If you’re a surfer, a surfer in training, or just a guy named Jim who likes potato chips, come surf Costa Rica! The Central American paradise is home to many of the world’s premium surf spots, including Tamarindo, Jaco, Hermosa, and others!

Some of Costa Rica’s waves are not for beginners!

First off, surfing is a great way to meet all sorts of people down here! Local Costa Ricans, expatriates, and tourists all gather on the beaches for entire days of surfing! Group lessons are offered at most hot spots, which is recommended for beginners. If you’re surfing for the first time, don’t feel bad when a young lad glides past with ease. While in other countries boys and girls learn how to ride a bicycle at 5 years old, in Costa Rica, they learn how to surf.

If you’ve done any research on taking a vacation to surf Costa Rica, Tamarindo has probably come up. It’s a very popular town for surfers, vacationers, and passersby. With cheap hostels, nice hotels, great restaurants, booming bars and clubs, and fantastic surf, Tamarindo is certainly a fine place to go on holiday.

Not far from Tamarindo are two more extremely surf spots on the Pacific coast: Hermosa and Jaco. Playa Hermosa is a surfing destination known to have more difficult wave breaks, drawing experienced surfers. Playa Jaco is very similar to Tamarindo, in that it’s a surfing town also geared towards the average traveler.  Both Hermosa and Jaco are within a few hours drive from Tamarindo, so it’s common for surfers to travel along the coast for fresh waves each day.

On the Caribbean side, the most popular surf destination is at Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, where the most experienced surfers come to surf Costa Rica.  Known for its famous Salsa Brava waves – the largest and heaviest in the country – brave surfers from all over the world regularly visit Puerto Viejo to test their abilities. Surrounding waves breaks and beaches in Puerto Viejo provide swells for all levels of surfers, so don’t worry about losing your swim trunks on the Salsa Brava!

It’s best to try out the small waves before you go big!

In general, however, Costa Rica is not known for the size of its waves, but the consistency of them. Depending on location, there are specific times of the year when the waves crash all day. You can surf year round in popular spots, but sometimes the waves take a few days off. For all guys and gals who like to chew on tasty waves, come surf Costa Rica as soon as possible!