Dominical, you can surf on left as well as right breaking waves; be aware, the bottom of the sea is covered by rocks.

Bus Schedules:  San Jose - Jaco Beach - Manuel Antonio - Quepos

 

Central Pacific Links:	National Park	Weather
Places to Stay	Manuel Antonio	Jaco
Things to Do	Manuel Antonio	Jaco
Places to Eat	Manuel Antonio	Jaco

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