Playa samara
Surf spot · Costa Rica
Is it worth the trip?
29Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 5 ft swell at 11 s
Tue 3 · 51 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 sslab
- Energy
- 578kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 415kJ
- Wind
- ESE 4 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Thu 5 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 331kJ
- Wind
- SE 7 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Fri 6 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 196kJ
- Wind
- SSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 165kJ
- Wind
- ESE 5 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft16 shollow
- Energy
- 72kJ
- Wind
- ESE 5 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Mon 9 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 187kJ
- Wind
- SSE 6 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 259, fair
- Tue 351, fair
- Wed 431, too small
- Thu 522, too small
- Fri 623, too small
- Sat 719, too small
- Sun 810, too small
- Mon 921, too small
- Tue 1019, too small
- Wed 1111, too small
The spot in six 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
- Best in Apr6 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 59, fair | 5 ft13 sslab8 ft at break (est.) | 830kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 51, fair | 5 ft11 sslab7 ft at break (est.) | 578kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 31, too small | 4 ft12 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 415kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots | 25°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 22, too small | 3 ft12 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 331kJ | wind from the south-east, 7 knots | 24°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 23, too small | 3 ft13 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 196kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 19, too small | 3 ft11 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 165kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 5 knots | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 10, too small | 1 ft16 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 72kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 5 knots | 29°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 21, too small | 3 ft11 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 187kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 6 knots | 30°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 19, too small | 3 ft11 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 206kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 11, too small | 1 ft13 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 56kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 29°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 −0.9 mHigh 20:38 +0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 02:55 −0.8 mHigh 09:04 +0.8 mLow 15:23 −0.9 mHigh 21:48 +0.9 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 04:10 −0.8 mHigh 10:19 +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).
- 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
- 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
- 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
Playa samara 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
- Barrigona 4.9 km away
- Camaronal 10.4 km away
- Islita 14.8 km away
- Playa Guiones 15 km away
- Olgas 17.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Playa samara
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (199°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (19°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 6). 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. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Sámara, 1.2 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
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 · 81 places to stay
about US$74/nightcountry average
About Sámara its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Carrillo on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 22 places to stay
- Beds in Islita on Booking.com
about 30 min by car · 3 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 40m
About 11h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → LIR, direct, then 2h 45m by road
Flights ORD → LIR on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.