8 amazing places to surf in Costa Rica (for all levels)

Costa Rica bridges the gap between Panama and Nicaragua with more than 630 miles of wave-bashed Pacific coastline. Ranging from the wide river estuaries of the south through the long, cocoa-colored beaches of central Puntarenas, up to the remote bays of Santa Rosa in the north, it's a land of formidable diversity, with a coastal topography capable of crafting easy and challenging waves side by side.

Consistent east-west trade winds blow down from the high sierras almost all year, adding shine and shape to the sets. Swell-wise, it's rarely flat. The wet season (May to November) drags up strong southerly waves that are perfect for expert surfers, while the dry season (November to April) has gentler waves ideal for beginners and improvers.

In a single surf trip here, you can go from the rambunctious party town of Tamarindo, to the dusky sands of Playa Santa Teresa for yoga camps, and then onto the deserted reaches of Playa Esterillos for empty A-frame waves. It's a real adventure.

1. Playa Tamarindo, Tamarindo

Surf, sundowners, and plenty of party – that's Tamarindo. Costa Rica's premier surf-nightlife hub has boomed since the Endless Summer II crew first waxed lyrical about its 88°F waters in 1994. Hugging long Playa Tamarindo, the town is a medley of beach bars, creative microbreweries, and lux surf camps.

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All that spills out onto a two-kilometer beachfront sandwiched by the Tamarindo River to the north and the rugged rocks of Isla Capitan to the southeast. This beach counts six – yes, six! – named surf breaks (consistent surfing points) that work on different tides, offering different shapes and waves for all levels.

Most notably, the Tamarindo Beach Break is among the most accessible and user-friendly beginner waves in the country. Expect plenty of whitewash to practice on and mostly nothing but soft sand underfoot. Head to Iguana Surf to organize starter lessons – they've been going since 1989 and have a spot right beside the beach.

Type of wave: All sorts! Beach break, rock reef, and rivermouth, all within walking distance of town. Good for any level, from beginner to pro.

Good to know: The tide affects the waves a lot in Tamarindo. Some waves won't work until the water pushes up. Others will totally disappear at low tide. Time your surfs accordingly. Dry season (November-April) is best for beginners.  

2. Playa Santa Teresa, Santa Teresa

Two full miles of uninterrupted Costa Rican beach break is on offer in Playa Santa Teresa. Peaks of all shapes and sizes stretch up and down its length to offer solid intermediate surf during the dry season and more challenging, hollower waves throughout the green season (May-November).

The town itself hides behind a phalanx of lush green palms, stretching out along a roadway that's never more than 250m (820ft) from the beach. It's a curious mix that belies change is in the air: A soda selling cheap gallo pinto (rice and beans with eggs) beside a boutique yoga lodge; a roastery café next to an old-school surf hostel.

Some of the best waves can be found in front of a hostel called Zeneidas Surf Garden. They do surf packages and the location means you can beat the crowds to be first in the water each morning.

Type of wave: Beach break that's good for all levels depending on the season. Good for all levels but timing is important. 

Good to know: The wet season brings the heaviest swells here and the paddle out can be super tiring. Wait for the dry season if you're learning and think about venturing to nearby beaches like Playa Hermosa, which are a touch easier.

3. Playa Dominical, Dominical

There's extra moxie to the waves along Playa Dominical compared to other beach breaks in Costa Rica. The shoreline drops off quite steeply here, helping the sets sit up and gather power. The area around the rivermouth on the north side of the beach is famous for its powerful waves and is consistently used for regional competitions. With strong westerly swells and a nice wintertime offshore, that can be a procession of hollow right-hand barrels.

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Dominical town is a bijou cluster of cafés and surfer hotels set alongside a tea-colored river. The pace of life is noticeably slower here than in, say, Tamarindo. Head to Main St for post-surf dining and drinking. Drop into Fuego Brewing Company, where they pour crisp hefeweizens and pilsners made with natural spring water.

Type of wave: Beach break and rivermouth waves that are punchy and steep but mellower at high tide. Generally better for more advanced surfers.

Good to know: Playa Dominicalito is one bay around to the south of town and generally a foot or two smaller than Domincal itself, with easier waves for beginners.

4. Witch's Rock, Santa Rosa National Park

The cathedral-like bluff of Roca Bruja jutts from an inky ocean, while rifle-barrel A-frames peel into the middle of the bay in the foreground. Welcome to Witch's Rock, a remote break on a brown-sand beach deep in the confines of the Santa Rosa National Park, and one of the most iconic scenes in Costa Rican surfing.

