Hi guys, I am a beginner-intermediate surfer going to central america for about 5 weeks sometime Oct-Dec. My plan is to stay 1,5-2 weeks at the same place and then go travelling and surfing at other places in central america. Where should I go? I've heard costa rica is a good place to start, but a bit more expensive compared to nicaragua, guatemala and other places. I don't have my own board, so i need to go somewhere where there's rental shops. or is it better to buy a board if i'm gonna be thre for 5 weeks? so my questions are: anyone know a nice place to have as "base camp" for 1,5-2 weeks? where should i go when i travel around (good surf spots)? which countries are good for not that experienced surfers? and most important of all, how is the surf this time of the year? is it better to go early october or late december? unfortunately, i'm only able to take 5 weeks off and the earliest time i can go is 1st Oct and i think i'll have to be back by christmas. so how, where, when? grateful for all replies! /brian
check out this website, ive stayed there 4-5 times already and its amazing! www.surfaricharters.com. they have a fully equipped surf shop as well. good luck!
Well, October and December can be quite different. In October, you are still going to see mostly Southern Hemi SW swells. Where as in December, you will be into the North Pacific season. Costa Rica I think is definitely a good place to start out. It picks up swells from all directions, BUT, depending on which month you go may vary where you decided to stay in Costa Rica. For Instance, Tamarindo area (north) is generally smaller on the south swells then in Central and Southern Costa rica. In the Winter, Tamarindo is a great place to go as well as down south near Jaco/Hermosa Beach. Just a warning for Nicaragua. I believe their rainy season is in September/October. You don't want to go down there for their rainy season, because its all dirt roads getting there and back. I've heard it can be nearly impossible to get in/out during the middle of the rainy season. Nicaragua really pumps during the south swell season, since its more south facing. Another thought... If you are thinking winter (December), you could always shoot on over to the caribbean side of Costa Rica or Panama. Both areas pump during the winter and is a completely different vibe then each countries opposite coast. Bocas Del Toro (Panama) and Puerto Viejo (Costa Rica) are super interesting and fun towns. Hopefully these thoughts are helpful. Have fun,
puerto viejo, CR Puerto Viejo is a pretty rad place BUT from what I remember all of the surf there is big and breaks on shallow reef. Not ideal for a beginner.
do 2-3 weeks in Costa, then 2-3 weeks in Nica or vice versa. Tamarindo in CR and San Juan Del Sur for Nic. both dont really have surf in the town, but are good starting points, then go venture out from there. October could be pretty rainy. november/december would be good for a beginning/immediate. waves will be decent and nice weather.
Costa Rica in my humble opinion has become a tourist trap. Come visit Nicaragua, my family has a place on the Pacific http://www.gigantenicaragua.com
Hermosa, near Jaco is a great place. Check out Los olas Hotel. I stay there every year. The owner and staff are friendly.
Central America Country Hi I think Costa Rica is the best place in central america, if you know more about costa rica then you visit http://beachcomberpete.com/
