 Costa Rica Guides: Surfing |
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 Costa Rica Web Sites Surfing Guide |
With miles of coastline on two oceans, it's no wonder that surfing is a popular sport in Costa Rica, and that never ending
search for the perfect wave draws enthusiasts the world over. Whether looking for right or left breaks, Costa Rica's perfect
blends of geography and wind have created prime conditions to satisfy every taste. Costa Rica Beaches
had become one of the most popular surf spots in the central Pacific area. Costa Rica is the perfect place to spend vacations:
relax, enjoy nature and do what you do best, surf...!!
Most surfing areas cater to the incoming crowd in many ways, with board rentals available, as well as a wide range of
accommodations and activities for when the sun goes down. Costa Rica's diversity and tremendous variety of surf spots make it
possible to surf excellent waves all year long. The short travel distances and different regions provide traveling surfers
with the possibility not only to experience magic and adventure while visiting interesting and unique spots of Costa Rica, but
to score a variety of world class point breaks, reefs and beach breaks. Best of all, you can surf in the warm ocean all year
round.
The Pacific coast has over 40 mapped surf beaches, offering up waves suitable for beginners to advanced surfers, depending on the location. The beaches in northern Guanacaste are said to be a Mecca for experienced surfers, due to the strong windy. Roca Bruja (Witch's Rock), Potrero Grande, Playa Naranjo and Plava Negro are a few spots to catch some strong, excellent waves. Further south, but still in the north pacific region, Mal Pais, Santa Teresa, Playa Hermosa, Manzanillo and Nosara —among others— are said to have great breaks. International competitions in Costa Rica are becoming more and more popular. For long board enthusiasts, every June the annual Rabbit Kekai Long boards Classic and the Women's World Long board Championships takes place on the Pacific Coast's Boca de Barranca. Said to be on one of the longest breaks in the world, this competition will bring over 300 surfers from every corner of the globe, representing 3 generations of enthusiastic participants. The mid-Pacific region offers a wide range of surf beaches to choose from, with Jacó being perhaps the best known.
Costa Rica experiences semi-diurnal tidal differences. Extreme tidal variations on the Pacific coastline always guarantee
quality waves for hard core surfers willing to explore. Stop in at any local surf shop or befriend a local to learn about
the best conditions for the different breaks. With so many different beaches and locations to choose from, Costa Rica is the
ideal place for unforgettable surf trips.
Costa Rica Surf Map
 Surf Dominical Surfing in the waters off Costa Rica's "Endless Summer" beaches is most definitely world class. Both coasts offer the international surfer an abundance of different types of conditions from one of the longest left-hand breaks in the world at Pavones to the quadruple overheads of Salsa Brava. The only problem with these and other incredible surfing spots is the fact that they are seasonal, only going off a couple of months a year. This, however is not a problem at Playa Dominical, where year-round good surf and double overheads are the norm. 'Discovered' in the early seventies by a group of intrepid and dedicated surfers, Dominical has steadily gained in popularity over the last 30 plus years. The town has become a haven for surfers with local restaurants offering 'Starving Surfer' food specials and nonstop surf videos. This relaxed and laid back atmosphere, combined with inexpensive accommodations and great surf, draw thousands of surfers a year like a giant magnet. The unusual conditions of the beach are
what gives its surf both size and dependability. The wave is a beach break with a twist, that twist being the mouth of the Rio Baru to the north. The river empties out of the mountains to the east and deposits sediments that form into a sandbar that spreads like a pair of lazy rabbit ears north and south of the mouth. As the swell approaches the beach and forms into a wave, it's wave to depth ratio is the universal 2 to 3. Meaning the size of the wave is directly proportional to the amount of water it is in. So, a 10 foot wave will always be in water that has a depth of 15 feet and so on. The reason this is important is that once this wave meets the sandbar it peais down the length of the bar creating a beautiful left hand break. The best time to surf is from an hour before high tide to an hour after when the sandbar is furthest out and has the greatest effect on the waves' break. Dominical beach has a reputation of being dangerous and it is well justified, as is evidenced by the number of broken boards that litter the ceiling of the local surfer hangout bar, San Clemente. Remarkably, the vast majority of surfboards that are broken are actually broken by the best surfers. The reason for this is simple: when the surf is really big and pumping they are normally the only ones out there. Plus, they are the ones that are constantly pushing the envelope and trying new things. Beginning and intermediate surfers should take some time to get acquainted with the water and its tides as there are couple of different rips that have to be taken into consideration. Also, it is advisable to talk to the local surfers and ask them when and where it might be best to start out. They know the beach and it's peculiarities better than anyone else. In an effort to make the beach safer, the town has pooled together to erect a guard tower and staff it with lifeguards during the day. Dominical is the perfect home base for surfers that want to make the most of their time here in Costa Rica. It has year-round good surf plus a central location on the Pacific which allows them to get to the other surf spots with relative ease. There are two national preserves in the immediate area with three more (Manuel Antonio National Park, Corcovado National Park and Caño Island National Preserve) only an additional hour and a half away. North of town, on the other side of Rio Baru is Hacienda Baru, which is a private 1000 acre preserve. Stretching from the beach with its mangrove swamps filled with bright yellow beaked toucans to its primary forest crested hilltops, Hacienda Baru offers the ecological tourist the opportunity to see a wonderful diversity of tropical plants and animais. To the south is the country's only totally underwater national park, Marino Ballena. Here it is possible to see a pristine and virgin underwater world with scores of multi-colorful marine creatures, coral reefs and jagged, ash black, volcanic rocks and tide pools. In the hills directly east of town are areas of primary forest with numerous waterfalls throughout, including the county's tallest, a three level, 800 foot high mountain of cascading water. Reaching Dominical and the surrounding area is easier than one might expect. It is a three and a half hour drive from San Jose by car through some of the most visually stunning scenery in the entire country. Traveling south down the Pan-American Highway below Cartago takes you through the country's largest cloud forest and the worlds last remaining, sustainable habitat for the endangered quetzal. The trip by bus is only an hour more with one stop and change in San Isidro. It is only necessary to rent a four wheel drive car if you intend to do some exploring in the mountains or continue traveling further north or south. It is a one and a half hour drive to Quepos by car, 4x4 recommended, or an additional half hour by bus. In a country full of beautiful vistas and lush tropical landscapes, this area not only holds its own, it shines. Dominical, the quiet little out of the way place that's not so out of the way. 
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