Tamarindo

Surf Guide

While Jaco could indeed be considered Costa Rica's "Surf City," Tamarindo is probably its spiritual home. Though years of tourism has left the formerly quaint, Italian-settled fishing village a little ragged around the edges, it's still the place to go if you want a good variety of waves, a wide selection of accommodations, a bunch of good restaurants, and lively nightlife. Just don't expect to find it uncrowded. The bay of Tamarindo stretches for about four miles, bordered on the north end by Playa Grande and the Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas de Guanacaste, where leatherback turtles can be seen laying eggs at night; and to the south by the south end of Tamarindo itself. There are at least four distinct surf breaks along that stretch. From north to south: Playa Grande: Probably the most consistent of all Tamarindo's spots, even though it's a 20-minute drive or 30-minute hike north of town, Playa Grande is a cooking beachbreak, especially on a good south swell. It's a somewhat flat-ish beach, so it has the tendency to close out at low tide, but at mid-high tide, it's all near-shore, A-frame tubes -- the best (and most crowded) peaks being right in front of the Hotel Las Tortugas. It's always bigger than in Tamarindo, and if it is flat everywhere else, Grande will still have something to ride. It's especially good when an off-season south combines with wintertime offshores. El Estero (Tamarindo Rivermouth): Not a totally classic rivermouth setup, but a damn good wave when the sand settles just right, which it can for weeks at a time. It's split between rights on the south side and lefts on the north. The river is located at the north end of town, across and down from the Best Western, and, as such, it can get really crowded. Watch out for fishermen, too. Tamarindo Beachbreak: Average beachbreak that's never as good as Playa Grande, but it has the advantage of being right in town -- that walk/drive to Grande twice a day gets old pretty quick. There are lots of beginners here, so you get a chance to show off those closeout maneuvers you've practiced at home. Pico Pequeno: Right lava reefbreak that can get really good -- it seems to favor a southwest swell and a mid-high tide (low tide is sketchy and shallow). It's located right in the heart of town, thus everybody is on it when the swell is right. It's also a one-peak sort of wave, so the crowd is especially difficult and also dangerous. NEARBY SPOTS There are a bunch of waves as you head south of Tamarindo: Playa Langosta, about a mile south, is a stretch of consistent beachbreak with a rivermouth that can get really good. Playa Avellanes is a series of rocky reefbreaks, beachbreaks, and another rivermouth, about 30 minutes to the south, and also can get really good. You can usually find an uncrowded peak at one of those two spots, and they generally pick up more swell than Tamarindo. Just south of Avellanes is Playa Negra, a hollow right rock reefbreak that's one of the better tubes in Costa Rica and has the crowds to match. As you head south down the Nicoya Peninsula there are heaps of spots, including (but not limited to) Nosara, Samara, and Playa Coyote. The roads are sketchy, and there are fewer amenities in this area of Costa Rica (though more hotels, etc., are popping up, especially around Nosara), but if you're looking for uncrowded surf and have a 4WD and some time... the possibilities are endless. Click here to download Surfline's North Costa Rica Surf Guide pdf.