Playa Esterillos
Playa Esterillos
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Surf Spot: Playa Esterillos
Break Type: Beach break
Difficulty Level: All surfers
Best Swell Direction: Southwest, South
Ride Direction: Right and left
Tides: All tides – Rising and falling tides
Description
Playa Esterillos is a vast golden sand beach situated on the southern side of Playa Hermosa, only a short drive away from Jaco, in the Central Pacific region of Costa Rica. The beach is separated into three parts, Esterillos Este in the east, Centro in the middle and Esterillos Oeste in the west which is commonly known as Bejuco among the locals. There is small fishing village on the northern end of the beach a river inlet on the southern end. The beautiful beach has managed to avoid any modern development and remains a sublime sanctuary. The beach is mostly secluded with clean shores and stunning verdurous backgrounds. Playa Esterillos, especially Oeste, is gradually becoming a popular choice among surfers of all levels.
Playa Esterillos is a banana shaped offering plenty of surfing action. The waves are mostly powerless, shallow yet fun to ride. Surfers frequently come across a set of smooth and glossy waves when the ocean is undisturbed by the wind. The beach break is consistent and breaks with a good combination of right and left over a sandy bottom with rocks. On a normal day, the waves ride up to 150 meter but waves as tall as 7 feet has been seen off the coast. The months of June to August and January to March offer best conditions for surfing. Out of three parts of the beach, Oeste (West) is the most popular one, particularly among longboarders and beginners. The beach break of Oeste features hollow and barrel waves. The ideal time surf Esterillos Oeste is when swells rise from the South and the Southwest at mid and high tides. The waves are gentle and low level and build up in a gradual manner. Esterillos Este boats faster and stronger waves that break pretty nicely over a sandy bottom during upcoming tide. However, the spot is least popular of the three. The middle portion of the beach, Esterillos Centro, is perfect for seasoned and professional surfers. It is found right in front of the hotel called La Felicidad. The powerful waves of Centro can be compared to those of Playa Hermosa’s. The beach break waves have good rights and lefts riding from 50 to 150 meters in length which can go up to 300 meters on a good day. The best time to surf is at a mid to high tide. The dangers of Playa Esterillos include stingrays and crocodiles. During the rainy season, crocodiles have been seen swimming in the ocean.
Surf Camps
There are no surf camps located in Playa Esterillos but you will find many surf camps located in its close proximity. Surf schools such as Costa Rica Wave House, Playa Hermosa Beach Hotel and Surf Camp, Hermosa Surf Vacations and Fischer Bros Surf Camp are quite popular.
