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El ollo
Surf spot · Costa Rica
Is it worth the trip?
6Poor out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 24kJ
- Wind
- ENE 3 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Wed 4 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 33kJ
- Wind
- ESE 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Thu 5 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 30kJ
- Wind
- SE 9 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 34kJ
- Wind
- ESE 4 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 31kJ
- Wind
- ESE 5 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft15 shollow
- Energy
- 21kJ
- Wind
- SSW 5 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Mon 9 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 34kJ
- Wind
- SW 3 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 28, too small
- Tue 36, too small
- Wed 46, too small
- Thu 57, too small
- Fri 67, too small
- Sat 76, too small
- Sun 84, too small
- Mon 94, too small
- Tue 107, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 28 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft11 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 31kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 5 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 6, too small | 1 ft11 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 24kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 3 knots | 28°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 6, too small | 1 ft10 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 33kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 3 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 7, too small | 2 ft8 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 30kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 9 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 7, too small | 1 ft12 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 34kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 4 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 6, too small | 1 ft10 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 31kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 5 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft15 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 21kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 5 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft10 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 34kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 7, too small | 1 ft10 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 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 07:57 +1.0 mLow 14:15 −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 21:52 +1.0 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 04:13 −0.9 mHigh 10:26 +0.9 mLow 16:36 −0.9 mHigh 23:00 +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.
Map
the spot and its town
El ollo on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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More surf near here
5 places
- Puerto Caldera 0.4 km away
- El Hoyo 1 km away
- Corralillo 1.2 km away
- Tivives 4.1 km away
- Dona ana 5.5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About El ollo
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (295°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (115°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 24). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 28°C in October, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in March, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Barranca, 8.8 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf 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 5 min by car · 9 places to stay
about US$74/nightcountry average
About Caldera its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in El Roble on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 22 places to stay
- Beds in Barranca on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 6 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.