Playa Hermosa Surf

Costa Rica’s Best Surf Playa. There - summed it all up in one sentence.

Playa Hermosa Costa Rica is hands down the best beach break on the central pacific coast. Expect consistent year-round surf in the 6′ range, with peaks scattered along 3 1/2 miles of steep, black sand beach. Playa Hermosa has excellent exposure to swell from almost any direction, and wave quality is perfect for for shortboarders - fast - hollow - perfect shape - Costa Rica’s performance wave.

Left’s and rights are scattered up and down the beach, so it’s all good news for the one-way surfers like myself out there. Rip currents are common here, so relax and paddle sideways if you get caught. It’s a good idea to “read” the water for a couple minutes before paddling out at any surf spot you aren’t used to.

Located just 20 minutes south of Jaco Beach, Playa Hermosa is no secret, and due to it’s close proximity to San José, the crowd can be a bit if a hassle, especially on the weekend. However, with so much beach, I’ve always been able to find a decent head high peak to share with my friends even at the most crowded times. If the crowd vibe thing freaks you out, or if you are a beginner, try somewhere else. For experienced surfers, you can’t do a whole lot better. Playa Dominical offers a similar quality beach break with less crowds and a more relaxed vibe.

There are a number of surfer-friendly beachfront hotels and restaurants located right on Hermosa Beach, and all of the amenities like bank, hospital, post office, grocery store, etc. are just up the road in Jaco Beach. Hermosa itself is a small and friendly community of dedicated surfers.

Custom Surfboards, Jaco Beach, Playa Hermosa

Just wanted to say a quick word about custom surfboards available in Jaco beach and Hermosa Beach. Chances are, if you are landing in San José and plan to surf the Pacific side, you’ll end up in at least one of these two places. Fischer Bros builds custom boards to high standards, and has been locally owned and operated since 2000. As the name suggests, the shops are a labor of love run by the three Fischer brothers: Ton, Nico and Facu. These guys are serious about surfing and you should check out the shop if you are in the area. It’s a good place to meet people, get a little local knowledge, and check out some photos of local surfers.

You can also get surf lessons here, book surf camps and buy anything you will need if you’re just getting started. Check out their website here: Fisher Surf Shops.

They carry short boards, hybrids, longboards, and they can make anything you can think of - within reason… if you want a diamond studded 12′6″, with 17 fins and a front mounted machine gun, you may have to pay extra. I don’t know, people get weird ideas.

I wanted to show you a couple of shapes here so you can see a range, but also so you can see custom paint work that they do. The boards are shaped, painted, and glassed all right there in the shops. So, you can save yourself oversize baggage fees, stress about damaged or lost boards (YES! It’s happened to all of us!) and take home a piece of the country when you leave.