Costa Rica is a mecca for surfing with miles and miles of secluded coastlines on both sides of the country. There are numerous World famous breaks such as; Witch’s Rock up North, Playa Hermosa by Jaco, Pavones in the Southern most part of the country, and Salsa Brava the Costa Rican pipeline on the Caribbean coast.
I have traveled all up and down the Pacific Coast and surfed many breaks from Ollie’s Point up near the Nicaraugua border down to Pavones near the Panama border. The best time to surf depends on the tides and which tide is best for that certain spot. Most breaks in Costa Rica are mid-tide to high-tide work best. There are some low-tide breaks like Pavones can be surfed at low tide, Ollie’s Point, and Playa Negra are both best at low tide.
Swell direction also plays a big role in the quality of surf. In the Southern Pacific Zone the SW and SSW swell coming across the Pacific from as far as New Zealand is what we look for. In the Nicoya Peninsula, they can pick up nice NW swells. The Caribean side is best during hurricane season when far away storms can send decent size swell.
The Dominical area has plenty of surfing and Playa Dominical is some of the most consistent beach break waves in the entire country. There is almost always something worth paddling out for. There are some other beach breaks and point breaks nearby (which I cannot mention here, sorry) and Pavones is only 3 hours south when the swell is really pumping out of the SSW.
With so many miles of coastline it is always fun to look for your own private surf break off the beaten trail. There are year round waves here and any level surfer can find something that suites their skill set. So come on down to Costa Rica for a surf trip and enjoy the Pura Vida!! And for homes and properties for sale near surf breaks check out our “Beach Town” listings from the Dominical Property website!
