La Isla
Surf spot · Costa Rica
Is it worth the trip?
63Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 4 ft swell at 12 s
Mon 2 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft13 s
- Energy
- 588kJ
- Wind
- S 1 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tue 3 · 73 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 s
- Energy
- 507kJ
- Wind
- ESE 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 67 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 s
- Energy
- 382kJ
- Wind
- ESE 8 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 63 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 s
- Energy
- 362kJ
- Wind
- E 7 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 64 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 s
- Energy
- 342kJ
- Wind
- ESE 10 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 s
- Energy
- 211kJ
- Wind
- ESE 9 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 s
- Energy
- 111kJ
- Wind
- SE 8 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 163, good
- Mon 261, good
- Tue 373, good
- Wed 467, good
- Thu 563, good
- Fri 664, good
- Sat 747, fair
- Sun 834, too small
- Mon 970, good
- Tue 1072, good
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 28 °Cno wetsuit
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 63, good | 5 ft14 s8 ft at break (est.) | 785kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 3 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 61, good | 5 ft13 s7 ft at break (est.) | 588kJ | wind from the south, 1 knot | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 73, good | 4 ft12 s7 ft at break (est.) | 507kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 67, good | 4 ft11 s6 ft at break (est.) | 382kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 8 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 63, good | 4 ft12 s6 ft at break (est.) | 362kJ | wind from the east, 7 knots | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 64, good | 4 ft12 s6 ft at break (est.) | 342kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 10 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 47, fair | 3 ft11 s5 ft at break (est.) | 211kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 9 knots | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 34, too small | 3 ft9 s4 ft at break (est.) | 111kJ | wind from the south-east, 8 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 70, good | 3 ft11 s5 ft at break (est.) | 245kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 7 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 72, good | 3 ft11 s5 ft at break (est.) | 222kJ | offshorewind from the north, 4 knots, offshore | 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
- Sun 1 NovLow 00:40 −1.0 mHigh 06:51 +1.1 mLow 13:12 −1.1 mHigh 19:32 +1.0 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 01:45 −0.9 mHigh 07:56 +0.9 mLow 14:16 −1.0 mHigh 20:40 +1.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 02:58 −0.8 mHigh 09:09 +0.9 mLow 15:26 −0.9 mHigh 21:51 +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
No month stands out
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
- Feb5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug5of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep5of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov6of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec5of 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
La Isla 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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More surf near here
5 places
- Herradura 2.7 km away
- Escondida 3 km away
- Jaco 4.6 km away
- Perro Fino 6.5 km away
- T box 6.5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About La Isla
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (201°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (21°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. 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 Jacó, 4.9 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 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
9 min by car · 187 places to stay
about US$74/nightcountry average
About Jacó its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Quebrada Ganado on Booking.com
20 min by car · 10 places to stay
- Beds in Esterillos Oeste on Booking.com
38 min by car · 23 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 15m
About 11h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SJO, direct, then 2h 10m by road
Flights ORD → SJO on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.