Caribbean Coast Costa Rica

The main highway from San Jose to the port of Limon is a two-lane road winding through green peaks before a thirty-minute straight shot to the coast. There are reef breaks to the north, the south, and even right offshore if you can find a boat to get you there. There are also black and tan sand beaches that attract thousands of international visitors—not just people but also endangered sea turtles. Sunny mornings and rainy afternoons are the norm, so dawn patrols and sunset sessions get the best winds. The uniqueness of this region lies in the people—Jamaicans who came to build the Panama Canal over a hundred years ago and stayed to enjoy fishing, farming and a fresh start. The bars blast reggae music and the smell of jerk spices and seafood simmer in the humid evening air.

The Caribbean offers coral reefbreaks and some of the biggest surf in Costa Rica. It’s a great destination during winter when the Pacific side is smaller. The Caribbean side has a very slow pace, but also a bit sketchier scene around Limon that is in contrast to many of the Pacific towns. However, a big, juicy day at Salsa Brava, the region’s premiere spot, can leave indelible memories for the more advanced surfer.

There is an airport in Limon, so those wanting to avoid the three-hour drive east from San Jose have that option.

CROWDS

Because the take-off spots at the reef breaks are sketchy, the pack sticks right on top of it. Resident surfers always get the first waves of the set, the rest shared in a loose pecking order based on experience. Weekends are worse when the San Jose crews drive east if the swell is on. The beaches both north and south of Puerto Viejo still hold plenty of peaks to enjoy solo, but don’t go out alone.

HAZARDS

The beaches north of Playa Bonita and just south of Limon have more sharks than swimmers. Crocs also roam the rivermouths. Mosquitoes are a bother at dawn and dusk. And at night, do not travel alone due to the risk of getting harassed by thieves or drug addicts.

THE FOUR SEASONS

SUMMER

During these months the waves are at their smallest. It’s better for snorkeling, fishing, and scuba diving than surfing. Wave sizes run from dead flat to a rare head high wind swell crossing the Caribbean Sea. These swells only last a couple of days, luckily there are a lot of adventures to take while waiting for the next one.

FALL

When hurricanes pop up the swell is sure to follow, depending on the storm’s direction. This inconsistent time of year can see surf from knee high to two-foot overhead breaking over the reefs. There’s usually a short rain shower in the morning and another longer one in the afternoon so the only consistent glassy conditions are at dawn.

WINTER

The first swells arrive in late November from the Northeast. Wave size ranges from waist high most of the week to a couple feet overhead on the best days of the month. As the year ends the swells arrive more frequently and the rains subside, great weather and surf for the many European visitors this time of year.

SPRING

Although the surf isn’t huge everyday, the months from February through April are the best for surfing here. The powerful Northeast storms leaving the east coast of the United States push long period surf south of Cuba and under the Lesser Antilles each week. Wave size ranges from head high to triple overhead, barreling at the reef breaks and closing out the beaches.

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