Pelada
Surf spot · Costa Rica
Is it worth the trip?
67Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 4 ft swell at 11 s
Mon 2 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 740kJ
- Wind
- NNW 3 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Tue 3 · 73 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 592kJ
- Wind
- E 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 84 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 398kJ
- Wind
- E 6 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 71 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 346kJ
- Wind
- SE 8 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Fri 6 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 211kJ
- Wind
- ENE 8 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 ssoft
- Energy
- 87kJ
- Wind
- ESE 7 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 73kJ
- Wind
- E 6 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 10, too big
- Mon 269, good
- Tue 373, good
- Wed 484, good
- Thu 571, good
- Fri 666, good
- Sat 729, too small
- Sun 828, too small
- Mon 955, fair
- Tue 1060, good
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 Apr, Nov–Dec6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft14 ssoft9 ft at break (est.) | 1,132kJ | wind from the north-east, 8 knots | 30°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 69, good | 5 ft12 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 740kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 3 knots | 29°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 73, good | 5 ft12 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 592kJ | offshorewind from the east, 3 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 84, good | 4 ft11 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 398kJ | offshorewind from the east, 6 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 71, good | 4 ft12 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 346kJ | wind from the south-east, 8 knots | 25°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 66, good | 3 ft12 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 211kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 29, too small | 2 ft14 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 87kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 7 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 28, too small | 2 ft13 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 73kJ | offshorewind from the east, 6 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 55, fair | 3 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 169kJ | wind from the north, 1 knot | 27°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 60, good | 3 ft11 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 185kJ | wind from the south, 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
- Sun 1 NovLow 00:37 −0.9 mHigh 06:49 +1.1 mLow 13:11 −1.1 mHigh 19:31 +1.0 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 01:42 −0.8 mHigh 07:52 +0.9 mLow 14:14 −0.9 mHigh 20:38 +0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 02:54 −0.8 mHigh 09:04 +0.8 mLow 15:23 −0.9 mHigh 21:48 +0.9 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 Apr, Nov–Dec
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan5of 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
- 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
- Nov6of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec6of 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
Pelada 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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Photos of Pelada
More surf near here
5 places
- Olgas 0.4 km away
- Playa Guiones 3.8 km away
- Ostional 5.5 km away
- Barrigona 13.5 km away
- Marbella 17.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Pelada
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (251°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (71°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.3 km out (1 in 125). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 28°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April, November and December, with about 6 good days in 7; in June, September and October, about 4. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Nosara, 3.6 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 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$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
6 min by car · 15 places to stay
about US$74/nightcountry average
About Nosara its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Ostional on Booking.com
10 min by car · 2 places to stay
- Beds in Marbella on Booking.com
30 min by car · 5 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 25m
About 11h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → LIR, direct, then 2h 30m by road
Flights ORD → LIR on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.