Costa Rica
Best time to surf Costa Rica
Swell, crowds and conditions by region and month, so you book the weeks that actually deliver.
Plan a Costa Rica trip around the season
Guanacaste — best Dec-Apr
| Months | Verdict | What to expect |
|---|
| Dec-Apr | Prime | Dry season, offshore mornings, sunshine, clean NW-fed 3-4ft waves almost daily |
| May-Jul | Good | Green season begins; bigger SW groundswell, afternoon showers, fewer crowds |
| Aug-Oct | Good | Peak SW swell and empty line-ups, but the wettest, muddiest roads |
| Nov | Quiet | Transition, rains easing, swell easing, a quiet shoulder month |
Golfo de Nicoya — best Dec-Apr
| Months | Verdict | What to expect |
|---|
| Dec-Apr | Good | Dry season, cleaner conditions and WNW pulses, though smaller than the summer swell |
| May-Jul | Prime | Green season SW groundswell fires the points and beachbreaks; offshore mornings |
| Aug-Oct | Prime | Peak S-SW swell, most consistent and biggest, but the wettest months |
| Nov | Quiet | Transition, rain and swell easing into the dry season |
Central Puntarenas — best May-Nov
| Months | Verdict | What to expect |
|---|
| Dec-Apr | Good | Short dry season, cleaner, sunnier, but smaller than the summer swell |
| May-Jul | Prime | Green season S-SW groundswell fires Dominical and the points; offshore mornings |
| Aug-Oct | Prime | Peak, most consistent S-SW swell, and the wettest, greenest months |
| Nov | Quiet | Transition, heavy rains and swell easing into the dry season |
Golfo Dulce — best Apr-Oct
| Months | Verdict | What to expect |
|---|
| Apr-Jun | Good | Season building, S-SW swell arriving, lush and quiet, roads still passable |
| Jul-Sep | Prime | Peak S-SW power, Pavones at its best, but the wettest, road-washing months |
| Oct | Good | Still firing, crowds thinning, very wet |
| Nov-Mar | Quiet | Dry but smaller, Pavones needs a big south, so it's often flat |
Limón — best Dec-Mar
| Months | Verdict | What to expect |
|---|
| Dec-Mar | Prime | Main season, NE-E storms off Colombia fire Salsa Brava and the reefs |
| Apr-Jun | Quiet | Flat spells between seasons, the Pacific is the better bet now |
| Jul-Aug | Good | A reliable mid-year mini-season, July the safer bet for swell |
| Sep-Nov | Quiet | Mostly flat and very wet, off-season on the Caribbean |
Get one emerging surf spot a week
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