Tamarindo
Inside Scoop
Tamarindo is a mecca for Europeans and Americans to vacation. It's not just for surfers ~ but anyone looking to relax near the beach. Millions of dollars have been spent on high-class developments, but the locals that live just out of town are still the friendliest in Central America. Visit soon, before concrete and pavement cover up the natural beauty of this region. And if you surf, the dry season's Papagayo winds blow offshore all day long.
The Wave
Tamarindo Bay looks beautiful from a balcony at the Best Western Vista VIllas, but it also looked small. The rivermouth was waist high with 5 longboarders and 30 other friends and fiends, so I took the short paddle across the Tam. rivermouth and walked about a mile into the "park" or yet undeveloped quiet white sand beach. I sat for about 40 minutes with my board under a tree, reading a book, when I looked up and said - "DAMN !!!" The dropping tide made the wave hit the sandbars perfectly, left and right fast mini-barrels in the head high range. You can see the bottom 10 feet down it's so clear. No one was within 200 yards as I snatched a left, then a right, then a left - using a piece of driftwood on the beach to line up the sweet spot. Too big, and it closes out.
The Tamarindo rivermouth breaks better on lower tides, and the size can look smaller from the beach than what it really is. Dominated by longboarders and locals, the wave can shack up and give surfers 100 yard rights. The best swells have more west in them and it works best from waist high to 1 foot overhead. When it's bigger it shuts down.
Right in front of Witchs Rock Surf Camp is the main beach in Tamarindo where the beginners learn to surf. It is usually small, knee to chest high, and when it is bigger closes out. It is best from mid to high tide. It can be a bit polluted in the middle of the rainy season, so keep your ears clean.
Right behind the Tamarindo Diria the beach is thinner and there are a string of rocks that go out about 150 yards. Depending on the swell size and tide, a wave breaks off both sides of the rocks, producing lefts that go for about 200 meters or longer and rights about 150 meters. Watch out for rocks at lower tides and beginners at high tides. This spot is also localized, so respect the order in the lineup. Breaks best at head high to 2 feet overhead.
See below for nearby breaks...
Getting There
From San Jose, drive west towards Orotina. Then you can either take the ferry from Puntarenas (longest route, but most scenic) - take the bridge across the Tempisque River (a quick, scenic route but watch out for the policia catching speeders on both sides!) or drive 2 hours up to Liberia and then west for another 2 hours (the safest route). During the rainy season, the trees envelope the road in a tunnel of foilage. In the dry season, the suns blazes down on a dusty tan horizon.
Places to Stay
Name |
Contact |
Phone |
Location |
Price |
|
|
2653-0458 |
Playa Grande |
$35+ |
| |
|
2652-9351 |
Playa Negra |
$25+ |
|
|
2652-9158 |
Playa Negra |
$30+ |
|
|
2658-8315 Fax:
2658-8331 |
Avellanas |
$60+ |
Best Western Vista Villas |
E-mail |
2653-0114 |
Tamarindo |
$84+ |
El Diria |
E-mail |
866-603-4742 |
Tamarindo |
$171+ |
Capitan Suizo |
E-mail |
2653-0075 |
Tamarindo |
$120+ |
Cala Luna |
E-mail |
800-503-5202 |
Langosta |
$160+ |
Hostel La Botella de Leche |
E-mail |
2653-0189 |
Tamarindo |
$10+ |
Laguna del Cocodrilo |
E-mail |
2653-0255 |
Tamarindo |
$45+ |
|
|
|
House Rentals |
|
|
239-263-8277 |
Playa Negra |
$200+ |
Casa Donna |
E-mail |
2653-0132 |
Tamarindo |
$300+ |
The Sunset House |
E-mail |
2653-0098 |
Tamarindo |
$700 |
|
E-mail |
888-318-7873 |
Avellanas |
** |
Surf Shops
Name |
Contact |
Phone |
Rentals |
Lessons |
| |
|
2653-0221 |
y |
y |
Pura Mar Surf Shop |
E-mail |
2653-1355 |
y |
y |
Mariesas Surf Shop |
E-mail |
2653-0224 |
y |
y |
High Tide Surf Shop |
E-mail |
2653-0108 |
y |
y |
Robert August Surf Shop |
E-mail |
2653-0114 |
y |
y |
Matos Surf Shop |
E-mail |
2653-0158 |
y |
y |
Iguana Surf Shop |
E-mail |
2653-0158 |
y |
y |
|
|
Surf Camps
Name |
Contact |
Phone |
Location |
|
|
1-866-598-1380 |
Tamarindo/Nosara |
|
|
|
2653-0221 |
Tamarindo |
|
|
1-800-897-0025 |
Tamarindo |
|
|
|
1-888-318-SURF or 2653-1262 |
Tamarindo |
| |
|
2682-0573 |
Nosara |
|
|
Recommended Tours
Sunset Sailing Cruise
Kayaking the Tamarindo Estuary
Night-time turtle watching (November-March)
Canopy Zipline Tour
4x4 Backcountry Tour
Favorite Restaurants
Surfers Sports Bar - Langosta - Drinks
La Laguna de Cocodrilo - Tamarindo - Bakery/Pizza
Other Surf Spots
Ollies Point - This right hand point break works best on low to mid tides. At high tide breaks really close to the beach, but it is still fun with southwest swells. Rides can go on for 400 meters and throw barrels. It is only accessible by boat, and you must pay an entry fee to the Santa Rosa National Park, $6 pp. Only a limited number of boats are allowed in the park so there will not be over 50 people, but that is a lot since there is only three sections to sit on. Without a swell the waves are only longboardable. Make sure your boat captain has permission to enter the park or you could lose the $250-350 you paid for the trip.
