Surfing Jacó & Playa Hermosa

Reef Break · Best May-Nov · 2-8 ft · Crowd 2/5

Swell S-SW

Playa Escondida, or Hidden Beach, is a reef in a small cove north of Jacó. The beach is private, so the way in is by boat from Playa Herradura, which keeps the crowd small.

The reef has rights and lefts and holds its shape well on a south-west swell, a change from the sand-bottom beaches along this coast. Arrange the boat in Herradura the day before.

It works best on a south-west swell in the green season. The reef is shallow, so booties help.

Beach Break · Best May-Nov · 2-6 ft · Crowd 4/5

S-SW swell, high tide

Jacó is Costa Rica's busiest surf town, full of hotels, surf shops and bars, about an hour and a half from San José airport. The beach break in front of town is average, best at high tide, with soft peaks that make it a popular place for lessons.

The beach is long, so the crowd thins out as you walk away from the main access points. Playa Hermosa, a few minutes south, has much stronger waves for when you've outgrown Jacó.

It's at its best at high tide on a south-west swell, from May to November. Surf schools line the beach, and the town has every kind of place to stay.

Right Reef · Best May-Nov · 3-8 ft · Crowd 2/5

Good S-SW swell

Roca Loca is a right, with the odd left, breaking over rock below the headland between Jacó and Playa Hermosa. You have to scramble down to reach it, so it's less crowded than the beaches.

On a good south-west swell the right stands up fast and gives a longer wall than anything on the sand nearby. Surf it at higher tides: at low to mid tide there are boulders just under the surface. It's for confident surfers.

It's best on a solid south-west swell in the green season. Getting in and out over the rocks is the hard part, so watch the local surfers first. Jacó is a few minutes north, and Playa Hermosa a few minutes south.

Beach Break · Best May-Nov · 3-12 ft · Crowd 3/5

S-SW swell, high tide

Playa Hermosa is 7 km of black sand just south of Jacó, and one of the most consistent beach breaks in Costa Rica. It picks up almost any south-west swell, and higher tides are usually best.

The waves are fast and powerful, with barrels on good days and closeouts when it gets double overhead. The rips are strong, people have drowned here, and you need to be a confident swimmer when it's big. The further south you walk, towards Tulín, the fewer people are out.

Beach Break · Best May-Nov · 2-8 ft · Crowd 2/5

S-SW swell, low tide

Boca Tusubres is a rivermouth stretch south of Playa Hermosa, reached on foot along the beach. The waves are usually bigger and punchier than at Hermosa, and the walk keeps most people away.

It works best on lower tides with a solid south-west swell. The sand moves with the river, so the peaks change from month to month and some weeks are much better than others. There's nothing there, no facilities and no shade, so bring water.

It's best at low tide on a south-west swell, from May to November. Crocodiles live in many Costa Rican river mouths, so check with locals and avoid surfing near the river at dusk. Playa Hermosa is the nearest base.

Beach Break · Best May-Nov · 2-6 ft · Crowd 2/5

Swell S-SW

Esterillos Oeste is a long south-facing beach with some lava reef just outside, about 20 minutes south of Jacó. The peaks are soft and usually uncrowded, good for improvers.

It works on a south-west swell at most tides, and the reefs add some shape on the right swell. Esterillos Centro and Este, further east, have more empty peaks on small days and some quiet places to stay.

It's a quiet place for improvers, best in the green season on a south-west swell. The village has a few small hotels and sodas, and Jacó is about twenty minutes north for more choice.