Playa Negra Guanacaste
Surf spot · Costa Rica
Is it worth the trip?
69Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 4 ft swell at 11 s
Tue 3 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft12 s
- Energy
- 603kJ
- Wind
- SSE 1 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 83 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 s
- Energy
- 382kJ
- Wind
- SSE 7 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 77 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 s
- Energy
- 355kJ
- Wind
- SSE 8 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Fri 6 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 s
- Energy
- 251kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sat 7 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 s
- Energy
- 151kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 s
- Energy
- 81kJ
- Wind
- E 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Mon 9 · 52 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 s
- Energy
- 168kJ
- Wind
- NW 3 kn
- Temp
- 31°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 272, good
- Tue 372, good
- Wed 483, good
- Thu 577, good
- Fri 672, good
- Sat 742, too small
- Sun 831, too small
- Mon 952, fair
- Tue 1061, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 28 °Cno wetsuit
- Best in Apr7 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 | 72, good | 5 ft13 s8 ft at break (est.) | 851kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 72, good | 5 ft12 s7 ft at break (est.) | 603kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 1 knot | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 83, good | 4 ft11 s6 ft at break (est.) | 382kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 7 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 77, good | 4 ft12 s6 ft at break (est.) | 355kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 8 knots | 25°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 72, good | 3 ft12 s5 ft at break (est.) | 251kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 42, too small | 2 ft12 s4 ft at break (est.) | 151kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 31, too small | 2 ft12 s3 ft at break (est.) | 81kJ | offshorewind from the east, 3 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 52, fair | 3 ft11 s4 ft at break (est.) | 168kJ | wind from the north-west, 3 knots | 31°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 61, good | 3 ft11 s4 ft at break (est.) | 163kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 31°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 14:15 −0.9 mHigh 20:37 +0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 02:54 −0.8 mHigh 09:03 +0.8 mLow 15:23 −0.8 mHigh 21:47 +0.9 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 04:09 −0.8 mHigh 10:17 +0.8 mLow 16:32 −0.8 mHigh 22:55 +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).
- Jan5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun5of 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 Tue 3 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 and its town
Playa Negra Guanacaste 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
- raps 2.9 km away
- Playa Avellana 3.7 km away
- Junquillal 4 km away
- Playa Avellanas 4.4 km away
- Little hawaii 5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Playa Negra Guanacaste
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (243°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (63°). 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 January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually April, with about 7 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Paraiso Guanacaste Province, 3.8 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 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
about 10 min by car · 12 places to stay
about US$74/nightcountry average
About Paraiso Guanacaste Province its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Junquillal on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 12 places to stay
- Beds in Tamarindo on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 10 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 10h 55m
About 10h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → LIR, direct, then 2h by road
Flights ORD → LIR on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.