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Puerto Caldera
Surf spot · Costa Rica
Is it worth the trip?
82Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 2 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 82 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 97kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Wed 4 · 84 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 77kJ
- Wind
- E 1 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 87 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 109kJ
- Wind
- SE 2 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Fri 6 · 75 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 105kJ
- Wind
- SW 4 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 84 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 95kJ
- Wind
- ENE 0 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 74 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 65kJ
- Wind
- NE 2 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Mon 9 · 81 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 80kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 287, good
- Tue 382, good
- Wed 484, good
- Thu 587, good
- Fri 675, good
- Sat 784, good
- Sun 874, good
- Mon 981, good
- Tue 1078, good
The spot in five facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 1–6 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 beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 87, good | 2 ft13 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 129kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 30°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 82, good | 2 ft12 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 97kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 84, good | 2 ft11 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 77kJ | offshorewind from the east, 1 knot, offshore | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 87, good | 2 ft12 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 109kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 25°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 75, good | 2 ft11 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 105kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 84, good | 2 ft11 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 95kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 0 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 74, good | 2 ft9 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 65kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 81, good | 2 ft13 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 80kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 78, good | 2 ft11 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 105kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 1 knot | 30°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 01:45 −0.9 mHigh 07:57 +1.0 mLow 14:15 −1.0 mHigh 20:40 +1.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 02:58 −0.9 mHigh 09:10 +0.9 mLow 15:26 −0.9 mHigh 21:52 +1.0 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 04:13 −0.9 mHigh 10:26 +0.9 mLow 16:36 −0.9 mHigh 23:00 +1.1 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 beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 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
Puerto Caldera on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: 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.
More surf near here
5 places
- El ollo 0.4 km away
- El Hoyo 1.1 km away
- Corralillo 1.6 km away
- Tivives 4.3 km away
- Dona ana 5.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Puerto Caldera
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (250°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (70°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–6 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 42). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. 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 Caldera, 1.6 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 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
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 · 9 places to stay
about US$74/nightcountry average
About Caldera its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in El Roble on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 22 places to stay
- Beds in Barranca on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 6 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 05m
About 11h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SJO, direct, then 2h by road
Flights ORD → SJO on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.