Surfing in Central America
Central America is a virtual feast of waves. The people are friendly, nowhere more so than in Costa Rica and the waves are consistent and fun right from the Baja Peninsula to Panama.

The Caribbean offers a mix of fun beaches, reefs and some serious bone breakers. Another type of breaker you’ll find in the Caribbean is the wallet breaker – it’s an expensive part of the world.

The dry season is from Nov – Mar and will produce regular winds, offshore on the Pacific coast of Central America. From April – Oct the rain sets in and so do the Pacific Ocean swells. During these months it’s possible to follow the same swell from Australia to the Pacific Islands and then on to the West Coast breaks of Central America such as Playa Negra. Heaven on a stick.

Costa Rica
The swell consistency at some surfing spots in Costa Rica will blow your mind. Places like Ollie’s Point on the Nicaraguan boarder are only accessible by boat. The $30 US trip needs a group of six and departs every few days from Playa Del Coco. The other legendary surf break is Witches Rock. Driving in to Witches Rock during the wet season is a real challenge. Look for the signs to Roca Bruja or Playa Naranjo and bank on crossing some major swamps and deep mud pits if you want to tackle the 13km decent. A boat is an easier option. Some surfers walk or bicycle and budget for a 6 hour round trip.

Heading south, the next big surf centre is Tamarindo where there’s a variety of reefs and beaches nearby. A great place to relax but the swell consistency could be better. 3ft waves at Tamarindo are 5ft at some other spots nearby. The lodgings at Tamarindo range from basic to flash hotel. Every town centre between Tamarindo and Panama has waves and some focus on surfing. The last post before Panama is Pavones which is reached via the town of Golfito – a torturous 8hr bus ride or drive from San Jose. Pavones can either be a hoax or epic but nothing in between. It needs a big swell and has a narrow swell window. At 5ft plus the point links up and produces lefts of 600m plus. At any size smaller it’ll be a series of waves that don’t really link up.

The Caribbean surfing coast of Costa Rica fires in cyclone swells from Nov – April and offers the heaviest wave in the country - Salsa Brava - near the town of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.