Headed down over labor day weekend (Aug 29-Sept 5). Taking my 14 year old son who is only a beginner as far as surf goes. He still does not do well with duck diving in conditions that he calls "rough". I know Jaco is probably ok for him from what I have been reading. Any suggestions about where to stay? We do not care about luxury at all...rather find a great deal. Also,any general tips about being down there are appreciated. This will be my first time in Costa Rica.
Go south my friend...Pavones is well worth the trip and there are a number of cheap places to stay down there. Plus the wave is so long there are sections that are friendlier than others for a newbie. Even when it's big though, it's not a terribly difficult wave to ride. Trust me, won't regret the adventure. Only get to live once right?
Check out surf inn hermosa. Stayed there a couple years back. Directly on hermosa beach. Very reasonable prices.
come see us, we'll show u around. we are in Esterillos, 15 min from Jaco/Hermosa. very kid friendly property with pool. pura vida rvb@surfcosta.com
I stayed at La Ponderosa with my wife which was moderately priced and just outside of town to the south. The place had a pool and the loging was awesome. They have great food too, but it's a bit pricey. There was a pizza place and a civeche stand nearby though and both were quite reasonable. There are a number of other hostels in town too. I think it's about 4 or 4 1/2 hours from San Jose by car. Make sure you rent a 4 wheel drive though, the last 20 miles are on a dirt road. We went in October and traveled to Pavones after some heavy rains. The road was muddy in parts, but totally passable. You're going to want the 4 wheel drive though. The mud only added to the fun and adventure for us. If you do decide to make the trip, there is a great Italian place on the Pacific side of the highway just south of Dominical. We hit it both going to and back from Pavones. They make all of thier own pasta and I had some of the best ravioli and lasagna in my life there. It was so good I ordered two meals for myself on our way back.
Pavones is a day's drive if you're lucky. Take Surcosta.com's invite. Esterios is a sweet break for surfers on all skill levels.
There are a few nice places in Hermosa to stay. I don't think you can really go wrong. In my opinion, that might be more appropriate for a 14 year old. In Jaco, when the sun goes down the pushers and hookers come out to play. While its not that bad, you may want to shelter your kid from that stuff. I don't know and I am definately not giving parenting advice. Just speaking from my 3 trips down there in the past. Usually I go in the summer time and the surf is good. The waves in Hermosa are pretty tough for a beginner, you're correct about Jaco, but even that place can be hairy on a big swell. Not so much due to the wave, but moreso the crowd at times. Can't speak for Pavones, I really want to go there and regretfully have not made the trip down there yet. So cool that you're taking your kid on such an adventure. You'll both remember that for the rest of your lives. Have a great time and don't neglect taking some other excursions. The fishing down there is great and not too pricey. There are also zip lines, atv, horses and other tours you could do that you all will remember forever. Have fun!
Just a suggestion, check out the book Surfer's guide to Costa Rica. It's a little old now but still has a bunch of good information about breaks, places to stay, general tips on how to get around, etc. I am going down that way late July early August, we are starting in Jaco/Hermosa then down to Pavones. Hope yall have a great trip and get some good waves!
"Any suggestions about where to stay?" If you want to be at Jaco, without the problems that come with Jaco, stay at the South end at Hotel Club Del Mar. A nice place on Jaco but away from the junk of Jaco at night.
Chicharronne is right. Pavones is a day's ride, but good portion of it is along the coast. If you plan it out right, you could stop at a couople of places or even make two days of it on the way down and back. There are a number of spots along the coast you can stop and the crowds are usually small to non-existent. Just be careful about your gear. Some of my friends had thier bags stolen while they were out in the surf in that area.
