Tamarindo · Costa Rica
Surfing Playa Grande
A beach break in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, for beginner and intermediate surfers.
Playa Grande is the long beach on the other side of the estuary from Tamarindo, inside Las Baulas National Park. It picks up more swell than Tamarindo and works on everything from south-west groundswell to the north-west swells of winter, usually best on a rising tide.
On small days it's fun for improvers, and with a good swell the peaks get hollow and powerful. The beach is long, so the crowd spreads out. Leatherback turtles nest here, so the beach is closed at night. From Tamarindo it's a short crossing over the estuary or about 40 minutes by road.
When to surf
Playa Grande
Playa Grande is at its best from December to April. Conditions it likes: SW-NW swell, incoming 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 Grande
Tamarindo
4 kmTamarindo · Beach Break · Beginner / Intermediate
Langosta
6 kmTamarindo · Beach Break · Intermediate
Playa Avellana
14 kmNosara & the south · Right Reef · Intermediate / Advanced
Straight-line distances. By road it is usually further.
Getting there
Where to stay: Tamarindo town puts you within walking distance of the beginner beachbreak, board hire and nightlife; stay at Playa Grande for a quieter, wilder beach a short drive away. Book ahead in the dry-season peak (Dec-Apr).
Transport, costs, where to stay and the rest of the waves in the area are in the Tamarindo guide.
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