Dedicated surfers are constantly in search of the perfect wave. For many, the search has ended in Costa Rica, the “Hawaii of Latin American surf.” Long stretches of oceanfront provide thousands of beach breaks. Numerous rivers offer quality sandbar rivermouth breaks, particularly on the Pacific coast. The coral reefs on the Caribbean coast, says Costa Rican surf expert Peter Brennan, “take the speed limit to the max.” And there are plenty of surf camps.

If the surf blows out or goes flat before you are ready to pack it in for the day, you can simply jump over to the other coast, or—on the Pacific—head north or south. If one break isn’t working, another is sure to be cooking. You rarely see monster-size Hawaiian waves, but they’re nicely shaped, long, and tubular, and in places never-ending—often nearly a kilometer!

Despite the strong winds that sweep along the coast of the Pacific northwest in summer, ocean windsurfing in Costa Rica has yet to take off. Bahía Salinas, in the extreme northwest, is recommended and has two windsurfing centers. Inland, Lake Arenal is paradise, with 23–35 kph easterly winds funneling through a mountain corridor year-round. Strong winds rarely cease during the dry season (December–April). The lake has acquired an international reputation as one of the best all-year freshwater windsurfing spots in the world, with two dedicated windsurfing centers. If you rent equipment at Arenal, try negotiating to use the same equipment at the coast, where equipment is in short supply.

All the major surf beaches have surf shops where board sales and rentals are offered. Many hotels and car rental companies offer discounts to surfers.

Generally, your double board bag flies free as a second piece of checked luggage on international airlines. Airlines require that you pack your board in a board bag. (Within Costa Rica, Nature Air permits short boards, but not long boards.)

WHERE TO GO

The Caribbean Coast
The Caribbean has fewer breaks than the Pacific, but still offers great surfing during winter and spring. Waves are short yet powerful rides with sometimes Hawaiian-style radical waves. Occasionally massive swells sweep over the coral reefs, creating demanding tubes.

A 20-minute boat ride from Puerto Limón is Isla Uvita, with a strong and dangerous left. Farther south there are innumerable short breaks at Cahuita. Closing in on the Panamanian border, things really heat up! Puerto Viejo has the biggest rideable waves in Costa Rica (up to seven meters at times, mostly in December), although these legendary waves have diminished in size because of coastal uplift caused by the April 1991 earthquake. One expert recommends avoiding the Tortuguero region, where sharks are abundant.

The best time is late May through early September (hurricane season) and December–March (when Atlantic storms push through the Caribbean, creating three-meter swells).

Guanacaste and the Northwest
The Pacific Northwest offers more than 50 prime surf spots. The best time is during the rainy season (May–October), when the surf can build to three meters; there are large offshore winds throughout the dry season (November–April), but the waves are smaller.

Hot spots such as Witch’s Rock at Playa Naranjo (one of the best beach breaks in the country, with strong offshore winds December–March) require four-wheel drive or boat for access. You can rent a boat from Playa del Coco and other beach resorts for visits to Naranjo and Potrero Grande (also in Santa Rosa National Park).

Tamarindo is the surfing capital and is an excellent jumping-off place for a surf safari south to more isolated beaches. Just north of Tamarindo is Playa Grande, with a five-km-long beach break acclaimed as Costa Rica’s most accessible consistent break. There’s fine surfing the whole way south from Tamarindo, including at Avellanas and Playa Negra, a narrow beach with fast waves breaking over a coral- and urchin-encrusted shelf—definitely for experts only when the waves are big. Continuing south you’ll find Nosara, Sámara, Camaronal, Coyote, Manzanillo, and Mal País, all with good surf, lively action, and several surf camps.

The Central Pacific
March through June are good. The best time, however, is during the heart of the rainy season (July–December), when the Caribbean dies down and conditions along the central Pacific create a full spectrum of breaks.

Central Pacific surfing centers on Jacó, though the waves really appeal to beginners and intermediates. Farther south lie Playa Hermosa, which has miles of expert beach breaks and an international contest every August, plus Escondida, Esterillos Este and Oeste, and Boca Damas. The playas are blessed with surf camps. Manuel Antonio has beach breaks, lefts, and rights. What it lacks in consistency it more than makes up for in natural beauty. Farther south lies Playa Dominical, which has “militant” sandbars and long point waves in an equally beautiful and classically tropical setting.

Golfo Dulce and the Osa Peninsula
Golfo Dulce and the Osa Peninsula have many surfing beaches. The cognoscenti head to Zancudo and Pavones, on the southern shore of the Golfo Dulce. On a decent day, the fast, nearly one-kilometer left break (one of the longest in the world) is “so long it will make your legs wobbly,” according to Peter Brennan. The waves are at their grandest in rainy season, when the long left point can offer a three-minute ride.