Nosara & the south · Costa Rica
Surfing Playa Negra
A right reef in Nosara & the south, Costa Rica, for intermediate and advanced surfers.
Playa Negra is a right over a shelf of dark rock at the north end of the beach. It's the wave from The Endless Summer II, and on a good south-west swell it throws fast, hollow walls that are a clear step up from the sand-bottom beaches further north.
Mid tide on the push is best. At low tide the reef gets shallow and the takeoff zone is small, so the surfers who know where to sit get most of the waves. Watch the rocks on the inside.
There are places to stay right behind the break, so it's easy to surf it several times a day as the tide moves through.
When to surf
Playa Negra
Playa Negra is at its best from December to April. Conditions it likes: SW swell, mid tide.
December to April: Prime
Dry season, offshore mornings, sunshine, clean NW-fed 3-4ft waves almost daily
May to July: Good
Green season begins; bigger SW groundswell, afternoon showers, fewer crowds
August to October: Good
Peak SW swell and empty line-ups, but the wettest, muddiest roads
Nov: Quiet
Transition, rains easing, swell easing, a quiet shoulder month
The year across Guanacaste
Waves near Playa Negra
Playa Avellana
3 kmNosara & the south · Right Reef · Intermediate / Advanced
Langosta
12 kmTamarindo · Beach Break · Intermediate
Tamarindo
13 kmTamarindo · Beach Break · Beginner / Intermediate
Straight-line distances. By road it is usually further.
Getting there
Where to stay: Base around Playa Guiones for the most consistent beachbreak, schools and cafés; Playa Negra puts you on the reef but is a bumpy drive south. This whole coast suffers petty theft, never leave anything on the beach or visible in a car.
Transport, costs, where to stay and the rest of the waves in the area are in the Nosara & the south guide.
Nosara & the south surf guideSurf it often and something here is wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.