Dominical Region Surf Spots
Guide to Surf Spots near Dominical/Uvita
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Dominical Region Surf Spots
Dominical is a beach town located in the province of Puntarenas, on the South Pacific region of Costa Rica just south to Quepos. The coastal town is widely recognized for its huge, powerful waves that lure surfers from all over the globe. Dominical used to be a remote fishing community which gradually became a very popular holiday destination. The main pursuit of Dominical is surfing but it is also famous for its sublime beaches, tropical jungles and a wide variety of sport opportunities. The surf condition of Dominical stays perfect throughout the year. The weather is mostly sunny and waves are consistent and strong. The beach rarely gets crowded because it features multiple breaks. Surf breaks found in the area are:
Playa Matapalo
Not to be confused with a beach area of the same name in the Osa Peninsula, Matapalo is just north of Dominical. It’s a small beachside village with dark brown sand, and little development. Many of Costa Rica’s most popular beach towns such as Jaco, Tamarindo, and Santa Teresa, now covered with development, used to look like this. Matapalo has a nice beach break with lefts and rights on a sandy bottom.
Playa Dominical
Dominical boasts a beach break that ride to left and right. The break has fast, hollow and powerful waves breaking over a sandy bottom. The waves are somewhat tall and their height hardly ever drops below waist high. They often reach the height of 10 feet. Near the Rio Baru rivermouth, the surf gets bigger. There is a number of well positioned sandbars that create fun some demanding lefts and rights along with strong barrels. As the waves are very powerful with currents and rips, there have been few incidences of drowning. To ensure safety, lifeguards are always present on the beach. Dominical is only suitable for experienced surfers. Lots more info: Playa Dominical Surf Spot
Dominicalito
Dominicalito is found is located just south of Dominical. The beach features perfect waves for a beginner surfers, hence it can be crowded with surf camp novices. It is a protected surf break that breaks left and right over a sand bottom. It also has some rocks, but people seem to be able to avoid them well enough. Perhaps it’s best to check it out at low tide to see what you’re dealing with. The best time to surf is at higher tides for this reason.
Punto Dominical
Cambutal, or “The Point”, is another spot worth mentioning. It is a long, left hand reef break. Sometimes the swells are small and perfect for novices to ride, however most of the time they are too big, and it holds to double overhead and above. Out on the point is a great restaurant. Check it out on Trip Advisor here: La Parcela Restaurant
Playa Uvita
Playa Uvita is part of the Ballena Marine Park, and requires a $6 entry fee. The waves are smaller, but consistent and this spot is appropriate for beginner to intermediate surfers. It’s also a popular spot for swimming, kayaking, SUP, and of course, whale-watching. Scuba diving trips to Cano Island are launched from here too.
Playa Ballena
Playa Ballena is a sublime beach located in Puntarenas Province on the Central Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Featuring a range sport activities and luscious nature, the beach is one of the greatest tourist attractions. Playa Ballena is a superb surfing platform for beginners and intermediate surfers. It has a very consistent beach break. The beach breaks over a sandy bottom to both directions. The beach break is mostly secluded with no potential dangers except stingrays and jellyfishes. Due to tropical storms, the months between June to September are the best.
Playa Ventanas
Playa Ventanas is 35km or so south of Dominical, past Uvita and Playa Ballena. Considered by many to be one of the prettiest beaches in Costa Rica, it gets its name from the beach caves (“ventanas” means “windows” in Spanish) that get slammed and filled by the waves, creating a blow-hole like spray of water and mist. To find it, look out for road marker 176KM and then park to walk down around 300 meters to the beach. Once there, you’ll find a pretty grassy area lined with palm trees. The waves are small and gentle, since it’s a protective cove with a gently-sloping bottom. It’s more suited to swimming and sea kayaking than to surfing, but could be a good spot for beginners on foam longboards.
Further Reading about Dominical Surfing
Puntadominical.com – Great descriptions of the area’s various breaks
Sunsetsurfdominical.com – Great description of “the point.”
Wannasurf.com – Description of Playa Dominical etc