Tamarindo
A lively Guanacaste surf town with lessons, rentals and several peaks. Match the session to your level and the day’s swell.
Two coasts. A country shaped by waves.
Roca Bruja · dog4aday · CC BY 2.0Surfing
Find your beach. Follow the swell. We’ll get you and your boards there.
Your surf trip starts with a place
Pacific classics. Caribbean character.
Most of Costa Rica’s best-known surf routes follow the Pacific, from Guanacaste and Nicoya to the Central and South Pacific. The Caribbean adds its own character around Puerto Viejo, Cocles and Salsa Brava.
Choose the coast, the town and the kind of session you want. Come See Costa Rica coordinates transportation to your destination, between stays and back to the airport, including your surfboards.
Costa Rica’s surf beaches and towns
A Central Pacific landmark
Playa Hermosa · Jacó
This is the Playa Hermosa next to Jacó: a powerful surf beach in Garabito and a World Surfing Reserve. Jacó makes a practical base nearby, with shops, learning options and easy access to several breaks.
Explore the World Surfing Reserve →Playa Grande
An exposed Pacific beach across the estuary from Tamarindo. A separate destination with its own access and conditions.
Playa Avellanas
South of Tamarindo, a coastal setting with several distinct peaks. Local knowledge helps you select the right section.
Playa Negra
A well-known Guanacaste reef break near Los Pargos. Reef conditions call for experience and awareness of tides.
Roca Bruja / Witch’s Rock
The iconic rock off Playa Naranjo gives this surf spot its name. Access into Santa Rosa National Park needs separate planning.
Playa Guiones / Nosara
A long sandy shoreline and an established surf community. A popular base for lessons and longer stays.
Santa Teresa / Playa Carmen
A cluster of surf beaches on the southern Nicoya Peninsula. Your exact beach and accommodation affect transfer planning.
Jacó
An accessible Central Pacific surf town with board shops and learning options. Beach conditions vary along the bay.
Playa Hermosa near Jacó
Garabito’s renowned surf beach, just south of Jacó, with strong waves and a World Surfing Reserve. This is not Playa Hermosa in Guanacaste.
Esterillos
A stretch of Central Pacific coastline between the Jacó area and the coast toward Quepos. Confirm the precise pickup point.
Dominical
A South Pacific surf town backed by green hills. Its exposed beach draws experienced surfers; daily conditions matter.
Pavones
A celebrated long left in the far South Pacific. Swell direction and size determine how the wave connects.
Cabo Matapalo
At the tip of the Osa Peninsula, with several breaks and a remote coastal atmosphere. Coordinate the final access with your lodging.
Playa Cocles
Near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, with an active Caribbean surf scene. It offers a different coast and swell pattern.
Salsa Brava / Puerto Viejo
Costa Rica’s famous Caribbean reef wave. A demanding destination for experienced surfers rather than a first lesson.
Check the waves before you go
Choose your destination for a simple view of the offshore wave forecast. These are model estimates for a nearby ocean grid point, not a live camera or the measured height of the beach’s breaking waves.
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Significant wave height describes the combined sea and swell. Primary period and direction describe the primary wave system. Offshore values cannot account for every sandbar, reef, tide or local wind effect.
For a detailed break report, tide information or cameras, check a dedicated surf service: Surf-Forecast · Surfline · Swellnet
When to plan your surf trip
Pacific · December to April
Drier weather and seasonal offshore winds can make this a useful planning window, particularly in the northern Pacific. Swell still varies, so learners should choose the day and beach with an instructor.
Pacific · May to November
Southern Hemisphere swell is an important part of the Pacific surf calendar. Exposed breaks can become more demanding. Build flexibility into your plans for rainfall, wind and changing swell.
Caribbean · A different rhythm
The Caribbean follows a different swell pattern. The late-year and early-year period often attracts attention, but each swell event matters more than a fixed calendar promise.
Your first wave or your next step
Learning, rentals and the local surf scene
Tamarindo, Jacó, Guiones/Nosara and Santa Teresa/Playa Carmen are established places to look for surf schools and board rentals. We do not recommend a particular school: ask about instructor experience, group size, lesson location, equipment and the conditions for that day.
Bring your own board or arrange a rental locally. A first lesson needs a suitable beginner session, not simply a famous beach. Experienced surfers can use the same town as a base while exploring more demanding breaks.
Adaptive surfing is also part of Costa Rica’s surf community. Surf Adaptado Costa Rica shares information about its athletes and programs. Surf Adaptado Costa Rica →
Adaptive surfing in Costa Rica
More people deserve the opportunity to experience surfing.
Surf Adaptado Costa Rica
The association supports recreational, therapeutic and competitive surfing for people with disabilities. Its website presents adaptive lessons, equipment rental and training activities.
A national story of participation
Ismael Araya and coach Gustavo Corrales participated in the first ISA adaptive surfing world championship in 2015. The first national team followed in 2016; the association was formally established in March 2018.
Read their history and team achievements →
See adaptive surfing in action
Explore the Instagram reel shared for this page and the association’s official updates.
Watch the Instagram reel →Coordinate your journey
When asking us about transportation, share the pickup location, group size, boards and any mobility or assistance requirements. We can review the vehicle and route details with you before confirming the journey. Activity participation and adaptive equipment are coordinated directly with the association.
