Head to head
Santa Teresa vs Tamarindo: which Costa Rica surf trip?
Pick Tamarindo for an easy first trip, a mixed group, or a town you can walk. Pick Santa Teresa for more power and a jungle town at the end of the road.
What the data says
Both hold close to their best in every month.
On a typical day in season, both run 4–5 ft faces. Both are surfable on nearly every day in those months.
Santa Teresa is nearest SJO, and Tamarindo is nearest LIR. The two breaks are about 105 km apart in a straight line. From the airport: Santa Teresa, a haul, 5 hr 1 min by ferry from SJO; Tamarindo, an easy transfer, 1 hr 20 min from LIR. Fares move every day, so this page prints none. The app shows the live fare from your airport for the weeks the swell is on.
Which one for your dates
- Mar–Apr: both are at their best, so the town and the wave decide.
- May–Nov: Tamarindo. It is at its best, and Santa Teresa is only OK.
- Dec–Feb: Santa Teresa. It is at its best, and Tamarindo is only OK.
The two waves
Santa Teresa
A long, jungle-backed beach break on the Nicoya Peninsula, punchy and at its hollowest on the lower tides. The town is one long dirt road of surf shops, cafes and places to stay, and getting there means a ferry or a long drive.
Tamarindo
The easy pick. A mellow beach and river-mouth setup in a real town: rentals, schools, restaurants and nightlife, all walkable. Flat spells still leave you a town.
Side by side
| Measure | Santa Teresa | Tamarindo |
|---|---|---|
| Best months | All year | All year |
| Typical face in season | 4–5 ft | 4–5 ft |
| Surfable days in season | About 100% | About 99% |
| Suits | Improvers and up | First-timers to intermediates |
| Water in season | 30 C / 85 F, boardshorts | 29 C / 85 F, boardshorts |
| Nearest airport | SJO | LIR |
| Getting there | A haul, 5 hr 1 min by ferry from SJO | An easy transfer, 1 hr 20 min from LIR |
Month by month
| Month | Santa Teresa | Tamarindo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | Best | OK |
| Feb | Best | OK |
| Mar | Best | Best |
| Apr | Best | Best |
| May | OK | Best |
| Jun | OK | Best |
| Jul | OK | Best |
| Aug | OK | Best |
| Sep | OK | Best |
| Oct | OK | Best |
| Nov | OK | Best |
| Dec | Best | OK |
Best its strongest stretch OK still worth the trip Off smaller and less reliable, often fine for a lesson
Full tables with wave size, surfable days and the wetsuit for every month: Santa Teresa and Tamarindo. Taking a board? See what each airline charges and whether your bag fits.
Or let the week decide
The right trip is whichever one is firing when the fare is cheap. BarrelFare watches both and tells you when they line up.
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Seasons rank how often great days come; wave size and surfable days are medians. All of it is from years of wave hindcast (how we score a month). Getting there is the ground leg from the nearest airport, the same figure each spot page shows.