Is it worth the trip?
67Good 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 · 79 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 396kJ
- Wind
- N 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 303kJ
- Wind
- SSE 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 67 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 scrumbling
- Energy
- 167kJ
- Wind
- SE 3 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Fri 6 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 253kJ
- Wind
- ENE 1 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 229kJ
- Wind
- ESE 8 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 109kJ
- Wind
- SE 6 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Mon 9 · 51 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 226kJ
- Wind
- S 7 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 284, good
- Tue 379, good
- Wed 469, good
- Thu 567, good
- Fri 661, good
- Sat 772, good
- Sun 840, too small
- Mon 951, fair
- Tue 1059, 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.
El Culo does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 84, good | 4 ft13 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 522kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 79, good | 4 ft12 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 396kJ | wind from the north, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 69, good | 3 ft12 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 303kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 2 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 67, good | 4 ft8 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 167kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 25°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 61, good | 3 ft12 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 253kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 72, good | 3 ft11 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 229kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 8 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 40, too small | 3 ft9 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 109kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 6 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 51, fair | 3 ft11 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 226kJ | wind from the south, 7 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 59, fair | 3 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 182kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 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 beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
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 · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.