5 Surfing Spots in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a famous surf destination. There are great surfing beaches in the area around Dominical for both beginners and seasoned experts. 

Both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts offer great waves. One of the best destinations, and until recently ”undiscovered” is the Matapalo area. Although now known in the surfing world, the Matapalo waves are still not very crowded due to the limited access, lack of places to stay and distance from San Jose.

Surfing at Cabo Matapalo is a unique surfing experience. The ocean is clean and warm. The view of land is incredible, with scarlet macaws flying by and howler monkey calls echoing out of the forest. Because the breaks are inside the gulf, glassy conditions almost always persist. The good waves combined with lush vistas of the rainforest make this one of the most beautiful places you can surf .

Matapalo - A powerful right-hand wave that breaks best at midtide.  Can be extremely challenging on big swells. Due to the fact that it faces open ocean, it receives more waves, more consistently than the other spots.

Backwash - A fun right that breaks in the middle of Backwash Bay. Although it doesn’t break as many days per year as Matapalo, it is the spot of choice when it is at its best (from midtide to lowtide).

Pan Dulce - A long right point break. Pan Dulce is rideable only on the larger swells that wrap into the gulf. If you are lucky to catch it good, you can expect rides up to 500 meters long.

Pavones - Across the Gulfo Dulce, this beach is accessible from Bosque del Cabo by boat. Pavones is a well-known, world-class wave with lefts up to a kilometer long.

Carate - A beach break located 45 minutes (by car) from Bosque del Cabo. Receives the north and west swells that normally don’t break in the Matapalo area.

Are you tired yet?