Costa Rica was my first foray back into surfing after a multi-year hiatus. I had just turned 40 and gifted myself an Endless Summer. No, not the movie. But a commitment to never having to experience cold winters ever again (unless I really want to). Best dang gift ever. Thanks, self. Costa Rica was one of the few countries open to travelers during the pandemic. It's tropical and purportedly has good surfing. So off I went.
Playa Grande
The first spot I chose was Playa Grande. It's a tiny, mostly undeveloped (at the time) area encompassing Las Baulas National Park, just north of Tamarindo, on the Pacific side of the country. It's wild enough to offer uncrowded waves for all levels, yet close enough to Tamarindo should you ever want more civilization or at least a change of restaurants. After a 20-minute walk over hot sand (low tide is best, so you can walk in the wet, cooler, packed sand), you can brave the crocodile-infested river or take a short $2 (each way) boat ride to Tamarindo.
Because Costa Rica protects its maritime jungles, you will notice there are no beachfront hotels here. Development is set back behind a few hundred feet of forest, so if you're a longboarder, expect to lug that board for 5 minutes down the road to the trail, then another 5 minutes through some sandy forest until your arms fall off before you get to the beach, where you walk another 5-10 minutes to your break of choice. You might as well stop and meditate or do some shinrin yoku forest bathing while you're in it. Or don't take a break from surfing so long that you fall out of shape (of course, the pandemic didn't help in that department).
![]() |
Muy tranquilo |
At the south end of Playa Grande (closest to Tamarindo), you'll find a handful of lodging and eateries and the Casitas break. At its north end, you'll find many more lodging/dining options, as well as Frijoles Locos surf shop, the Playa Grande main break (which is more crowded than Casitas), and... a pickleball court! Yes, pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America, so you'd expect it to reach Costa Rica, a.k.a. "America's Backyard" as well. You can walk or bike between the two ends of the beach or take a 10-minute car ride.
![]() |
Frijoles Locos truck |
Surfing
Casitas was my favorite break of this trip through Costa Rica, once I found it. My first week, I surfed at the rivermouth, which I mistook for Casitas. I enjoyed having the break all to myself, but I wondered why I was the only one there. Later, a waitress told me I must have an angel watching over me because I was "surfing where the crocodiles are." She directed me to the right spot for Casitas. Thanks dude. She was the closest thing I had to a surf guide.
March swells at Casitas are small (nothing overhead), perfect for the lapsed surfer like me or the beginner. There are multiple peaks for folks to spread out on. The most I've seen was 5 surfers per peak, but loners can usually scoot over to a neighboring peak that's less desirable but completely empty. This is 2022 though. Your mileage may vary.
The local vibe is friendly and longboarders rule the roost as the waves are on the soft and mushy side. Mid to high tide is the best time to go. Low tide is pretty much flat. Sunset sessions are crazy beautiful, with the sky painting the water pink, purple, golden hues. Water quality was excellent in the dry season - I could see through the water down to my foot.
![]() |
Searching for waves at low tide at Casitas |
If you want bigger waves, the peak season for surfing is the northern hemisphere summer (May-September), which is also the rainy season - called the "green season" because the rains transform the dry, dusty, brown hills into verdant countryside. Just be careful not to veer too close to the river. Murky water makes it harder for crocodiles to distinguish humans from... well, crocodiles don't make any distinction really in their food sources.
Playa Grande Main Break is at the end of the road on the north end of the beach. It's a shapely, sand-bottom A-frame with a lot more power and heft than Casitas. I saw mostly shortboarders at the peak and it was pockmarked with aggro knuckleheads. It's not as crowded as Tamarindo but crowded enough to make me uncomfortable to join the fray. I took a funboard and went halfway down the beach to a humble but empty beach break where I could be pounded with closeouts in peace. I didn't have the skill, experience nor fitness for the main break at the time. I didn't even know how to duck dive yet.
Food & Lodging
I moved around a lot during my stay in Playa Grande because I didn't feel like spending hours pouring through reviews to find lodging. Frankly, I wasn't very picky as long as it had AC and wifi (although wifi was only a nice to have since I was in between jobs and wasn't working remotely on this trip).
