Samara-Beach, Costa-Rica

 Samara-Beach, Costa-Rica

Playa Samara, North Pacific, is a pretty and user-friendly beach with regular surf.

Costa Rica has year-round warm water and plenty of broad, deserted beaches on both Pacific and Caribbean coasts - but don't expect them all to be coated in soft, manicured sand, nor gently lapped by azure waters. 

For starters many beaches wear hard, black volcanic sand coats which reach magma temperatures in the midday sun.

Next, even beaches bordered by hotels aren't in the habit of clearing up the flotsam on their beach - and if it's near a village locals can be depressingly thoughtless with their trash - so watch where you step.

And finally the waters on both sides of the country can conceal wild rips [currents] and are often rough.

On the plus side the climate is hot, the hotels are often appealing yet low cost, the beaches are bereft of pay-parasols, the surfing is excellent and the waters are not crammed with curl-hoggers. Locals are pleasant, food is reasonable and non-marine activities abundant: jungle walks, horse riding, canopy tours, wildlife safaris to national parks, mountain biking, quad biking, white-water rafting, hot springs, volcano explorations and more...

Surfing:

A world-class surf hotspot, Costa Rica's two coasts both offers terrific point breaks, beach breaks and perfect lefts and rights. The Caribbean side's surf season is short and limited mainly to after-effects of tropical storms between August and December, but swells can be huge. The Pacific side, however, offers more consistent waves with the big stuff appearing April-October and smaller but cleaner waves for the rest of the year.

Costa Rica's top surf beaches are arguably: Hermosa Beach, Playa Grande, Pavones, Witches Rock, Salsa Brava, Dominical, Santa Teresa, Mal Pais, Negra Beach, Junquillal Beach and Avellana Beach.

Surf board transport: 

Some domestic airlines do not accept boards as baggage due to weight or size so check beforehand. Many surfers hire cars [tough ones as some roads are in seriously bad shape!] instead but bring their own soft racks and straps as these are not supplied.

Boards are usually rentable in towns adjacent to good surf, though many visitors bring their own.