Surfing

Once a quite fishing hamlet, Tamarindo has evolved to be the area’s most developed and accessible tourist town. Rated 7.9/10 by visitors.

The sleepy beach hamlet of Malpais is billed as a surfer's paradise, and the surf is indeed exceptional. Rated 8.8/10 by visitors.

Referred to by locals as "little Hawaii," Playa Avellana packs extraordinary offshore waves that can reach up to eighteen feet, making it an ideal destination for experienced surfers from around the world. Rated 8.4/10 by visitors.

Separated from Tamarindo by the Matapalo River is Grande Beach (Playa Grande) located within Marino Las Baulas National Park, Grande Beach is the site of the arribadas of the leatherback turtle. Rated 9.2/10 by visitors.

About 27 mi (44 km) south of Quepos is the quaint and growing beach town of Dominical. Rated 8.6/10 by visitors.

Nosara's beach town of Guiones is a tucked-away delight with lucrative real estate, vibrant flora, and a world-class white sand beach. Rated 8.7/10 by visitors.

Playa Hermosa on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica is situated about 3 miles (5km) south of Jaco and is one of the best surf destinations in the country. Rated 7.9/10 by visitors.

Situated on the tip of the Osa Peninsula in southern Costa Rica, the small town of Cabo Matapalo provides visitors with backdoor access into some of the country's most beautiful and least visited places: Corcovado National Park, Golfo Dulce, and Isla del Cano. Rated 10.0/10 by visitors.

Playa Bejuco is only about 35km north of Manuel Antonio and about 30 km south from Jaco but the atmosphere could not be more distant from the more popular destinations.

Playa Negra is a beautiful dark-sand beach famous in the surfing community for its right-hand barrel waves. Rated 8.9/10 by visitors.

Pavones Costa Rica is a small town located in the southern Pacific Zone about 1 1/2 hour drive from Golfito.