Surfing Pavones & the south

Beach Break · Best Apr-Oct · 2-5 ft · Crowd 1/5

S-SW swell, right direction, mid tide

Playa Zancudo is a long beach deep inside the Golfo Dulce, next to a big rivermouth. The gulf blocks most swell, so it only gets a decent wave when the size and direction are right, and most of the time it's empty.

Past the south end of the beach there are a few left points that line up on a strong south-west swell, a quiet option when Pavones is too small or too busy. The village is mostly sportfishing lodges and hammocks.

When the swell is right it's a fun wave for improvers, and Pavones is about an hour away by road.

Left Point · Best Apr-Oct · 3-10 ft · Crowd 4/5

Big S-SW swell, low tide

Pavones is one of the longest lefts in the world, a cobble and sand point at the mouth of a river inside the Golfo Dulce. Because it's so far inside the gulf, it only breaks on a big south or south-west swell.

At low tide it breaks for 100 to 150 metres at the rivermouth. At high tide the outside section, La Esquina, starts working, and on the best days the two connect for rides of close to a kilometre. People walk back up the point rather than paddle.

When it's on, it gets crowded, and the local and expat crew take a lot of the sets. The roads wash out in the wet season, which is also the swell season, so plan the drive.

Left & Right Reef · Best Apr-Oct · 2-6 ft · Crowd 2/5

Swell S-SW

Punta Banco is 3 km south of Pavones, with coral reefs and empty beach-break peaks in front of Tiskita Lodge. It's where people go when Pavones is too small or too crowded.

The reefs have rights and lefts on a south-west swell, and the sand peaks are easier for improvers. The road ends here, just before Punta Burica, with jungle down to the beach.

It's a good backup when Pavones isn't working, from April to October. There are a few lodges and cabins between Pavones and Punta Banco, and the village is very quiet.

Beach Break · Best Apr-Oct · 2-8 ft · Crowd 1/5

Swell S-SW o NW

Eclipse is a rivermouth peak near Punta Burica, at the southern tip of Costa Rica by the Panama border. It's one of the few spots in the area that also picks up north-west swell, so it can work when the south-swell spots are flat.

Getting there means a boat or a long, rough drive, and there's nothing there, so bring everything you need.

It's a remote spot near the Panama border, usually reached by boat or four-wheel drive from Pavones. Go with someone who knows the area.

Reef Break · Best Apr-Oct · 2-10 ft · Crowd 1/5

S-SW swell, by panga

Punta Burica is the peninsula at the southern tip of Costa Rica, on the border with Panama. It's very exposed, with peaks breaking on several reefs off the coast, and it picks up swells that other spots miss.

Very few people surf it. You need a boat to reach most of the reefs, and there's no infrastructure and no help nearby, so it's only for experienced surfers with good local support.

On the right swell it can be very good and completely empty.