North Costa Rica

With offshores funneling through the jungle, perfectly tapered rights peeling down the rock-strewn point, a grassy headland above and crystal-clear water underneath, this rivermouth/pointbreak has to be one of the more enjoyable rights in the world -- like a warm-water Rincon minus the crowd. The only problem with Ollie's Point is its narrow swell window -- it has to be a solid SW swell to even show, and even then, Witches Rock (and Tamarindo and Playa Hermosa, etc.) are generally bigger. But if you get it on a head-high to slightly overhead day, your bag of tricks will get deeper as the day goes on, as the wave is as long as it is forgiving. There are even occasional tube sections, especially when the wintertime offshore wind blows.

The wave itself is no Black's or Ocean Beach or even Hossegor -- it's easy, playful beachbreak with offshore winds that sting your eyes as you start pumping down a long, groomed, green line. The estuary deposits sand on an otherwise fairly flat sandbar, creating the lefts and rights that wall up for days without necessarily closing out. There are other peaks along Playa Naranjo's two to three-mile, white-sand stretch, but they're not as perfectly shaped as the ones found in the lee of the rock.

Playa Grande is one of the most consistent breaks in the region, and it often holds a lot more size than Tamarindo. This quality beachbreak is located on the north side of the river mouth from Tamarindo (about 25 minute drive/30 minute beach hike), and focuses anything from the Southern Hemi, especially South-West swells. There are outer reefs, which make low tide not ideal (close-outs mostly). Mid tide is best, offering fun A-frames, rippable rights and lefts, as well as barrels. A big high tide will often produce very annoying backwash. If everywhere else is flat, however, Playa Grande will have something to ride, and it's especially good when an off-season Southern Hemi swell combines with winter-time offshore winds. Grande is also the closest quality surfing beach to Liberia International Airport (LIR), which is about an hour's drive on all paved roads. Other spots from LIR: Reserva Conchal is a 15-minute drive; Playa Flamingo is a 25-minute trip; and Potrero is a 30-minute drive. Click here to download Surfline's North Costa Rica Surf Guide pdf.

The bay of Tamarindo stretches for about four miles. There are at least four distinct surf breaks along that stretch, from north to south: 1. Playa Grande is probably the most consistent of all Tamarindo's spots. It's a cooking beachbreak, especially on a good S swell. It's a somewhat flat beach, so it has the tendency to close out at low tide, but at mid-high tide, it's all near-shore, A-frame tubes. Playa Grande is always bigger than in Tamarindo, and if it's flat everywhere else, Grande will still have something to ride. It's especially good when an off-season S combines with wintertime offshores; 2. El Estero (Tamarindo Rivermouth) isn't a classic rivermouth setup, but it's a good wave when the sand settles just right, which it can for weeks at a time. It's split between rights on the south side and lefts on the north; 3. Tamarindo Beachbreak is an average beachbreak that's never as good as Playa Grande, but it has the advantage of being right in town. There are lots of beginners here; 4. Pico Pequeno is a right lava reefbreak that can get really good -- it seems to favor a SW swell and a mid-high tide (low tide is sketchy and shallow). It's also a one-peak sort of wave, so the crowd is especially difficult.

About 30 minutes south of Langosta is Playa Avellanas, a series of rocky reefbreaks, beachbreaks, and another rivermouth. Avellanas can get really good -- oftentimes better than Langosta. And since Avellanas and Langosta generally pick up more swell than Tamarindo, they're worth checking out when the latter is too small.

At Nosara's main beach of Guiones, the waves are easy and safe. Even at double-overhead, there really aren't any beatdowns to worry about: the thickest lips just give you a short spin-cycle, stuff some of that famous Guanacaste black sand into your crevices, and pop you out the back. Like many of the black-sand Costa Rican beachbreaks, Nosara can look a bit intimidating when it's overcast, bigger, and way outside -- but paddling out, you realize how easy it is to duck-dive these waves. Once on the wave, you'll realize that this place is like a skate park; enough speed and juice at good size to get you going, with minimal consequences.When it's smaller, the place erupts into a happy chaotic mess of various characters that such an easy wave attracts. Enjoy gentle takeoffs, long walls with the occasional critical lip, plenty of roundhouses and closeout rebounds. Anyone and everyone could surf this wave, and thankfully it is a big beach to spread everyone out. If you're looking for something a bit more challenging -- for an intermediate or good surfer, a few days of Guiones will get monotonous -- head north. There are a few beachbreaks lurking down dirt roads north of town that are much more hollow. Nothing death-defying, but Playa Hermosa-style barrels can be had.

A fun, hollow beach break in front of a thriving tourist town, Playa Santa Teresa has become a popular destination for everyone from surf schoolers to traveling pros. The beach break has consistently good shape, and is a bit hollower at low tide.

Tucked into the southwest tip of the rugged Nicoya Peninsula, Mal Pais (and neighboring Playa Carmen and Santa Teresa) is a popular haunt, as the surf is pretty consistent and spread out enough to accommodate a whole army of waveriders. It's all similar -- shifty A-frames with long walls that connect into inside closeouts -- though it can get bigger and hollower as you head north, especially during a S swell. Mal Pais is easy, almost California-style beachbreak -- not as heavy as Hermosa, but very fun. South of Santa Teresa, toward Cabo Blanco Nature Preserve, there are a few quirky, bigger-wave reefbreaks. Heading northward, there are some semi-secret spots waiting to be ridden.