Boca Barranca to Manuel Antonio
A coast-wide surf dashboard with three-day model guidance, original spot notes and the local context numbers cannot provide.
Three-day outlook
Model refreshOct 17 · 6:48 PM
A celebrated Central Pacific left with a very different rhythm from the beach breaks farther south.
Open spot report →A port-area option on the northern edge of this guide, sensitive to swell direction and working conditions.
Open spot report →A tucked-away reef setup north of Jacó that can offer shaped surf when the direction and tide cooperate.
Open spot report →A protected horseshoe-shaped bay north of Jacó, better known for boating and calmer water than open-coast power.
Open spot report →A serious reef wave on the headland between Jacó and Playa Hermosa.
Open spot report →The region's most convenient surf base, with lessons, board rentals, restaurants and services close to the sand.
Open spot report →A long black-sand beach with consistent, powerful surf and multiple named peaks south of Jacó.
Open spot report →Esterillos Oeste, Centro and Este stretch along a broad open coast with room to look for a suitable peak.
Open spot report →A wide beach south of Esterillos with open-ocean exposure and a quieter local feel.
Open spot report →A long palm-lined stretch near Parrita where the surf story is as much about remoteness, access and river systems as swell size.
Open spot report →The southern end of this Central Pacific guide, where surf decisions sit alongside park rules, crowds and protected coastline.
Open spot report →Surfing behind Casa Lapa
Playa Hermosa is powerful, fast and not a casual swimming beach. For experienced surfers, that same energy is the reason to come—clean walls, punchy sections and a real local lineup just behind Casa Lapa.
The people behind the forecast
This is not stock surf imagery. Jeff shot these moments at Playa Hermosa—the people, the sessions and the kind of wave that makes the Central Pacific unforgettable.
Carlos Muñoz is one of Costa Rica’s Championship Tour trailblazers. The clip and photograph were captured by Jeff Powers; appearance does not imply a commercial endorsement.
How to use this report
Offshore wave height is not the same as breaking-wave size at the beach. Bathymetry, swell angle, tide, wind, river flow and the exact peak all change what you will find.
Ask Jeff about a surf stay