Discuss your transportation needs →Your destination. Your boards. Your transportation.
We transport surfboards and coordinate the journey around your surf stay.
Airport to the coast
Share your flight details, destination and accommodation. We coordinate your pickup at SJO or LIR and the transfer to your surf town.
Between destinations
Moving from Tamarindo to Nosara, Jacó to Dominical or another coastal stay? Tell us your route and pickup details.
Back to the airport
Coordinate your return pickup from the exact lodging or destination, including your boards and luggage.
Tell us the number and length of your boards, travel-bag dimensions, passengers and luggage. Those details help us select the appropriate vehicle. You can also travel without a board and rent or buy one locally.
Our offering here is transportation. Lessons, rentals, boat access and surf guiding are arranged directly with the providers you choose.
Costa Rica’s surf story
Surfing is part of the life of many Costa Rican coastal communities. Competitions, surf shops, local instructors and conservation projects connect the daily beach scene with an international sporting identity.
- 1970s
Local surfers began discovering the Playa Hermosa zone during the 1970s, according to the World Surfing Reserve’s local history.
- 2009
Playa Hermosa hosted the ISA World Surfing Games, placing its waves on a global competition stage.
- 2015
Costa Rica won the team world title at Popoyo, Nicaragua. Noé Mar McGonagle also took the men’s Open gold medal.
- 2016
The ISA World Surfing Games returned to Costa Rica, this time in Jacó.
- 2022
Playa Hermosa was dedicated as the first World Surfing Reserve in Central America on June 12.
- 2024
Brisa Hennessy finished fourth in the Paris Olympic surfing competition at Teahupo’o, Tahiti.
Costa Rican surfers to know
Brisa Hennessy
Costa Rican Olympian and Championship Tour event winner. Her fourth-place finish at Paris 2024 is a landmark in the country’s Olympic surfing story.
Official source →Noé Mar McGonagle
Men’s Open gold medalist at the 2015 ISA World Surfing Games, part of Costa Rica’s world-title-winning team.
Official source →Leilani McGonagle
A Costa Rican Olympian and international competitor whose surfing roots connect to Pavones.
Official source →Carlos Muñoz
An internationally recognized Costa Rican surfer and ambassador for the Playa Hermosa World Surfing Reserve.
Official source →Rachel Agüero & Óscar Urbina
Women’s and men’s Open national champions in the 2026 circuit, crowned at Playa Hermosa near Jacó.
Official source →Lia Díaz
In 2026, the Federation reported her qualification for the WSL World Longboard Tour, a first for a Costa Rican surfer.
Official source →Titles and results above are dated achievements, not a live ranking. Consult the Federation and competition organizers for current results.
From the surf community
Recent headlines from the Costa Rican Surfing Federation and the International Surfing Association. Each item links to its original publisher; headlines remain in the source language.
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Surf trip questions
Do you transport surfboards?
Yes. Tell us the number of boards, their lengths, whether they are in travel bags, your luggage and your group size so we can coordinate a suitable vehicle.
Can you collect us at the airport and bring us back after our surf trip?
Yes. We coordinate airport pickups, transfers to your surf destination and return transportation. Share your arrival and departure details and the exact accommodation.
Do I need to bring my own board?
No. Established surf towns have rental shops and boards for sale. Confirm availability, size, condition and rental terms locally before planning around a particular board.
Where can I learn to surf?
Tamarindo, Jacó, Guiones/Nosara and Santa Teresa/Playa Carmen have learning options. Choose a local instructor who matches the lesson location and conditions to your experience.
Is the displayed wave height the height of the breaking wave at the beach?
No. It is significant wave height from a NOAA offshore model grid. The beach break can be smaller, larger or differently shaped because of tides, reefs, sandbars and local wind.
Is Playa Hermosa close to Jacó?
Yes. The surfing beach featured here is Playa Hermosa in Garabito, south of Jacó. Other Costa Rican beaches share the same name, including one in Guanacaste.
Does Come See Costa Rica sell surf lessons or surf tours?
Our service on this page is transportation. You can use the destination information to plan your own surf stay and arrange lessons or board rentals directly with local providers.
Can I surf on the Caribbean coast?
Yes. Cocles and Salsa Brava near Puerto Viejo are established destinations. Caribbean swells follow a different pattern from Pacific swells; Salsa Brava is an experienced-surfer reef break.
Sources and surf resources
Destination information, sporting achievements and forecasts are attributed to the organizations and publications below.
- ICT / Visit Costa Rica
- Federación de Surf de Costa Rica
- FedeSurfCR · Facebook
- FedeSurfCR · Instagram
- International Surfing Association
- Surf Adaptado Costa Rica
- ACOS · Asociación Costarricense de Surf
- Save The Waves · Playa Hermosa
- NOAA NCEP · GFS-Wave
- TEC · Investigación sobre infraestructura para el surf
Photo credits and licenses
- Playa Hermosa, Garabito · Bernal Saborio · Original photograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tamarindo, Guanacaste · Jarle Naustvik · Original photograph · CC BY 2.0
- Playa Hermosa near Jacó · Adam Jones · Original photograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Roca Bruja / Witch’s Rock · dog4aday · Original photograph · CC BY 2.0
Photographs are original credited images of Costa Rican locations. They are resized and compressed for the website and displayed with responsive framing; no AI-generated location imagery is used.