Costa Rica surfing! Guanacaste offers some of the top surfing in Costa Rica.
On the country's north Pacific coast, Guanacaste has more beaches that are less crowded than those at Jaco.
Costa Rica surfing - top surf beaches in Guanacaste
Guanacaste offers year-round opportunities for surfers, though March-November are the optimal months. Local surfers as well as tourists often arrive on weekends throughout the year, except October, the rainiest month
Playa Naranjo
Playa Naranjo is the closest beach to Witch Rock, but there are no accommodations and you need a four-wheel drive to cover the near ten mile trip.
Surfing boat charters also visit Costa Rica's best-known surfing spot; average price is about $200 for up to five people.
An even more remote hot spot, Oliver's Point, lies to the north of Naranjo and is accessible only by boat. Few tourism options here, but a great place for pictures.
There is also consistent wave action in front of the estuary in Playa Naranjo and a few miles south
This beach is near the Santa Rosa National Park,
providing alternative activities that include bungee jumping and canopy tours.
While the surfing is great, there are no hotels at Naranjo. You can camp out for $2 a night. Gas grills, food stands, showers, bathrooms are available
Playas del Coco
The best place to stay if you want to go surfing off Witch's Rock and Ollie's Point, Playas del Coco is still a sleepy fishing village -- until sundown, when over 20 bars open and rock all night. Inexpensive lodging, food and booze.
Playa Tamarindo
Best waves in the Tamarindo area are in front of the estuary, south beach, and in front of the Dolly Hotel.
The most developed of the area beaches, Tamarindo offers every kind of restaurant you can imagine, plus wild nightlife and a wide range of hotels and budget cabinas. (Also a good place for a resort vacation or villa.) Boards may be rented for $2-4 an hour, and lessons are available.
(This is changing, though, as Costa Rica becomes more popular with surfers -- the tourism bureau reports that 20% of all vacationers come here for surfing.)
Tamarindo, Guanacaste, ranks high on the surf charts for its variety of wave action, exotic scenery, secluded sand beaches, and crystal clear waters. Surfing newbies will appreciate two local surf camps.
Witch's Rock is the country's most well known spot, but this article also covers some of Guanacaste's more secluded surfing beaches and wave-riding havens, and the nearby hotels and resorts. There’s plenty more to be discovered.