South Beach
Playa Grande Surf Camp - $
Playa Grande Surf Camp offered the best value for money in its cozy, air-conditioned, private cabinas with shared bathrooms. The onsite restaurant Cafe Mar Azul has the best local food in Playa Grande. I loved the casado, the local (errr, "tico") dish with gallo pinto (rice and beans), fried sweet plantains, veggies (sometimes), sour cream, Turrialba cheese, and some sort of protein (fish or pork). When I first tried casado, I understood why Costa Rica is a blue zone where people live long and healthy lives. Who wouldn't be happy if they ate casado all the time? It's the perfect combination of flavors and it's nutritious and filling without being heavy.
![]() |
Casado ex-veggies |
I didn't take any lessons, but the surf camp does offer lessons and rentals. If you're staying long term, there's a communal kitchen, though you would need a car to get to the market. Or, you could make the trek across the river to Tamarindo for provisions. Except for the treehouse, all rooms and private cabinas have air conditioning. The cabinas sell out quickly though, so book ahead of time.
![]() |
Cabin lost a few leaves thanks to a mischievous monkey |
Pipe House - $
Pipe House was the most cramped accommodations I've ever stayed in, short of the sleeping pod I rented in a capsule hotel at a mexican airport. If you want to live like a bum in a concrete pipe, this is your chance. There's no room to open your suitcase or board bags without putting everything on your bed. This is really best for backpackers who travel light. On the upside, because the space is so small, the AC keeps your room frigid as an igloo even when it's sweltering outside. You can thaw yourself out in the hot water showers in the shared bathrooms. Stand down, dear nipples.
![]() |
Pipe dreams |
![]() |
Tunnel vision |
Rental boards are few and shabby, but what else did you expect from a remote area? There is no onsite or nearby restaurant, but you can borrow the house bike and amble down the dirt roads for 10 minutes to Cafe Mar Azul, Restaurante Cantarana, or Sugaree Bar & Grill inside the psychedelic Grateful hotel, which has live reggae on some nights.
![]() |
The only street lamp in Playa Grande |
Definitely try out the jungle gym with massive wooden dumbbells at Pipe House to inflate your ego.
![]() |
Jungle gym weights |
Hotel El Manglar - $$
This is the poshest hotel in the south end and the villas are often booked out months in advance. It sports the biggest pool in the area and a private path to the beach. There are cheaper apartments upstairs with tiny windows and nothing really special about the rooms except that you're a hop, skip, and a jump away from Cantarana, the other good restaurant with an outdoor dining terrace overlooking that forest between you and the beach, but no view of the beach, not even through the trees. Bring a vivid imagination.
![]() |
Landscaping is top-notch at Manglar |
![]() |
Terrace at Bistro Cantarana |
North Beach
Sugar's Monkey - $
Basic rooms near the beach on the north end of Playa Grande, with a small, shallow pool good for kids, not for swimming laps. The gym area upstairs (massive wooden dumbbells not included) has a bench with cracked upholstery and a half-deflated yoga ball. It's sparse and rundown, but you're not here for an Equinox gym experience, anyway. Happy hour in the courtyard is pretty sad. They try to lure people in with cocktails and loud music but, on this side of Playa Grande, everyone heads over to Upstairs at Rip Jack Inn anyway for the food, live music and glimpses of the ocean through the trees.
Tamarindo
I don't have enough material to dedicate a whole post to Tamarindo, so I added it as a side note here. Tamarindo is a crowded circus of a beach break. The waves are small and mellow, great for beginners. Think foamies flying everywhere. Since there is no national park to contend with, you can find beachfront restaurants and hotels here, of which there are tons. If you work remotely, this town offers co-working hubs and more reliable and faster internet than its rugged lone wolf cousin across the river.
![]() |
Waiting for a massage on the beach |
![]() |
Tamarindo at low tide |
Conclusion
I would go back to Playa Grande if it remains uncrowded as it was in 2022. Without a car though, I couldn't see this place becoming my forever home. It's a little too isolated for my taste.
