How to See & Surf Costa Rica in 10 Days

Looking for an epic 10-day Costa Rica itinerary that allows you to soak up the very best Guanacaste surf? Read on!

Do a quick Google search for “surfing Costa Rica map” and you’ll quickly notice that the coast of Guanacaste is awash with fantastic surf beaches. The warm waters, sandy shores, and easily-accessible surf spots are just a few of the reasons our stretch of Pacific coast is so renowned. If you’re looking for the ideal surf destination, Costa Rica pretty much guarantees an impressive adventure and lifelong memories. Although one could spend months covering hot- spots on a surfing Costa Rica map, most people need help figuring out how to hit the best spots in a shorter vacation. If you can carve 10 days away from work and home, here’s how to schedule your trip.

Day 1: Fly Into the Liberia Airport and Rent a Car

There are two major airports in Costa Rica — the Liberia Airport in Guanacaste (Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport) and the San Jose Airport (Juan Santamaria International Airport) located just outside the capital. 

Your best bet for a 10-day trip is to purchase two separate, one-way tickets. Fly into Liberia and out of San Jose.

All major airlines fly in and out of both airports, so it’s easy to find tickets through either destination. Crucially, though, flying in and out of the two separate airports makes it easier to explore different Guanacaste surf spots while driving south along the coast from the Guanacaste Province to the Puntarenas Province. This allows you to see more of Costa Rica, maximize your surfing time and minimizing travel time. Also, the Liberia Airport is small and easy to navigate, making it a nice option for anyone unfamiliar with international air travel. Flying into a smaller airport can help you ease into the experience.

When you book your tickets, go ahead and book a rental car, too. While there are lots of transportation options in Costa Rica, including private transfers, shared transfers, buses, and taxis, renting a car will give you the flexibility to make adjustments to your schedule as you see fit. And while some roads in Costa Rica can be a little rough, navigating with Waze or Google Maps is a breeze. 

A word to the wise: given some of Costa Rica’s roads are unpaved, it is best to rent an SUV. Also, note that you will need to buy local third-party insurance – it is compulsory, is not covered by any other foreign policy and often doubles the total cost of the car rental. Still, it is a must and also gives you peace of mind.

Day 1, Continued: Drive to Tamarindo, Explore the Town

Many flights into the Liberia Airport land in the early to mid-afternoon, giving you plenty of time to pick up your car and get on the road with plenty of daylight to spare. Your first Guanacaste surf destination should be Tamarindo, Costa Rica’s most famous surf beach. Tamarindo is a well-known tourist hub heralded for its beginner-friendly waves and easy access to beaches with bigger, more challenging breaks too. If you arrive around 4:00 or 5:00 in the afternoon, you’ll have plenty of time to check into your hotel before exploring your surroundings.

If you like the amenities of a fully-fledged resort, there are many throughout the town and right on the beach. This makes for easy access to restaurants, nightlife, and shopping. But if you’re a more budget-oriented traveler, look for Guancaste surf hostels or the Iguana Surf Hotel. Accommodation options abound, and you can often find nice lodging ranging anywhere from $25 a night to well over $500 depending on how basic or luxurious an experience you’re after.

After dropping your bags at your hotel, you have decisions to make. If you’re a diehard surfer, you may still have enough daylight to rent a surfboard and catch a few waves. Not sure which board is best? Here’s how to pick the best surfboard for you. If you’re tired from a day of traveling, consider walking through town to check out the shops before stopping for a meal and a local beer or cocktail to watch the sunset. 

Tamarindo offers some of the best sunsets in the world and amazing eateries where you can grab a bite, a refreshing drink and front-row seats to watch the magic. Wrap up your evening by checking out some of the local nightlife. The most popular hotspots are Sharky’s Pacifico, El Garito (if you love house music) and Groot, the latest addition to the town’s clubbing scene. Keep an eye on The Swell Dealer to see what’s going on during your travel dates.

Day 2 & 3: Surf Playa Tamarindo

Playa Tamarindo is the perfect location to kick off your Guanacaste surf trip. If you’re new to the sport, or if it’s been a while since you’ve caught a wave, talk to the surf instructors at Iguana Surf to see when the best time is to hit the water. Then, schedule a lesson based on their feedback. 

Even if you’ve surfed before, these two-hour lessons (group, semi-private, or private) can provide you with critical reminders about water safety, basic surf skills, and how to time your pop-up to stick each wave. They’ll also enable you to open a dialogue with a local instructor who can give you feedback about which beaches and breaks are most appropriate for your level of ability if you plan on heading out alone. After your lesson, rent a board and keep it on hand just in case you want to practice a little more on your own. Even if you decide you’re too tired, you’ll still want it on-hand for Day 3 & 4.

At Iguana Surf, you’ll get 50% off the rental price for the duration of your trip if you take a lesson with us.

