This summer calls for the perfect holiday. With the global lockdowns being lifted from many regions, you have finally something to look forward to. If you love water, the sea, the ocean, and surfing in general, you probably won’t find better places than Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is the safest social place for tourists in Central America. That said, if you have packed your bags and are all set to go surfing, you might be wondering what the best potential places for surfing could be in Costa Rica.
The Spanish-speaking region rocks a coastline that is spread over more than 1000 kilometers along the Pacific Ocean and over 200 kilometers along the Caribbean beaches.It shouldn’t be a matter of surprise that the surf in this Spanish region is quite consistent.
However, if you are looking for the prime spots to hit up Costa Rica for surfing, here are the best places to go surfing in Costa Rica.
1. Tamarindo
Tamarindo is undoubtedly at the top of the prime surfing spots in Costa Rica. This spot is ideal for beginners and pros alike. If you are a beginner surfer, we recommend staying in the section of Tamarindo that has mild waves.
For instance, you could hit the line of beach that is located in front of the Witches Rock, which is ideal for beginner surfers all around the year. As soon as you start improving and getting better at the surfing game, you will find the advanced waves of the river mouth merely a few feet away.
If you are staying in San Jose, see here a useful travel guide on how to get from San Jose to Tamarindo. TIP: If you stay at the Capitan Suizo Hotel, you will have an excellent surfing spot right before the hotel.
2. Playa Naranjo
This surfing spot is also known as the Witch’s Rock and is amongst the top popular surfing spots in Costa Rica. Despite its massive popularity, it hardly gets crowded. The Witch’s Rock breaks in front of a giant volcano rock known as the Roca Bruja.
People who are at an advanced and intermediate level of surfing go to the Witch’s rock for an amazing surfing experience. If this sounds like something you would like to do, we ought to warn you that the waves at Playa Naranjo are only for the brave hearts.
The best months to hit up Playa Naranjo are April and October. During these months, the tide stays between mid to high.
3. Playa Guiones
Another amazing surfing spot in Costa Rica is Playa Guiones which is popular for its stunning coastline. This surf spot is located on the Nicoya Peninsula, which is nothing less than a sweet paradise for small-town residents and tourists.
Playa Guiones is spread over seven kilometers – the sugar-white sand of the coast is ideal for many summer activities, such as sunbathing or taking a stroll with the amazing backdrop of the Peninsula. Once you visit this surfing spot, you will easily detect a hundred meters that were awarded a blue flag for the well-maintained, environment-friendly, and immaculate beaches.
If you are at the beginner level of surfing, you will find many schools with professional instructors who will be more than happy to teach you about surfing and help you perfect your surfing technique.
4. Mal Pais
In Costa Rica, you will find the best coastlines spread along the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. If you are looking for a relatively calmer place where you can surf with peace, you will find tranquillity on the beach of Mal Pais. In fact, Mal Pais is known to harbor the best waves in the world.
Compared to the other two beaches, this beach is slightly underdeveloped, which means that you can enjoy the immaculate beaches and great surfing waves with fewer distractions. The diversity of the waves at Mal Pais allow for a diverse surfing experience for the beginners, intermediate, and highly skilled alike.
Amongst the most popular surfing spot of Mal Pais, you will find Playa Carmen. While the beach break at Playa Carmen is quite heavy, the surf is at its best when it is mid to high tide. The ocean floor is of sand, and the best months to visit Mal Pais range from March to November. Read more here about weather conditions for surfing.
5. Salsa Brava
Salsa Brava is located at Puerto Viejo, Limón, and is arguably the best place to go surfing in Costa Rica. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that this legendary reef break is the source of inspiration for many potential surfers who cannot help but admire the amazing surfing waves from the safety of the seashore.
Since Salsa Brava is framed as one of the greatest waves of Costa Rica, we recommend that only the pro surfers with the most experience hang around this beach for surfing.
Salsa Brava is also quite notoriously known as the “Cheese Grater,” for it has ripped many inexperienced surfers apart. If you believe that you are a man of steel and can truly maneuver a fast-breaking left, only then test your limits at Salsa Brava.
Final Thoughts
If you are a beginner surfer, we discourage learning on your own. Although surfing might look easy to you from far away, never approach surfing on your own. If you have an experienced friend, ask them for their guidance. However, the best thing to do would be to sign up at a well-reputed surf camp to avoid potential injuries and to put your life on the line.
