Solo to Costa

surfed tamarindo and dominical both in july ( 2 different trips) dominical sheet to head mornings tide dependent and tamarind near river mouth chest high and witches rock overhead. maybe I got lucky, i saw some crocs at river mouth though.

 

We say crocs taste like chicken.
Crocs say we taste like chicken.
Don't prove them right.

 

Have surfed CR several times in July, will do so again this summer. Nothing really stands out as different or negative. Which, I suppose, is a net positive comment.

 

I'd agree with that in re rains. Having said that, I enjoy tropical downpours & storms.

Oct & up-through-Thanksgiving are great times to surf CR. Surfing is decent, not the bestest of the best waves but still: warm water, good to very good waves, sometimes blown out by wind / storms, uncrowded & quiet. Gringos back in school, trustafarians gone off to wherever trustafarians amble off to, many businesses & restaurants in coastal villages close down or scale back hours. You kinda get a sense of CR many years ago prior to 'discovery' by the madding crowds.

 

So I guess this treade is as good as any other CR one. My wife is in sales industry (booze) and regularly earns trips for us to wherever the company is sending top sellers that year. This year was dominican republic, next year is CR. Trip will be in January. We will be at an adults only resort located in Culebra Bay, a little more than an hour's drive northeast from Tamarindo. Company will set us up for four or five days, we are going to extend the trip for another four or five days and stay on our own.

That being said, I know nothing of northern CR. I know witches rock is about another hour north of where I'll be staying, any other areas north of Tamrindo that are worth looking at? Also, we will likely stay around Tamarindo area when we go out on our own - as friends who don't surf will be staying with us - any recommendations on areas to stay? I'd like to find something that has decent non-surf related stuff, as well as a serviceable wave nearby. As long as it's not ultra crowded I'm fine with crowds (i'm unfortunately used to the sh!t-show that is 1st street so I'm dead inside). Just looking for some general pointers - not looking to name spots outright.

 

Not familiar with Culebra Bay.

Avellanas is fun, Playa Grande is fun but can be locals-on-the-best-peaks, Tamarindo is a total kookfest at the break near the river mouth where that dude from Colorado got chomped by the croc, better to take the little motorboat across the river mouth & trudge up the beach to surf that beach break. These are all well-known breaks, so I'm not blowing anything up. The breaks that are further south are a haul of several hours, particularly if you're traveling during rainy season.

 

Heading to Tamarindo tomorrow, I like that area, because its super easy travel, fly into Liberia airport, and your an hour from town of Tamarindo. Lots of fun spots within short driving distance of Tamarindo. In the winter season, offshores can flow off of Lake Nicaragua all day long down to this area.

 

Have a nice trip--stay away from crocs. They think we "taste like chicken".

 

Id recommend the Diria hotel. in Tamarindo. 5 star and lots of activities take the tour up the river mouth to see monkeys and crocks and all kinds of stuff you can walk almost everywhere and theres a serviceable wave right out front on incoming high tide

 

i was there last August and the rain wasn't bad at all. Never stopped me from surfing, nor driving on those goat trails that they call roads lol.

The Diria is pretty cool but too close to the madness for me, although near Pico Pequeno which can get good (and crowded).

check out the El Capitan Suizo at the far south end of town if you want to stay in Tamarindo proper, super luxe and within walking distance to everything.

I stayed at the JW Marriott in Pinilla, in between Tamarindo and Avellanes. Pinilla is a gated community so access to the beaches there is limited. Beach parking is exclusive, and is probably safer and better paved than your home break. There is a sweet little right hand reef at the Hacienda Pinilla clubhouse, so the limited access helps keep the crowds down. And when the reef isn't working, you're within walking distance to Avellanes rivermouth.

Playa Avellanes is decent beach break, with Lola's restaurant being well above average. And get breakfast at Gregorio's, who has an excellent Gallo Pinto (Tico black beans and rice). Mario the owner is uber cool but speaks very little English.

Just my .02 centavos

 

Wow, gonna be packed in July. Headed there mid to late July staying mostly in Puntarenas due to wife's fam but taking a short trip to Avellanas too. Hear June is better for rains but South swells should be more prominent in July. Local schools are out in end of July so not so stoked on that, gonna be even more a zoo at the local spot.

DANG, just saw you said no more flights in July on SW, glad I got mine a few weeks ago. Direct from BWI on way down. Even more crowded then

 

Ticos seem to show up in numbers on the weekends, i didn't see very many midweek during my trip

 

Been to Dominical and Esterillos in late June. Lots of rain. Torrential the further south you go. Dominacal is jungle. Estrillos is not, so not as wet. But the waves there have less punch than further south, but break way longer on the average, especially at Esterillos Ouseo. Not the brutal closeouts like Hermosa and Domincal. There are some nice casas that rent right on the beach in Esterillos proper, one has a wave cam hooked up to some website, maybe cisurf.com I can't remember the name of either the lodge or the website, but it was chill. Food at nearby cantinas was great.