Puntarenas is name of the Costa Rica region encompassing the central coast south of the Golfo de Nicoya most accessible to you from the Jungle Surf Haven. Playa Hermosa Beach is only 2.8 km from the house.
Beginner surfers and swimmers. The waves are fairly large most of the time in Hermosa. We recommend you go to Jaco to swim. A great beginner surf spot in about 20 km south in Esterillos Oeste or you can try Jaco as well.
You can surf almost anywhere along Playa Hermosa. Here are the popular spots only a few minutes away: T-Land right in front of the Hotel Terraza. It is the annual site of the Quicksilver Pro event. Needs a west swell. Extremely hollow right off the rocks.
The Tree or “El Almendro” is a popular and sometimes crowded spot right in front of the only almond tree on the beach side of the road.
Just down the road about a kilometer is Pig Farm.
The road loops inland at this point around the Hermosa Palms development and then juts back at Rio Tulin. Big powerful beachbreak peaks shift up and down the beach. Good river-mouth breaks but there are crocodiles.
If you are north-bound, you first encounter a gnarly right called Roca Loca under the cliffs between Jaco and Playa Hermosa. You have to climb down the cliff to get there and would not recommend it unless accompanied by a local. Playa Jaco is probably the biggest surf center in Costa Rica but the waves offer on a decent beach break and it closes out at only 6 feet. It is best on the North (West) end.
There is an excellent left off the island in Playa Herradura but it needs a big west swell to break and it is a very long paddle and it is best to take a boat. Playa La Escondida offers the most perfect A-frame in Costa Rica. Hollow rights and lefts over a shallow reef. One surfer was disemboweled here though. Expert surfers only. Boat access for $10 per person from Playa Herradura is your best
bet. There is no land access to this break due to guarded housing developments. Surf charters run $20 a head. Little Fiji is a gnarly left just a few hundred meters north, which works only on a big swell. Gun required. Guacalillo south of Tavives, before the Tarcoles River is a left point off the rivermouth. It is a high crime area. Playa Tavives is a good beachbreak with lefts and rights. Playa Valor ia a shallow, low, rocky rivermouth left. Paddle across the river to the break. Very hollow—experienced surfers only. High crime area so leave nothing in your car. Take the Pan American highway and turn off at the sign just south of Caldera. Boca Barranca is a classic left break and one of the worlds longest waves. Breaks for 1 km plus! It needs a huge south swell and a low tide. It is 2 km past Caldera on the Pan American highway. There are well marked signs. There is an abandoned meat factory in the bay so be sure to rinse off thoroughly after your session.
North of Boca Barranca is the Golfo de Nicoya. You must travel to the other side to the Nicoya Peninsula and the Guanacaste region to surf anything further North.
Surf Not So Nearby Costa Rica lies between 8oN to 11oN, with Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. The country is relatively narrow, varying from 70 to 150 miles wide. In the same day, it would be possible to surf the waves of both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula are to the north. This includes Portrero Grande (Ollie’s Point), Roca Bruja (Witches Rock), Playa Grande, Tamarindo, Playa Langosta, Las Avellanas, Playa Negra, Playa Nosara, Playa Coyote/ Manzanillo, and Malpais (Bad Country).
The south Pacific coast includes Quepos, Manuel Antonio, Playa el Ray, Dominical, Dominacaltito and the Point, Drake’s Bay, Rio Claro, Cabo Matapalo, Backwash Bay, and Pan Dulce.
South of this area you encounter another large gulf called the Gulfo Dulce. On the southern coast are Zancudo, Pavones, and Cabo Blanco.
On the Caribbean side is the north Caribbean coast, Isla Uvita, Portete, Playa Bonita, Westfalia, Playa Negra, Salsa Brava in Puerto Viejo, Cocles, Little Shoal, and Manzanillo.
This table below shows when the coasts are best to surf throughout the year on a 1 to 10 scale (10 is the best). The chart does not factor in crowds or "El Niño", just general wind conditions, swell direction, and wave size.
Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula are to the north. This includes Portrero Grande (Ollie’s Point), Roca Bruja (Witches Rock), Playa Grande, Tamarindo, Playa Langosta, Las Avellanas, Playa Negra, Playa Nosara, Playa Coyote/ Manzanillo, and Malpais (Bad Country).
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