?'s regarding Costa Rica

if your looking to check out mal pais/ santa teresa, check out the jungle house... i went down there in october with no plan except for plane ticket ended up with them . i planned on going around grande tamarindo etc but met a cool guy at customs and tagged along with him.. ashley and lowell are great people and its a very nice place. check out there site mycostatrip.com pm me if you want to know anything else. definitly would recommend them to anyone and they are very trustworthy

 

I went to Playa Hermosa about a year and a half ago and had a great time there. The waves were great for the few days that it didn't rain. I stayed at Las Olas and highly recommend it. The owners are cool, the food is excellent, and it's right on the beach.

 

I went to both Mai Pais and Playa Hermosa just south of Jaco Beach. The waves at Mai Pais broke out very far and the paddle out was nearly impossible with walls of white water travelling what seemed to be 100s of yards it was very strange. However ,the village was really neat. The waves in Playa Hermosa were really fun and easy to get out to. I would go to hermosa

 

check out crsurf.com they have some good car rental rates. Check out the entire coast, there is a lot to see, depends on what you are looking for as far as entertainment, crowds, and waves...

 

I can tell you one thing driving in Costa Rico takes 3 times as long as here due to the roads. Rent a 4x4 if possible because you may ride through some swollen streams. When we drove to Mai pais we went through about 2 feet of water. some roads are pot holed for miles. The main highway is fine but the off roads get a bit tricky at times. It took us a entire day to go from Mal Pais to Hermosa/Jaco .

 

And from Mal Pais to Jaco you have to take a ferry ride from Punteranas. They run plenty but occasionally it'll get tied up, especially during the weekends, locals camp out overnight to catch the first ride to the peninsula so bare that in mind. No joke I stayed at a house right at that spot in Punteranas and the ticos where playing soccer and music at like five in the morning. I was about to start selling them water and beer but we weren't stocked up. Also the ATM in Mal Pais is fickle, Cabono and Monetezuma are a good 1/2hr ride one way on a Dusty road so get cash before you pass those towns. But it's great over there, Santa Teresa, 15 min drive north from Mal Pais, beach break hotel- bueno, buenito, borrato...Don't know how long your trip is, but south of Dominca (Ballena is some great surf and reasonable cabinas and even safe camping, a lot of preserved national beaches there. Much more authentic local vibe

 

march is the dry season, and the waves are very good in Guanacaste and north during this period so don't count those out!

 

Been There Twice

I have travel there twice and the surf is great. It is the most consistance surf surf location. Most places you need to hit it early before 11:00am, that's when winds pickup and trash many surf breaks. I recommend going North to Playa Grande, Witches Rock, Playa Langosta river mouth is awesome, and Little Hawaii can get big. Stay clear of Tamarindo surf break, gets very crowded, everwhere else is empty. If you go south stay away from Jaco, the surf sucks there especialy if it gets bigger than 4 feet. Hemosa is a fun short beak break, travel farther south to Esterollas. Be aware of banditos braking into cars, hide your **** from few in your car or kiss it goodbye. Expect solid surf nomatter where you go and if you gettire of surfing or the surf drops below your standards there is much to do in Costa...

 

Yea stay away from Mal Pais, nothing good to see there

 

ditto on Jaco. Its not the best wave and the town is pretty seedy.

 

Yes forget surfing Jaco but Hermosa is a great beach break. However, there are some good eats in the town of Jaco and yes it is seedy. Be careful when walking the strip. I always felt somewhat safe when walking the strip.