Costa Rica surf guide
Surfing Limón & the north
Reef ledges around the city and the wild Tortuguero beachbreaks
- Spots7
- LevelsAdvanced, Beginner, Intermediate
- Best seasonDec-Mar
- RegionLimón
The waves at Limón & the north
Tortuguero Beach
- Beach Break
- Intermediate
- 2-8 ft
- Dec-Mar
- Crowd 1/5
The long sandy line of Tortuguero Beach runs for miles inside the national park, backed by huge waterways and brimming with sea-life, with countless beachbreak peaks and potential rivermouths, but with no road access. A boat from Puerto Moín is the only way in to the northern breaks of Parismina, Tortuguero or Barra Colorado, which keeps this a genuine frontier for the exploratory surfer.
The banks shift constantly and close out when big, but on the right NE swell there are hollow, powerful peaks to be found by those willing to make the journey. The setting, canals, jungle and nesting turtles, is unlike anywhere else on the coast.
Come on a north-east swell, arrange a boat and be self-sufficient. Tortuguero isn't about a single named wave, it's about miles of empty, wild beachbreak in one of Costa Rica's most famous wildlife reserves, a surf adventure for the truly independent traveller.
10.54, -83.5 · Swell NE-E
Cocaine Point
- Point Break
- Intermediate / Advanced
- 2-8 ft
- Dec-Mar
- Crowd 1/5
Between Portete and Piuta near Limón, Cocaine Point offers rare rights that need plenty of north in the swell to break, an unusual direction for this coast that keeps it inconsistent and uncrowded. When a strong northerly pulse arrives it wraps into the point and peels with quality, a nice alternative to the reefs when the angle is right.
It's an easy base for checking the variety of local breaks around Limón, from the reef ledges nearby to the beachbreaks north. The wider area rewards a surfer with a car and time to explore between swells.
Wait for a genuine north in the swell and this fickle right can turn on for those in the know. Cocaine Point is a spot for the patient and the exploratory rather than a reliable everyday wave, one of a cluster of Limón-area breaks that reward local knowledge and a willingness to chase the unusual swell directions this corner of the Caribbean needs.
10.02, -83.03 · Swell N fuerte
Playa Bonita
- Reef Break
- Intermediate / Advanced
- 2-8 ft
- Dec-Mar
- Crowd 2/5
Playa Bonita is the main beach in the Limón area and features a chunky left reef at the north end which gets slamming in a strong NE swell. It's a powerful, heavy wave when it's on, a thick left that throws over the reef and rewards confident surfers with fast, cover-up-able walls close to the city.
As the nicest beach near Limón, it's an easy, pleasant base for checking the surrounding breaks, with hotels and restaurants a short hop away and the reef firing right out front when the Caribbean turns on.
Come on a solid north-east swell for the chunky left, board up for power and mind the reef. Playa Bonita is one of the more accessible quality waves on this coast, you can watch it from the beach, walk to it easily, and score a heavy, uncrowded reef session when a proper NE storm off Colombia sends its energy this way.
10.02, -83.05 · Swell NE fuerte
Roca Alta
- Reef Break
- Advanced
- 3-8 ft
- Dec-Mar
- Crowd 1/5
The serious right ledges of Roca Alta get shallow and tricky at low tides, a heavy, reef-shelf wave near Limón that demands respect and experience. When a solid NE swell lands and the tide is right, it throws fast, ledging rights that offer real cover-ups, but the shallow rock beneath means there's little margin for error.
It sits among the cluster of Limón-area reefs that reward a surfer willing to explore and read the tide carefully, close enough to the city to check easily but heavy enough to keep the crew small.
Favour a higher tide to keep clear of the ledge, board up for a critical, shallow take-off, and come on a strong north-east swell. Roca Alta is strictly for confident, experienced surfers, one of the sharper, more demanding waves on the Caribbean coast, where the reward for the risk is a fast, hollow right with hardly anyone else around.
