Destination: Costa Rica

LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION

Itinerary: Surfing Costa Rica

AS LONG AS YOU LIKE

Costa Rican shores have been attracting surfers since Endless Summer II profiled some of the country’s most appealing breaks.



Playa Tamarindo serves as a good base for several tasty surfing sites. Start with a boat trip to the granddaddies of all surf breaks, Witch’s Rock and Ollie’s Point in the Parque Nacional Santa Rosa. Then hit the isolated beaches at Playas Avellana and Negra, whose famous waves were featured in the movie. Down the coast Playa Guiones is cooking all year long, and from there it’s just a hop, skip and long jump to the oh-so-trendy Mal País.

The next big stop is Jacó and Playa Hermosa on the central Pacific coast, offering consistent waves, but keep moving south for good reef breaks at Matapalo and Dominical. Afterwards, hightail it way south to Cabo Matapalo on the Península de Osa, before skipping back to the mainland for one of the continent’s longest left-hand breaks at Pavones.

And don’t forget the Caribbean. Catch a boat to the uninhabited Isla Uvita off the coast of Puerto Limón or frolic in the waves on the endless Playa Negra north of Cahuita. Further south the famous Salsa Brava at Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is for experts only, while Playa Cocles has consistent waves that service surfers of all skill levels.