The open bay sucks in swell almost all year, but December to March is when the offshores groom the lines to give the best shapes and barrels. There's nowhere to stay within walking distance of Witch's Rock because it's inside a national reserve. The appropriately named Witch's Rock Surf Camp offers advanced surf tour packages that sometimes include boat outings to the spot from Tamarindo.

Type of wave: Rivermouth and beach breaks in the same bay. Best for advanced surfers but with some consistent beginner and improver options around.

Good to know: Witch's Rock relies heavily on silt deposits at the rivermouth in the middle of the bay. Sometimes they're epic; sometimes they're not so epic. It's a roll of the dice, but there are other breaks up and down the beach to explore, so it's rarely a wasted trip.

5. Playa Hermosa, Santa Teresa

There are several Playa Hermosa in Costa Rica, but there's only one with World Surfing Reserve pedigree. Dedicated back in 2022, the driftwood-strewn, coconut-peppered, black-sand beach south of Jaco joins the likes of Portugal's Ericeira and California's Malibu in the lineup of the most prized surf territory on the globe.

It's earned it. Rivers carry sand down from the mountains, creating large underwater sandbars along the beach. They're so beefy come the rainy season that they're able to create powerful tubing waves that break close to the shore.

Playa Hermosa is little more than a few barbecue restaurants and shoreline surf hotels hidden in the coast palms. Go to Bowie's Point for après-surf drinks. It's a local legend of a restaurant with a resident pet pig and a blazing sunset view.

Type of wave: Sandbar beach breaks the whole way along.

Good to know: Playa Hermosa is best in the wet season (May to November), with head-on south swells. When they come, it's a challenging spot for advanced surfers only. There's still plenty for beginners in Jaco, the next town over, to the north.

6. Playa Esterillos, Esterillos

Coffee-hued sands edge into a frothy ocean, coconut palms bristle in the sea breezes above, and hills gather brooding clouds atop their emerald forests just behind. Welcome to Playa Esterillos, one of the most undeveloped and unknown surf spots left in Puntarenas Province.

That might come as a bit of a surprise since bustling Jaco is only a 30 minute drive up the highway but, sure enough, the waves here remain pleasantly unbusy and crucially fun.

Esterillos Oeste, the western end of the beach, is the anchor for surfing. It's home to a patchwork of reefs that can craft nice logger waves (suited for longboard surfing). You'll also find long stretches of open beach with multitudes of A-frames that appear and disappear as the tide moves in and out. Contact Brett's Boards for surf lessons and gear rentals.

Type of wave: Mainly beach break but with some reef breaks at the western end of Esterillos Oeste.

Good to know: Playa Esterillos is divided into east and west. The west is the best for surfing and has the top breaks, while the eastern playas are more consistent and can have a wave on even the smallest swells.

7. Playa Guiones, Nosara

Playa Guiones is almost singlehandedly responsible for putting the town of Nosara on the surf map. It fishhooks from a rocky bluff in the north to jungle-covered Punta Guiones in the south, covering three miles from tip to toe. The northern half of the beach is prime for surfing. It has a shallow shelf that helps to mellow out the sets and create loads of whitewash for learners, all while neat A-frames and long, workable shoulders break out back for more advanced surfers.

The vibe here is chill with a hint of Malibu. Yogis, New Agers, monied celebs on holiday – they're all in attendance. It's a great place for a touch of luxury between sessions. Hotels like The Gilded Iguana and The Nomadic bring a lovely bougie beach-hut aesthetic and offer in-house surf and yoga programs.

Type of wave: Beach break. Whitewash for beginners. Bigger waves out back for intermediates and up.

Good to know: Walk south along Playa Guiones to escape the crowds. 

8. Pavones

Goofy-footed surfers (those who ride with their right foot forward) rejoice at the long, peeling lefts that wrap around the river mouth at Pavones. Regularly hailed as one of the best left-handers in the world, it can throw out rides of nearly a kilometer. But the perfect wave only forms when the ocean swells from from a precise southwesterly angle. Most of the time that doesn't happen, and the take-off zones (where surfers catch waves) are split between the river mouth and the inside, with fatter, more playful waves in the first and steeper, zippier waves over cobbles in the second.

This is a hugely sought-after wave so expect crowds. That's despite the fact that Pavones is remote – it's a mere seven miles shy of the Panamanian border, engulfed by some of the most untouched rainforests in Central America. The town is small but set up solely for surfers, with suitable lodges and hostels straddling both sides of the Rio Claro.

Type of wave: Left-hand point break.

Good to know: Pavones only comes alive for the wet season when there are solid south-direction swells, so time your visit for between April and October.