Costa Rica surf guide
Surfing Cabo Matapalo
Three quality right points at the tip of the Osa
- Spots4
- LevelsAdvanced, Beginner, Intermediate
- Best seasonApr-Oct
- RegionGolfo Dulce
The waves at Cabo Matapalo
Playa Carate
- Beach Break
- Beginner / Intermediate
- 2-6 ft
- Apr-Oct
- Crowd 1/5
Just before the Corcovado National Park boundary, Playa Carate picks up any south or west swell onto exposed sandbanks near the rivermouth, a handy fallback when the Matapalo points are flat. The banks shift with the river, so shape varies, but on the right day it serves up fun, uncrowded peaks at the literal edge of the wilderness.
The 4x4 dirt roads into the Cabo Matapalo area are easily cut off by swollen rivers in the wet season, and accommodation is limited and expensive out here, this is the frontier of the Osa Peninsula, where scarlet macaws outnumber surfers.
Come on a south or west swell at mid-tide and treat it as the mellow option when the reef points aren't working. Carate is more about the setting than the surf: a wild, roadless corner where the beachbreak is a bonus on top of some of the richest rainforest and wildlife on the planet.
8.44, -83.48 · Swell S/W, marea media
Hog Hole
- Point Break
- Advanced
- 3-8 ft
- Apr-Oct
- Crowd 2/5
The most consistent of Cabo Matapalo's trio of right point-reefs, Hog Hole is the outside point and produces very steep, fast walls that favour low to mid-tide. It's a challenging break that gets wild and heavy when it's big, with a nasty mix of ledges, boulders and cobblestone waiting on the inside, a wave that rewards commitment and punishes hesitation.
Reaching it means a bumpy 4x4 trip to the wild tip of the Osa, where accommodation is expensive and the jungle presses right to the sand. The pay-off is a quality right-hand point breaking in near-total isolation.
Board up for steep, fast take-offs and favour the lower tides, but keep a sharp eye on the shallow inside sections. Hog Hole is for confident, experienced surfers only, one of three superb Matapalo rights that make the long, rough journey to the edge of Corcovado thoroughly worthwhile when a solid south swell lines up.
8.37, -83.28 · Swell S-SW, marea baja-media
Backwash
- Point Break
- Intermediate / Advanced
- 2-8 ft
- Apr-Oct
- Crowd 2/5
Backwash is the middle cove of Cabo Matapalo's three right points, usually a bit smaller than the outer point but with hollow, fast sections that make it a popular wave at low to mid-tide. It's a slightly more forgiving introduction to the Matapalo reefs than Hog Hole next door, without ever being soft, the sections still throw and the reef still bites.
Like its neighbours, it sits at the roadless end of the Osa Peninsula, reached by 4x4 through the jungle, with limited pricey lodges and macaws for company. The isolation keeps the crew small and the vibe wild.
Favour the lower tides and a solid south-west swell, and mind the rocks and cobble on the inside. Backwash is the pick for surfers who want quality Matapalo reef without the full heaviness of Hog Hole, a fast, hollow right in one of the most remote and beautiful surf settings in Costa Rica.
8.37, -83.28 · Swell S-SW, marea baja-media
Pan Dulce
- Point Break
- Beginner / Intermediate
- 2-6 ft
- Apr-Oct
- Crowd 3/5
If the south swell gets to a decent size, Pan Dulce becomes a Rincon-style right point, meaning really long, mellow cutback shoulders and zippy walls perfect for longboarding, often breaking as two separate sections over a rocky bottom inside the Golfo. It's the friendliest of the Matapalo waves, a dreamy, drawn-out point that rewards a smooth style over raw power.
The setting is pure Osa: jungle to the sand, macaws overhead and a scatter of eco-lodges rather than a town. Access is by 4x4 to the cape, so the line-up stays intimate.
Come on a solid south-west swell and favour the higher tides for the longest rides, and bring a longboard or single-fin to make the most of those endless shoulders. Pan Dulce is where intermediates and stylists come to log wave after wave, the mellow, rippable jewel of Cabo Matapalo and a lovely counterpoint to the heavier points nearby.
8.38, -83.28 · Swell S-SW decente, marea alta
Where to stay near Cabo Matapalo
- Buena Esperanza-Matapalo — Guesthouse: Relaxed rooms and restaurant near the Cabo Matapalo points, a base for the three rights.
- Bosque del Cabo — Eco Lodge: Upmarket rainforest lodge on the Matapalo cliffs with wildlife and ocean views, the classic Osa splurge.
- Cabinas Jiménez-Puerto Jiménez — Guesthouse: Waterfront cabinas in Puerto Jiménez, the affordable, practical base for the Matapalo surf and Corcovado.
Beyond the surf
- Corcovado National Park: The wildest rainforest in Central America, tapirs, macaws, monkeys and pumas, right at the tip of the Osa near Matapalo.
- Cabo Matapalo waterfalls: Jungle waterfalls and swimming holes hidden in the rainforest around the cape, between surf sessions.
- Puerto Jiménez: The Osa's little frontier town, the last supplies, ATMs and the launch point for Corcovado trips.
Best time to surf Cabo Matapalo
Cabo Matapalo works best around Apr-Oct. See the full month-by-month breakdown for Costa Rica.
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