Obviously, Costa Rica is home to some of the best surfing in the Western Hemisphere. When you think of surfing in Costa Rica, you may think of pumping waves, barrels, or even lots of beginner whitewash. However, there are quite a few solid longboard waves on offer in this Central American country. If you’re looking for the widest variety of longboard wave options, Tamarindo is probably your best bet. We’ll cover some of our favorite longboard waves in Costa Rica here for you to consider!

Playa Guiones

Located in Nosara, Playa Guiones is probably our favorite longboard spot in Costa Rica. Nosara is actually home to many breaks, including Playa Nosara, Playa Garza, and Playa Ostional. However, Guiones is widely accepted as the go-to spot for loggers in the area. It’s fairly close to town and accessible, a nice size for beginner and intermediates, and has both rights and lefts.

On many days in the wet season (June-November), you can get waves that are well overhead. However, there’s still plenty of whitewash and smaller waves on the inside. Dry season has smaller and weaker waves, most of which are perfect for longboarding. The dry season also doesn’t bring the consistent offshore winds that you’ll find in the rainy season. Either way, it’s generally a super consistent wave.

The town itself has a chill wellness-oriented vibe. It’s on our list of the Best Surf Towns in Costa Rica, and there are yoga and meditation classes all around, tons of healthy food, and plenty of backpackers. It’s definitely full of tourists and wanderers, but less so than Tamarindo up to the north. I would call it more of a granola tourist destination.

If you’re looking for a surf camp to hit this wave, check out Safari Surf School. They offer eight day surf camps for around $3,000 that include massages, yoga, zipline tours, ATV tours, horseback riding, mountain biking, and much more. It’s more of a surf-centric vacation as it includes all the activities you could possibly want here.

Playa Grande

Playa Grande is located up in Tamarindo. Tamarindo is a popular tourist destination, full of international visitors. It’s one of the more expensive places in Costa Rica because of this, but it’s a fun place to be on vacation. Like Nosara, there are tons of breaks in the area. Some are intermediate+ (like Witch’s Rock), while many cater to more beginner and intermediate surfers.

Tamarindo is a solid place to surf, especially for beginners. In fact, it’s on our list of the best places to learn to surf. There are plenty of different waves to catch, and Playa Grande is probably our favorite longboard wave here. It’s about a half hour from Tamarindo, and much quieter than the main beaches in town. It is a nice A-frame wave that can grow in rainy season. But even on bigger days, you’ll find longboard waves without a problem. There have been crocodile sightings here, and there’s a fair bit of rocks and reef to be mindful of.

If you’re looking for classes or rentals, check out Iguana. Iguana is simply one of our favorite surf camps in the area. They’re on our list of the 7 Best Surf Vacations for Beginners, 7 Best Surf Vacations for Families, and 5 Best Surf Camps for Beginners. They have a full surf shop, tons of rentals, and classes for both kids and adults. They’re really at the heart of surfing in the area, so give them a visit!

Playa Avellanas

Also located a half hour from Tamarindo, Playa Avellanas is a bit quieter than Tamarindo itself. There’s really not a town to speak of here, so it’s pretty laid back and chill. You’ll find a mix of longboarders and shortboarders here, and it really has waves all around. In my opinion, it’s a great place to escape the crowds in Tamarindo. It’s definitely not a secret spot, but you’ll find a ton of waves with much less crowded lineups.

For longboarding, I’d say Palo Seco is the best spot. There are some rock sections to be aware of at all of the breaks in the area. Parqueo is another spot where longboard waves can be found on the beach, while the breaks like Purruja is more punchy and shortboard-friendly. As a bonus, you can also visit Rancho Avellanas, a local goat farm!

Playa Hermosa

Also in the Nicoya Peninsula is Playa Hermosa. This is not to be confused with the world-class waves down south at Playa Hermosa near Jacó. This Playa Hermosa is a beach just north of the town of Santa Teresa. You won’t find much of crowds here surfing, and you’ll find a solid beginner or longboard wave.

Playa Hermosa gets bigger in rainy season, but is really surfable year round. If you’re comfortable on your longboard, I recommend going during this season. If you’re a relatively new surfer, you’ll be fine in either rainy or dry season. The town of Santa Teresa is lovely. As it’s a bit more remote than Tamarindo, it’s much more chill. There are plenty of visitors and backpackers, as well as yogis and digital nomads.

If you’re looking for a surf camp in the area, I’d check out Dreamsea. They have 8 day beginner to advanced surf camps that run around $750 and can really help you progress. They have tons of longboards and midlengths, as well as beautiful jungle accommodations. There are also plenty of surf camps in Santa Teresa nearby if you’re interested.

Dominicalito

Finally, we have Dominicalito. Located just at the south end of Dominical, Dominicalito literally means “little Dominical.” It speaks to the town, but also to the waves. You’ll find much softer waves that work well for longboarders. You also won’t find the small crowds of Dominical. The waves roll in off Punta Dominical quite gently, but beware of some of the rocks on the bottom!