Costa Rica Surf Vacation!

For fun and tropical sun, plan a Costa Rica surf vacation! What is it about this small Central American country that attracts the novice as well as the experienced surfer?

First of all, Costa Rica beaches are less crowded than places like Sydney, Hawaii or Southern California.

Second, the weather in Costa Rica is ideal for surfing and there is warm water on both the Pacific and Atlantic side of the country year round.

Third, Costa Rica has waves that are big and with many reef breaks and perfect lefts and rights all along the coast. Although some of the best surf beaches maybe kind of hard to reach because of poor road conditions, they are well worth the trip as the waves in Costa Rica are good any time of the year.

While you are on your Costa Rica surf vacation, it is recommended that you rent a car (SUV) when you arrive rather than flying to several different surf destinations. The smaller local airlines have restrictions on luggage and you may not be able to take your board with you to the next destination.

The best way to take advantage of surfing in Costa Rica is to pick one or two towns to use as your home base and use your rental car by day to explore the nearby breaks. Most breaks are located within an hours drive from your home base. This will allow you more time in the water and less time on the road.

Some of the most popular surfing beaches can be found along Costa Rica's northwest Pacific coast. One of the best is Playa Avellana. It is located 10 miles south of the former fishing village of Tamarindo. The locals refer to it as "little Hawaii" due to the excellent waves that can be found there.

One of the nice things about Playa Avellana is that it only has one public beach access. This limits the number of people on the beach and helps to preserve the surrounding environment. A large portion of the beach is lined with mangrove trees.

You will find the accommodations at Playa Avellana to be very reasonable and less expensive than what you will find around Tamarindo or some of the upscale hotels to the south of Playa Avellana.

There are other excellent places to enjoy your Costa Rica surf vacation along the mid and southern Pacific coast.

One such place is the small town of Punta Dominical, located along Costa Rica's Pacific coast south of Quepos. Just a few years ago this tiny village consisted of just a few buildings owned by local fishermen. It is now considered a surfers paradise.

Playa Dominical is considered by many to be the finest surfing beach in Costa Rica due to its consistent wave and breath taking surroundings. The beach is lined with palms and mangrove trees and the local mountains form an emerald backdrop.

Another attractive feature is the lack of large crowds and over development. The beach itself is 3 miles (4 km) long. During the high season (Dec-Mar & Jun-Aug) you will see no more than ten to thirty surfers along the beach at any one time.

Also, you will find local accommodations and eateries to meet every budget.

The Atlantic side of Costa Rica is much shorter than the Pacific side. Still, there are excellent places to surf along the Caribbean coast line as well. The best surfing conditions are between the months of November and March.

The best way to get to Costa Rica's Caribbean coast is by car or bus. It is about a three and a half hour drive from the capitol city of San Jose.

You will find this region of Costa Rica quite different from the Pacific side of the country. It is more laid back and is populated by descendants of Jamaican workers who helped to build the railroad many years ago.

The best wave conditions are the result of tropical storms found in the north Caribbean close to Mexico. These storms produce strong perfect waves. It is suggested you surf with locals who know the water and weather conditions in the area.

South of the town of Puerto Viego is the famous "Salsa Brava"! It is the most powerful wave in all of Costa Rica. We advise extreme caution! Many a surfer has lost his board to this powerful wave.

Further south is Manzanillo. This beach is located only twenty minutes from Puerto Viejo. Its waves are much tamer but still challenging. It is also more remote than some of the other beaches.

Come on down! There are many fun and exotic places to visit on your Costa Rica surf vacation.

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