Dominical & Uvita · Costa Rica
Surfing Playa Hermosa (Uvita)
A beach break in Dominical & Uvita, Costa Rica, for beginner and intermediate surfers.
Playa Hermosa near Uvita is a long beach backed by jungle hills, with waves that are usually about half the size of Dominical. It's cleaner and softer, which makes it a good place for beginners, improvers and longboarders.
It works on a south-west swell at most tides, and it's where people go when Dominical is too big. Don't confuse it with Playa Hermosa near Jacó, a heavy black-sand beach break. Uvita has waterfalls and the Marino Ballena national park nearby for the flat days.
Uvita, a few minutes south, has the places to stay.
When to surf
Playa Hermosa (Uvita)
Playa Hermosa (Uvita) is at its best from May to November. Conditions it likes: Swell S-SW.
December to April: Good
Short dry season, cleaner, sunnier, but smaller than the summer swell
May to July: Prime
Green season S-SW groundswell fires Dominical and the points; offshore mornings
August to October: Prime
Peak, most consistent S-SW swell, and the wettest, greenest months
Nov: Quiet
Transition, heavy rains and swell easing into the dry season
The year across Central Puntarenas
Waves near Playa Hermosa (Uvita)
Getting there
Where to stay: Dominical village puts you on the powerful beachbreak with cheap sodas and board hire; Uvita (20min south) is quieter, family-friendly and gateway to the marine park. Dominicalito is the sheltered beginner bay in between. Rent boards locally from around $10/day.
Transport, costs, where to stay and the rest of the waves in the area are in the Dominical & Uvita guide.
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