Day 4: Take a Day Trip to a Nearby Beach – Choose from Your Surfing Costa Rica Map

The beauty of Tamarindo is that is boasts an abundance of great Guanacaste surf spots nearby. With your surfboard and rental car, you can choose more challenging breaks at Playa Grande, Playa Langosta, or Playa Avellanas, all of which are 30 minutes or less away by car. Playa Grande tends to deliver some of the more challenging waves, although depending on the day, Avellanas can be equally, if not more, difficult. 

Talk to your surf instructor to see which location they’d suggest (they may even suggest you walk to different breaks along Playa Tamarindo, like El Estero or Capitan Suiza), and when they think you should head out to surf. If you’re a little wary about hitting the waves alone, see if you can pay for a private surf lesson and have an instructor tag along. This is only your second official day of surfing in Guanacaste, after all — a little extra feedback and guidance certainly can’t hurt!

Playa Avellanas is a great place to surf for beginners to intermediate. The beach offers great reef and beach breaks and is home to the famous Lolas that offers great eats and views.

Day 5 & 6: Drive to Nosara, Get the Lay of the Land

Playa Nosara is about a two-hour drive from Tamarindo along a winding, mostly beautiful, two-lane highway. After grabbing a hearty breakfast at Breakfast Grinds, head south to Nosara and the famed waves of Playa Guiones. Just keep in mind that the city of Nosara is about a 20-minute drive from the actual beach. If you want to stay along the coast (and why wouldn’t you?), make sure you book a hotel or AirBnb at Playa Nosara or Playa Guiones, not the city of Nosara.

Arrive around noon or a little bit later, and you will have plenty of time to check into your hotel, walk on the beach, and locate a surf shop (even if you already have your board rental from Tamarindo) for advice on peak surf times, and perhaps hiring an instructor if you think you’ll need a little extra help. If conditions are good, you may even want to take a board out for a couple of hours to get a feel for the waves. 

Wrap up the night with a meal from local restaurants like Burgers and Beer (pretty self-explanatory!) or Pacifico Azul (great for seafood) before hitting the sheets early. You’re probably feeling a little tired at this point and you have a big day of surfing ahead of you.

Enjoy the next day surfing Nosara again or venture to Guiones if you are an intermediate to experienced surf and enjoy the popular surf spot.

Day 7 to 8: Drive to Mal Pais/Santa Teresa

About 4 hours’ drive from Nosara will see you reach the funky surf towns of Mal Pais and Santa Teresa. The towns are spread down one long road and offer a variety of fantastic restaurants, local bars, hotels, Airbnbs, and great surf spots. Spend a few days surfing different local spots and asking locals the best places to try. While visiting in Santa Teresa try the famous Bakery for breakfast, lunch, and pastries! It’s a must, especially after surfing.

Great surf spots in the area include – Playa Hermosa, Playa Carmen, Mar Azul and more. Check out a local surf shop for the best wave for you and tide charts.

Day 9: Drive to Playa Hermosa/Jaco

Jaco is one of the biggest, most bustling surf communities in Costa Rica. It’s well-known for its beginner-friendly breaks along a long and wide white-sand beach. From Santa Teresa, it’s about a five-hour drive to get to Jaco, so go ahead and plan on taking the day off from hitting the waves. Rather than rushing your drive, take your time and consider stopping at little sodas (local Tico restaurants) along the way for casados and beers.

Day 10: Drive to Alajuela and Fly Out of Juan Santamaria International Airport

Sadly, it’s time to wrap up your surf vacation. It’s a roughly two-hour drive from Jaco to the San Jose airport and based on traffic and road conditions, it’s always wise to give yourself a little more time. Plus, you have to drop off your rental car and allow for the two to three hours required for check-in, customs, and security. All-in-all, you should hit the road about five to six hours before your flight.

Iguana Surf Camp – The Best and Most Convenient Way to See & Surf Costa Rica in 10 days

Not everyone wants to worry about hire cars, renting a new surf board and booking different accommodation daily, and driving in unfamiliar places. Thinking about all the logistics of a 10-day surf trip is exhausting and time consuming. Most people just want to SURF and make the most of their time in Guanacaste in the water, not on planning and bookings. 

This explains why Iguana Surf Camps are so popular! They are, by far, the best and most convenient way to get the most of every day in the country. You get to stay in THE best surf beach every day (Tamarindo!) and can get out and explore too, surfing an array of nearby beaches.

At Iguana, we offer 5-, 6- and 7-day camps, which include accommodation at our beachside hotel, daily surf lessons, daily breakfast, all the gear you need, and even a photo package to capture your best moments. Plus, you can take advantage of our shuttle service with Retana Transfers and private guided surf lessons to different beaches along the Guanacaste coast. We also offer an array of Tours and Activities that showcase the best our region has to offer.

And just so you know, we run a shuttle service from the Liberia Airport every Saturday, at 2pm, so you don’t even need to worry about reaching Tamarindo. 

We do all the planning so you don’t have to! 

Do you have just 10 days free to surf the best beaches in Costa Rica?

Contact us to make the most of your time on the surf.