Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Medium wave
Water quality: Clean
Beach type & size: Sand - Medium
Infos: Some debris on the beach.
Beachgoer: None
Access description: by Car -
Specific rules: None
Accommodations: Rooms, Food
View spot
Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Medium wave
Water hazards: Currents
Water quality: Crystal clear
Beach type & size: Sand - Tidal
Beachgoer: None
Access description: by Car -
Specific rules: None
Accommodations: Rooms, Toilet, Food
View spot
Level: Expert
Type: Lake
Water type: Chop, Small wave, Medium wave
Water quality: Clean
Infos: The water is sweet and clean. Due to strong winds it gets nice waves. Staying upwind is recommended.
Beach type & size: Grass - Small
Infos: Small launching area. Rigging on grass.
Beachgoer: None
Weather specificities: Definitely the best period to visit Costa Rica and to surf is during the winter time, between December and April. These are the months where the wind reaches its highest average and the sun is guaranteed, specially on the north Pacific beaches. This is also the dry season. During the day it's hot but dry and the nights are cooler. You can spend hours in the warm water. All year around the temperature is between 22 and 34C. Water in the lake around 72F. It is super-windy and does have some rain in the beginning of the season, but it is patchy and you get hours of sun in between for the most part. As the season progresses the rain tapers off and by January it is mostly sunny and still cranking.
Wind type: Thermal
Wind specificities: During the main windy season from December through May, it is mainly a high-wind destination. Bring your 6 sqm kites because you will need them. Some locals have never flown bigger than a 9 sqm kite. The frequency of the nuking days starts falling off in March, but still it is 9 sqm kites conditions most days. In the months from April through June it becomes summer-like weather, really dry for the region. When this happens the weather is mostly calm and hot. You still get wind, but for a few days at-a-time when fronts pass through. Then is July and August another windy period as it tees up for the rainy season. This is less windy.
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, July, December
Access description: by Car - From either airport take the Panamerican highway to Canas, go east through Canas 21 kilometers to Tilaran. Just as you begin to enter the town of Tilaran take the very sharp left onto the road that goes around the lake. Tilawa is basically closed so continue past Tilawa and continue to Tico Wind. It's very easy to move around by car or by bus. There is no need for a 4x4 but the road to the beach at Tico Wind is dirt and a bit rough. You can rent the cheapest car for 250 per week or rent a four wheel drive could cost approx. $350 per week. Buses are cheap.
Specific rules: None
Extra: Strong winds, for experienced riders only.
Nightlife: Tilaran is a 12-minute drive. There are 4 bars. They have dancing, drinking, and karaoke almost every night, and there is a killer discotheque 10 minutes the other way from the lake every Saturday.
Accommodations: Rooms, Rental, Rescue, Shower, Toilet, Food, Parking
View spot
Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Medium wave
Water quality: Crystal clear
Beach type & size: Sand - Medium
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: None
Wind type: Thermal
Wind specificities: During afternoons lighter thermal winds from SW (onshore).
Access description: by Car -
Specific rules: None
Accommodations: Parking
View spot
Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: River Mouth
Water type: Shallow, Flat, Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: Currents
Water quality: Polluted
Beach type & size: Sand - Medium
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: None
Access description: by Car -
Specific rules: None
Accommodations: None
View spot
Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Medium wave
Water hazards: Animals
Water quality: Clean
Beach type & size: Sand - Medium
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: None
Access description: by Car -
Specific rules: None
View spot
Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Flat, Chop
Infos: Flat water. Choppy with more then 22 knots.
Beach type & size: Sand - Medium
Infos: Sandy beach, enough space.
Beachgoer: None
Weather specificities: Definitely the best period to visit Costa Rica and to surf is during the winter time, between December and April. These are the months where the wind reaches its highest average and the sun is guaranteed, specially on the north Pacific beaches. This is also the dry season. During the day it's hot but dry and the nights are cooler. All year around the temperature is between 22 and 34C. The water is about 28C, a shorty is used only some days of the year.
