.jpg){kind=link}
Islita
Surf spot · Costa Rica
Is it worth the trip?
63Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 5 ft swell at 12 s
Tue 3 · 75 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 544kJ
- Wind
- SE 4 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Wed 4 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 386kJ
- Wind
- E 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Thu 5 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 304kJ
- Wind
- ESE 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Fri 6 · 45 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 131kJ
- Wind
- E 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 55 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 117kJ
- Wind
- SSE 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft16 shollow
- Energy
- 83kJ
- Wind
- W 2 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Mon 9 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 197kJ
- Wind
- S 2 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 266, good
- Tue 375, good
- Wed 472, good
- Thu 566, good
- Fri 645, fair
- Sat 755, fair
- Sun 826, too small
- Mon 961, good
- Tue 1069, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 28 °Cno wetsuit
- Best in Apr6 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 | 66, good | 5 ft13 sslab6 ft at break (est.) | 689kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 75, good | 5 ft12 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 544kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 26°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 72, good | 4 ft12 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 386kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 66, good | 3 ft12 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 304kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 45, fair | 2 ft12 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 131kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 55, fair | 3 ft9 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 117kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 26, too small | 1 ft16 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 83kJ | wind from the west, 2 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 61, good | 3 ft11 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 197kJ | wind from the south, 2 knots | 27°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 69, good | 3 ft12 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 201kJ | wind from the north-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 01:42 −0.8 mHigh 07:52 +0.9 mLow 14:14 −1.0 mHigh 20:38 +0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 02:55 −0.8 mHigh 09:05 +0.8 mLow 15:23 −0.9 mHigh 21:49 +1.0 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 04:10 −0.8 mHigh 10:20 +0.8 mLow 16:33 −0.8 mHigh 22:56 +1.0 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 in Apr
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun4of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug5of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep4of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 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, its town, photos
Islita 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.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Islita
More surf near here
2 places
- Camaronal 4.4 km away
- Playa samara 14.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Islita
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (172°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (352°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 4). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hard and thick, like a slab. 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 month is usually April, with about 6 good days in 7; in January, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Islita, 1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
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$871–US$1,610 each
about US$871–US$1,610 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 LIR, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$288–US$596 |
| 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$871–US$1,610 |
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 5 min by car · 3 places to stay
about US$74/nightcountry average
About Islita its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Carrillo on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 22 places to stay
- Beds in Sámara on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 81 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 45m
About 11h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → LIR, direct, then 2h 50m by road
Flights ORD → LIR on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.