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Best surfing conditions:
From April through November
Getting there by bus:
Boca Barranca and Puntarenas: From the Main Red Cross, 100 m west, 250
south.
Jaco: Transporte Jaco, ph. 223-1109 - Street 16, Avenue 1st.
Jaco
This is the ideal town for surfers; it is located at a strategic
site from where to reach other spots. Jaco has great beach breaks. It
offers a great variety of lodging facilities, as well as restaurants and
great party ambiance. If your board needs repair, call Pico - Fast Ding
Repair (ph: 643-1121).
Playa Escondida
Access to this 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 weather conditions are stable. Beware of low
tides!
Tivives
Entrance to this 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 lodging, but you can camp
right on the beach, and there are a couple of good restaurants where you
can eat.
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 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 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 is 5:00
am. You will find many nice places where to spend the night in the area
close to the point.
Roca Loca
This rock lies 5 minutes south of Jaco; to get there you must climb down
a deep cliff and walk across a rocky strait. Waves are real 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. 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
This beach is 40 minutes south of Jaco. It has great local food
restaurants, great beach break spots, and few surfers.
Boca Damas
It takes one hour and a half to drive from Jaco to Boca Damas. This
beach sits next to the mouth of Damas river, near Quepos. It offers big
waves. We recommend you go surfing with other people, specially someone
who knows the area.
Dominical
This beach sits some three and a half hours from San José (two and a
half hours from Jaco). 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. This is a very popular and busy
place, so you will have a chance to enjoy an overwhelming nightlife.
Playita Manuel Antonio
This 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
This beach offers left and right breaking waves, similar to Playa
Hermosa. There are no lodging places, but it is great for camping and
surfing. You will have to ask among locals in Quepos how to get there,
since the entrance to this beach is inside a palm tree plantation.
Playa Dominical
If you are lucky, you will be able to do some surfing while watching
near-by dolphins playing around, which proves to be an amazing
experience to everyone. There are many restaurants and lodging spots.
Here you can surf on left as well as right breaking waves; the bottom of
the sea is covered by rocks.
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