Wind specificities: Bahia Culebra normally has 10 to 25 knots. During the rest of the year only half of the days have a good wind and it's generally a lot lighter. Good also during the dry season (November to May).
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, November, December
Access description: by Car - From each airports take the Panamerican highway to the North until the town of La Cruz and Sardinal. Then get to Panama and the beach. It's very easy to move around by car or by bus. To rent a four wheel drive could cost approx. $350 per week and the longest bus route is not more then $5.
Specific rules: None
Nightlife: No nightlife.
View spot
Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean, River Mouth
Water type: Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: Rocks
Water quality: Clean
Beach type & size: Sand - Big
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: None
Access description: by Car -
Specific rules: None
Accommodations: Parking
View spot
Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean, River Mouth
Water type: Flat, Medium wave
Water hazards: Currents, Rocks
Water quality: Crystal clear
Infos: Flat water in the river mouth.
Beach type & size: Sand - Small
Identified hazards: Rocks
Beachgoer: None
Wind type: Thermal
Access description: by Car -
Specific rules: None
Accommodations: Rooms, Parking
View spot
Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Shallow, Flat, Chop
Water hazards: Animals
Water quality: Clean
Infos: Bahia Salinas. Very protected and safe, no current, warm, clean water. Small swells in the middle, small chop closer to shore, flat water behind reefs. The water is choppy with more then 22 knots. Watch out for stingrays near the shore (shuffle your feet on the sand to scare them away). Booties recommended to people with sensitive feet since some parts of the beach can be rocky. While there can a large tide swing around the full moon, it does not affect the riding at all.
Infos: The beach is about 1.5 km long. It is enough space to launch and land the kites. No people except a few kitesurfers uses the beach. It is sandy but there are sharp stones and shells, so water shoes are suggested. The stones can be very slippery. The beach is pretty narrow at high tide.
Identified hazards: None
Weather specificities: The average annual temperature for most of the country lies between 21.7C (71F) and 27C (81F). The coolest months are from November through January, and the warmest from March through May. San Jose has a mean annual temperature of 20.6C. The water is about 28C, a shorty is used only some days of the year.
Wind type: Thermal, Trade
Wind specificities: Constant winds in this spot comes in from Nicaragua. May and June are the only months were the wind is somewhat weaker. From the beginning of November to the end of May and July you can kitesurf almost 90% of the days! In the other 4 months of the year you can kitesurf 50% of the days. The windiest months are January and February with an average of 23 knots! These are the other recent monthly averages: November 17 knots, December 22 knots, March 19 knots, April 17 knots, May 16 knots, June 12 knots, July 18 knots. Playa Copal has usually sideonshore winds. It is a combination of trade winds and a mountain venturi effect which creates a monster wind machine. Don't bother bringing anything bigger than a 13m kite. Try to get your hands on a 6m or 7m kite, you will use it a lot. Having an extra bar with short lines will also help. The wind is gusty but not the punchy type of gusty that you might be used to. Instead the wind sweeps over and comes in "sets" as if it were a set of waves. You need to rig for the gusts, so in-between the sets you might spend some of your time underpowered needing to work your kite. Locals get used to watching the water for where the windy sets are. Seeing where the wind is or isn't, makes all the difference.
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, July, August, November, December
Access description: by Car, Bus - From each airports (SJO and LIB) take the Panamerican highway to the North until the town of La Cruz, very close to the Nicaraguan border. Once there, take the only street to Bahia Salinas and after 7 miles you'll arrive to Playa Copal via a dirt road. About 1 hour from the airport of Liberia. Fly into Liberia instead of San Jose. You will waste a full day of traveling each way if you fly into SJO. If on a budget and arrive into La Cruz by bus or other means, take the local bus down the hill to the kite schools. The bus is caught near the internet cafe in town. From the town center, where the taxi's are all parked, ask the taxi drivers where the internet cafe is. The people in the cafe speak some English and can point exactly to where the bus is. Don't bother asking the taxi drivers because they will tell you the bus isn't running, but it definitely runs everyday. The bus costs 650colones (about $1.25) versus a taxi which is $12. The bus goes down at 8:30, 11:15, 2:00 & 4:15.
