Is it worth the trip?
70Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 4 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 81 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 396kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 79 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 303kJ
- Wind
- ESE 6 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Thu 5 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 scrumbling
- Energy
- 167kJ
- Wind
- E 6 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 68 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 253kJ
- Wind
- ESE 6 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 63 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 223kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 109kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Mon 9 · 58 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 226kJ
- Wind
- NNW 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 285, good
- Tue 381, good
- Wed 479, good
- Thu 566, good
- Fri 668, good
- Sat 763, good
- Sun 843, too small
- Mon 958, fair
- Tue 1055, fair
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 28 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Mar–May, Nov5 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 85, good | 4 ft13 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 522kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 5 knots | 27°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 81, good | 4 ft12 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 396kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 2 knots | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 79, good | 3 ft12 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 303kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 6 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 66, good | 4 ft8 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 167kJ | offshorewind from the east, 6 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 68, good | 3 ft12 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 253kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 6 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 63, good | 3 ft11 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 223kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 43, too small | 3 ft9 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 109kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 58, fair | 3 ft11 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 226kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 55, fair | 3 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 201kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 28°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovLow 01:45 −0.9 mHigh 07:56 +1.0 mLow 14:16 −1.0 mHigh 20:40 +1.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 02:58 −0.9 mHigh 09:10 +0.9 mLow 15:26 −0.9 mHigh 21:51 +1.0 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 04:13 −0.9 mHigh 10:25 +0.8 mLow 16:36 −0.9 mHigh 22:59 +1.1 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Mar–May, Nov
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun4of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug4of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep3of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov5of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec4of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
El Culo on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More surf near here
5 places
- Playa Blanca (el punto) 0.9 km away
- Agujas 4 km away
- Herradura 5.8 km away
- La Isla 7.6 km away
- Escondida 8.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About El Culo
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (268°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (88°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 21). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 28°C in October, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually March, April, May and November, with about 5 good days in 7; in September and October, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Quebrada Ganado, 5.9 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots and 2 wind sports spots.
Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$878–US$1,630 each
about US$878–US$1,630 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to SJO, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$295–US$610 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$94–US$161 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$188–US$315 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$208–US$389 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$94–US$154 |
| Total | about US$878–US$1,630 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 10 min by car · 10 places to stay
about US$74/nightcountry average
About Quebrada Ganado its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Jacó on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 187 places to stay
- Beds in Bajamar on Booking.com
about 30 min by car · 4 places to stay
About US$74 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 11h 05m
About 11h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SJO, direct, then 2h 05m by road
Flights ORD → SJO on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.