Stormrider Guide to surfing Golfo De Nicoya

Costa Rica, CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

Boca Barranca, John Callahan

Summary

+ Great lefts and rights	- Best swells in rainy season
+ Consistent, powerful beaches	- Beaches close-out easily
+ Both south and north swells	- Crowded breaks, busy resorts
+ Exotic, warm and friendly	- Some bad roads and petty crime

With waves all-year-round, surf towns have sprung up at Jaco and further afield on the Nicoya peninsula around Santa Teresa/Mal Pais. Despite shocking access roads requiring 4WD in the wet season, this wild area has become a surf-school heaven, trading on idyllic tropical scenery, incredible national park wildlife and mellow beachbreaks. The huge coastal province of Puntarenas begins on the Nicoya Peninsula, then crosses the Golfo de Nicoya, extending through Central Puntarenas Province down to the Panamanian border, encompassing the Golfo Dulce. The Nicoya Peninsula is where the thick tropical forest blankets the hills down to the sand, dipping its toes in the Pacific to create a laid-back vibe in the established eco and surf resort towns of Playa Santa Teresa, Playa Carmen and Mal Pais. This is a great beginner/intermediate zone where the beachbreaks are often mellow, but don't discount some firing morning sessions and some bigger waves on the points. The backside of the peninsula holds some surprising quality when bigger S-SW swells push in and hit a number of breaks that are all offshore in NW winds, which can be handy in the wet season. Cabuya Island Reef is a low tide reef way out off the tip of the ÒCemetery IslandÓ which is either a long reef platform walk or a boat ride. Los Reyes is nice righthand wall at the Lajas rivermouth and Playa Los Cedros gives goofies a short, mellow fun-run to slalom in idyllic scenery at high tide. Playa Grande is a solid 30min walk from Montezuma, but the rewards are proper hollow beachbreak peaks and a thick jungle backdrop in crowd-free pristine waters. Across the Golfo, more famous waves like the leg-burning rivermouth lefts of Boca Baranca, the busy tourist and beginner beaches of Playa Jaco, or the often daunting, thumping tubes of Playa Hermosa. Check out the peaks of Esterillos that has flexible, south-facing waves for most abilities.

When to Go

The major SW swells range from 3-12ft from April to Oct. Larger swells are required to penetrate the Golf spots. Dec to April WNW swells hardly reach this stretch of coast. Winds are not usually a factor, however there is a wet but gentle SW-W monsoon period from May to December (wet season). Typically, mornings are offshore, afternoons onshore. Tides can reach 3.5m, drastically changing the waves.

Surf Spots

Playa Coyote stretches up to equally long Playa San Miguel, so finding an empty peak is simple, especially around the two rivermouths at higher tides on small swells. ThereÕs an average left off the rocks on the point that holds size and rights when itÕs a NW swell. Further north, thereÕs plenty of less frequented beachbreak at Buena Vista, Samara, Carrillo and most notably Camaronal. Deserted beachbreak Playa Caletas leads down to a large rivermouth and more of the same at Playa Ario. Small swells, mid tide or check the high tide right reef on the northern headland. Offshore reefs catch W-NW swell at Manzanillo, shaping some lefts and rights that are fickle but fun for good surfers. The beach is a perfect nursery for kids and newbies. Playa Hermosa is a cruisey beachbreak creating the perfect slow rollers for the stream of surf school softoppers, plus a reefy righthander off the northern point. Playa Santa Teresa is hollow and consistent, especially at lower tides. Lava rock ledges protrude out and catch the sand at a number of named spots like Suck Rock, La Lora Amarilla and Casa Cecilia. Playa Carmen starts the Mal Pais section and is better suited to improvers and intermediates with fatter, slower, longer rights and shorter steeper lefts, including a high tide reef at the north end. Bigger SW swell awakens the Punta Barigona lefts and the easier inside Mar Azul walls at high tide. Hard to predict whether it will be cutbacks or cover-ups, mals or pintails. Sunset Reef is a full bore, high speed, left tunnel over ugly lava reef at the end of the Mal Pais coast road. Spots inside the Nicoya gulf include Cabuya Island Reef, Los Reyes, Playa Los Cedros and Playa Grande in Montezuma. On a major S-SW swell, Boca Barranca is an exceedingly long left wall that trickles and peels through up to 750m of fun-filled sections for all craft and abilities in the polluted rivermouth. Puerto Caldera has a faster, ripable left rivermouth bar in front of the bridge on big swells and higher tides. El Hoyo throws up quality wedges and ramps off the west jetty and thereÕs an all tides left point at Punta Corralillos. All are polluted and localised. TitivesÕ beachbreaks easily close-out except for the rights into the rivermouth and the Mini Valor lefts off the point in strong S swell. Sharky and crocy! The reliable racey lefts and bending rights at Playa Escondida are boat access only, but their quality means crowds. Jac— is Costa RicaÕs main surf town with plenty of hotels, surf shops, bars and discos where the beachbreak has consistent higher tide peaks and easy learner waves. Roca Loca is a great right on a good SW-W swell, breaking in front of or beside a big rock cluster. Powerful, tricky ride with lots of rocks to avoid at low. The long, black sand, zooed-out beachbreak at Playa Hermosa exudes serious power and punishes plenty on double overhead days when close-outs rule. Rips are legendarily strong, sand is stupidly hot. The walk down to Boca Tusubres reveals less-crowded peaks on lower tides and bigger, punchier waves. South-facing Esterillos Oeste, consists of a long sandy stretch with some lava reefs outside and a slow righthander called La Sirena.

Statistics

dominant swell

S -SW

swell size (ft)

3-4

5-6

consistency (%)

dominant wind

W -NE

SW -W

average force

consistency (%)

water temp (C)

wetsuit

boardshorts

Travel Information

Weather
The dry season between late December and April is referred to as summer, despite being in the northern hemisphere. The green or wet season lasts from May to November, but still offers an average of about 5hrs of daily sunshine. September and October are the rainiest months including sudden tropical thunderstorms, lightning and heavy rains. Temps vary little between seasons, ranging from 29-32¡C (84-90¼F) during the day and 20-23¡C (68-74¼F) during the night. Water is boardshort warm 26-30¼C (79-86¼F).

Lodging and Food
Plenty of choices to stay in Jaco, but favour Playa Hermosa for its proximity to quality surf: prices keep going up so ask for winter or long stay discounts! Mal Pais is surf camp central with all sorts of different packages. A typical food bill would be $12-15.

Nature and Culture
Lots of outdoor activities like horseriding, kayaking or river rafting. In Jaco/Hermosa area try the Waterfalls and Canopy Tour in the jungle forest, or fly tandem paragliding! Nightlife in Jaco is heavy; check Disco La Central or Papagayo. In Mal Pais, itÕs quieter with plenty of wildlife. DonÕt miss Cabo Blanco National Park.