Specific rules: None
Extra: Think of bringing extra gear such as lines or bladders if your gear is not in great shape since not many spares are available at either of the 2 schools.
Nightlife: Quiet, except for the small group of kitesurfers that hangs there. Local restaurant. La Cruz town has some parties on the weekends and there are local festival during the year.
Accommodations: Rooms, School, Shop, Repair, Rental, Food, Parking
View spot
Level: Beginner, Expert
Type: Ocean, River Mouth
Water type: Shallow, Flat, Chop, Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: None
Water quality: Clean
Infos: River mouth with flat water, also behind a sand bar. Perfect waves in front of the river mouth.
Beach type & size: Sand - Big
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: None
Access description: by Car -
Specific rules: None
View spot
Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Medium wave
Water hazards: Reefs, Rocks
Water quality: Clean
Infos: Very nice waves.
Beach type & size: Sand - Medium
Identified hazards: Rocks
Beachgoer: None
Access description: by Car -
Specific rules: None
Accommodations: Rooms, Shower, Toilet, Food, Parking
View spot
Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Medium wave
Water quality: Crystal clear
Beach type & size: Sand - Big
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: None
Wind type: Thermal
Wind specificities: Thermal onshore winds in the afternoon.
Access description: by Car -
Specific rules: None
Accommodations: Rooms, Toilet, Food, Parking
View spot
Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean, River Mouth
Water type: Shallow, Flat, Small wave, Medium wave
Water quality: Crystal clear
Beach type & size: Sand - Medium
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: None
Access description: by Car -
Specific rules: None
Accommodations: Parking
View spot
Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Medium wave
Water quality: Clean
Infos: Beautiful waves with flat sections in between. Look out for debris in the water.
Beach type & size: Sand - Big
Infos: Lots of debris on the beach.
Identified hazards: Other
Beachgoer: None
Access description: by Car -
Specific rules: None
Accommodations: Parking
View spot
Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Flat, Chop
Water hazards: Rocks
Water quality: Crystal clear
Infos: Flat water. Choppy with more then 22 knots.
Beach type & size: Sand - Big
Infos: Long, sandy beach. Wide with lots of space.
Identified hazards: Rocks
Beachgoer: None
Weather specificities: Definitely the best period to visit Costa Rica and to surf is during the winter time, between December and April. These are the months where the wind reaches its highest average and the sun is guaranteed, specially on the north Pacific beaches. This is also the dry season. During the day it's hot but dry and the nights are cooler. All year around the temperature is between 22 and 34 degrees C. The water is about 28C, a shorty is used only some days of the year.
Wind type: Thermal
Wind specificities: Hermosa is good only from May to October during the rainy season, when the thermal wind blows between 11am to 3pm, only big gear.
Best months: May, June, July, August, September, October
Access description: by Car - From each airports take the Panamerican highway to the North until the town of La Cruz and Sardinal. Then get to Hermosa. It's very easy to move around by car or by bus. Rent a four wheel drive could cost approx. $350 per week and the longest bus route is not more then $5.
Specific rules: None
Nightlife: No nightlife.
Accommodations: Rooms, Toilet, Food, Parking
View spot
Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Medium wave
Water hazards: Reefs, Rocks
Water quality: Clean
Infos: The beach break can get bigger, but also nice to ride.
Beach type & size: Sand - Medium
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: None
Access description: by Car -
Specific rules: None
Accommodations: Parking
View spot
Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Medium wave
Water quality: Clean
Beach type & size: Sand - Big
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: None
Access description: by Car -
Specific rules: None
Accommodations: Rooms
View spot
Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Flat, Chop, Small wave, Medium wave, Big wave
Water hazards: Reefs
Water quality: Crystal clear
Infos: The reef gets shallow on low tide, so watch out.
Beach type & size: Sand - Small
Infos: Very small beach.
Identified hazards: Trees
Beachgoer: None
Access description: by Car, Boat -
Specific rules: None
Accommodations: None
View spot