Playa Langosta
Playa Langosta
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Surf Spot: Playa Langosta
Break Type: Rivermouth
Difficulty Level: Experienced surfers
Best Swell Direction: West, Southwest
Ride Direction: Right and left
Tides: Low and mid tide- Rising tide
Description
Located on the southern side of Tamarindo, there is small beach town called Playa Langosta. Playa Langosta is less crowded, more secluded and serene in contrast to its neighboring town. The white sand beach does not only have an exquisite locale but also boasts a powerful surf break at the southern end of the beach. The surf breaks left and right off the river mouth of Rio San Francisco. The beach town is approximately 2.5 kilometers away from Tamarindo. After landing on Tamarindo’s local airport, travelers can easily reach the Playa Langosta by renting a car. Although Tamarindo is a more popular surf destination, many wave enthusiasts often prefer Playa Langosta. So just head towards the south and find the exotic beach of Langosta with its rocky estuary and a good range of isolated beach peaks.
The classic waves of Playa Langosta put up a good fight against experienced surfers. Veterans aspiring to face a fun yet thrilling challenge will love the river mouth break. The surf breaks to left and right over a sandy bottom quite fast and powerfully. The waves ride up to 50 meter most of the times. When good swells gather from the west and southwest hemisphere, the waves can reach the height of 150 meters. The size of swells starts building up at 1 meter and can hold up to 3 to 5 feet. The best time to surf the break is at low to mid tide when it is rising. There are two sides of the river mouth – north and south. On the north, there is rocky lava reef break in the ocean breaking in both directions. The break is powerful breaking both inshore and farther from the shore. When the swells are big and waves break outside, the break becomes dangerous for beginners. When the surf breaks inside (that is inshore) all surfers can ride depending upon the tide. On the south, surfers will find many beach breaks with sandy bottom. Playa Langosta is rather safe but surfers may need to watch out for the rocks, undertows, currents and rips.
Across the river right in front of Barcelo Langosta Hotel, there is a surf spot worth a mention called La Piedra del Zapo. It is a left and right hand beach break best surfed during an upcoming low tide with nice swells coming from the west. The break is sometimes fast and hollow featuring stand up tubes. The break is not suitable for newbies and surfers should watch out for the rocks and reefs.
For a full guide of the surf spots near Langosta, click here: Tamarindo Area Surf Guide
Surf Camps
There are not many surf camps in the area. Most surfers opt to stay in Tamarindo where there are plenty of good surf camps that arrange surf trips to Playa Langosta. Some of the great surf schools are:
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Tamarindo Surf School
Witch’s Rock Surf Camp
Waves Costa Rica Surf School and Adventures
Costa Rica Surf Institute
Costa Rica Surf Club