Witchs Rock, or Roca Bruja, is inside the Santa Rosa National Park. The wave is accessible by a 4wd vehicle for most of the year, with sparse camping - bring your own water and bug repellent. Lots of boats come in, make sure they are licensed to enter the park (cost $50 pp + $6 entrance fee). The waves are clean, with lots of offshore winds especially from December to April. Picks up swells from the SSW and SW and can throw barrels. Best wave size is chest high to two feet overhead, any bigger and it tends to close out. Best tide to surf it is mid to high tide. It is most crowded by the rock and rivermouth, but the whole beach has waves. Beware of crocs and a few sharks during turtle nesting season.
The Labyrinth is a sketchy right hander that breaks at lower tides when the rocks are exposed. Can throw a mean barrel and produce a workable shoulder for about 60 yards before it pounds shut on the rocks. Boat access only, make sure your captain is permitted to enter the Santa Rosa National Park.
Playa Grande is a beachbreak that works best from chest high to 3 feet overhead. When it's big it tends to break way outside and then reform about 100 yards off the beach. Lots of barrels and fun sections to smack. Best tide is mid tide coming in. At dead high there's some backwash, low tide has mostly closeouts. The break can get most crowded from June-August and December to April, but there are empty peaks up and down the beach. Do not leave stuff in your car as there is a lot of theft. Best place to stay is Hotel Las Tortugas, right on the break with secure parking, great food, and a pool.
Playa Langosta - The waves break over a rocky shelf, with more sandy stretches to the south of the rivermouth. Watch for the boils at lower tides to find a hollow peak. Best size is chest high to 3 feet overhead, when it's bigger can close out. The main break is behind the Barcelo Langosta, but they have made it nearly impossible to park near there. You'll find a few spots to park about 200 meters north. The rights during a swell with a lot of west in it can go for over 200 meters. The crowds are a bit lighter here due to the poor access, but the Barcelo guests think they own the peak, and the locals don't give up many waves.
Avellanas - Little Hawaii - At the northern end of Playa Avellanas, well past the rivermouth, are a series of rock outcroppings that at the right tide produce some great lefthanders. It's best when many other spots are closing out because it is too big. Very remote so do not get injured, and don't leave your stuff unattended.
Avellanas - Beachbreak - When you pull up to the beach you will see a giant hog. She has been there for years greeting visitors and lying in the shade under the mangroves. There is semi-secure parking, but don't leave stuff in your car. To the south are a bunch of rock shelves, so be careful during all lower tides. To the north is the beachbreak, which works best at waist high to a foot overhead. Waves are easy to catch, have some fun sections, and sometimes throw a thin lip to duck under. When it is any bigger it usually closes out. The crowds thin out the farther north you walk, and the best tide to surf are higher tides. There is only one hotel here on the beach, Cabinas Las Olas, which has trails through the mangroves leading to the shore leaving the view unspoiled by development. Other small hotels are across from the the road, about 1/2 kilometer from the beach.
Playa Negra -
Negra is a mostly right breaking wave and my favorite tube ride on the Pacific. The water is a deep blue, and the barrels are formed perfectly when the tide and swell are right. It works best from head high to double overhead, any bigger and it closes out. A few lefts come through if it's smaller, but you end up in the rocks which at low tide is sketchy. Speaking of sketchy, don't leave stuff in your vehicle as theft is rampant. Best tide to surf for many is lower to mid tides, but at high tide can also be fun if there is some size. John Lyman is usually on the beach everyday taking photos for locals and turistas. (His photo is above)
More story from
www.crsurf.com -
I have caught the best right tube of my life at this break. There were about 15-20 people out, 10 foot faces with bigger sets. I was the farthest outside (the best spot in that lineup) - sharing it with some Venezuelan locals who ripped. The ideal situation is to shell out the $55 clams a night and sit on it. (Or camping is cool) Get up at dawn and surf a couple of hours before the first ten 4x4s from Tamarindo shows up with 4 surfers each. You'll be rewarded with a fast makeable drop (on occasion) that sets up a perfect right tube over deep enough water and rocky reef in crystal blue water with no civilization in sight except for the hotel bungalows right back where you parked. There are other points to the north and south, but this one sets up best with most any swell. After the tube, you can do 2 or 3 big-ole gouges before it closes out on the far inside. A little channel helps to slip you out between meatier sets.
Playa Junquillal - is a remote stretch of salt and pepper sand and empty waves south of Playa Negra and north of Marbella. It is not surfed a lot since the peaks come at different tides and disappear when the tide gets too high or too low. At lower tides you can see the rock ledges that make the waves break farther outside.
Marbella - has two main breaks. A beachbreak to the north that works best at mid to high tides and can break bigger when other spots are small. It also gets hollow and can provide some quick rights. The second break to the south is a left point break off a rock shelf that works best at lower tides. Waves can go for about 200 yards with a big shoulder for cutbacks, but not tuberides. The crowd is usually heavier at the beachbreak and there a lot of locals that surf it so give them respect.