10, -83.04 · Swell NE, marea alta
Isla Uvita
- Reef Break
- Advanced
- 3-10 ft
- Dec-Mar
- Crowd 1/5
Isla Uvita, where Columbus landed in 1502, is a long paddle offshore, but it picks up everything and shunts along a shallow ledge, offering challenging, bowly lefts for assured tube-hunters only. If there aren't any boats for hire in Limón, the paddle from the mainland takes about 20 minutes; jellyfish rather than sharks are the major concern.
This is a serious, exposed reef that catches swell the mainland spots miss, throwing heavy, bowling lefts over shallow rock far from shore, a wave for experienced surfers with confidence in big water and long hold-downs.
Come on a solid north-east swell at a higher tide, arrange a boat if you can, and treat the paddle and the reef with respect. Isla Uvita is one of the Caribbean coast's most challenging waves, a historic, offshore ledge that rewards the committed tube-hunter with heavy, quality lefts and the strange thrill of surfing where Columbus first stepped ashore.
9.99, -83.02 · Swell NE grande, marea alta
Westfalia
- Beach Break
- Beginner / Intermediate
- 2-5 ft
- Dec-Mar
- Crowd 1/5
En route to Cahuita, Westfalia is a 60km stretch of average but consistent beachbreak where the sandbanks are deserted but close out when the swell gets over 4ft. It's a mellow, uncrowded option for smaller days, user-friendly peaks along an empty black-sand beach where you'll rarely see another surfer.
Check the Barco Quebrado at the Rio del Banano rivermouth nearby, where better-shaped banks are often seen. The whole area is quiet, rural Caribbean coast, backed by banana plantations and jungle.
Come on a smaller north-east swell for fun, forgiving peaks, and keep an eye on the size, over 4ft it tends to shut down. Westfalia won't deliver world-class surf, but as a relaxed, empty beachbreak between the Limón reefs and the Puerto Viejo scene, it's a pleasant place to log easy waves and enjoy the deserted sand of the central Caribbean coast.
9.9, -82.95 · Swell NE-E
Barco Quebrado
- Beach Break
- Intermediate
- 2-6 ft
- Dec-Mar
- Crowd 1/5
At the Rio del Banano rivermouth, Barco Quebrado is where better-shaped banks are often seen along the otherwise average Westfalia stretch. The river pushes the sand into more defined peaks, giving a rivermouth wave with a bit more shape and punch than the surrounding beachbreak when the swell and tide agree.
It's a quiet, easily missed spot on the road towards Cahuita, rewarding surfers who slow down and check the banks rather than pushing straight through to the busier Puerto Viejo waves.
Come on a north-east swell and look for the sandbars the river has built up; on the right day it's a fun, uncrowded rivermouth session. Barco Quebrado is the sort of overlooked bank that the exploratory surfer prizes, no crowd, no fanfare, just better-organised peaks in a stretch of coast most people drive straight past on their way to the reefs of Puerto Viejo.
9.88, -82.93 · Swell NE-E, rivermouth
Where to stay near Limón & the north
- Park Hotel Limón — City Hotel: The reliable option in Limón city, seafront and handy for the Playa Bonita reef and Tortuguero boats.
- Cabinas Iguana-Cahuita — Guesthouse: Relaxed garden cabinas in laid-back Cahuita, minutes from Playa Negra and the national park.
- Tortuguero eco-lodges — Eco Lodge: Jungle-canal lodges reached by boat, for the turtle-nesting adventure and the wild northern beachbreaks.
Beyond the surf
- Tortuguero National Park: Jungle canals, nesting green turtles and abundant birdlife, reached only by boat or plane, a Caribbean Amazon.
- Cahuita National Park: A reef-fringed park with sloths, monkeys and snorkelling on the coral, right beside Playa Negra.
- Limón & Bri-Bri culture: Afro-Caribbean Limón (Springfield nightlife) and the indigenous Bri-Bri communities inland, a different Costa Rica.
Best time to surf Limón & the north
Limón & the north works best around Dec-Mar. See the full month-by-month breakdown for Costa Rica.
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