Few places in the world can offer travelers volcanoes towering up to 12,530 feet and a seemingly endless 700 miles of coastline on the Pacific and Caribbean like Costa Rica can. Though Costa Rica is known for many of its great tourism specialties there is one that should never be overlooked: surfing.
Why is Costa Rica called 'The Hawaii of the Central America"?
Costa Rica's appeal is easy to understand:
- Consistent surf year-round
- Warm water
- Easy access to thousands of breaks
- Surf conditions from mild to mind-blowing
- Surf camps and international tournaments
- Affordable prices
Where to surf
There are three main areas to surf: The Pacific North (Guanacaste-Nicoya), the Pacific South (Punta Arenas) and the Caribbean. There are also cool surf towns popping up in Jaco, Tamarindo and Puerto Viejo. The best waves occur in the rainy season (Northern Hemisphere 'summer') on the pacific side, and in the hot dry season ('winter') on the Caribbean – so you’ll always be able to find a good break.
Some of the beaches that are considered the safest:
- Playas Rajada and Jobo near La Cruz
- Bahía Junquillal Wildlife Refuge
- Play Hermosa in northern Guanacaste
- Plays del Coco
- Sámara
- Carillo
- Bahía Ballena/Tambor
- Beacheson the Golfo Dulce between Puerto Jimenez and Golfito
- The third beach at Manuel Antonio
- Little Dominicalito in Dominical
- Uvita
These beaches that are known for riptides, so be careful or just avoid them altogether:
- Espadilla at Manuel Antonio
- Jacó
- Dominical Beach
Surfing Costa Rica Safely:
Watch for riptides
They are responsible for 80% of the drowning in Costa Rica! Take a minute and visit this site to learn how to spot a riptide and what to do if you get caught in one.
Yes, there are crocodiles
Some break points feed into river mouths where crocs tend to hang out so ask locals to find the safest, croc-free areas.
Rocky Ride
Most of the break points in Costa Rica have sand bottoms for your riding pleasure, though some areas still have pesky sea-floor rocks so wearing a wet suit isn’t a bad idea.
Watch the weather
It is bound to change in an instant and you don’t want to be stuck way out when a big lightning storm comes through.
Mind the surf conditions!
Though consistent, the surf is not known to get abnormally big, and with a little research you can find an area that’s right for you. Surf Reports and Forecasts.
Wear a leash
Not only is it a law at many beaches, but wearing a leash is an important way to keep your board close to you and to keep it from becoming a hazard to other surfers.
Play nice
But before you get that wet suit on always remember Surfing Etiquette:
- The person closest to the breaking wave always has the right of way
- Pay respect to locals, it is after all ‘their’ break
- Don’t steal other riders’ wave, be patient, your turn will come
- Don’t surf drunk, just don’t do it – you endanger yourself and others
- Most beaches don’t allows surfers in swimming zones so respect local laws
Costa Rica could have almost earned its name (meaning rich coast) just for the surfing. For such a small country (a little smaller in size than Louisiana), Costa Rica packs a bigger tourism punch than countries more than twice is it size! So sit back, suit up and enjoy all that Costa Rica has to offer.
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