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Herradura
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, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 75 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 477kJ
- Wind
- N 4 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 82 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 357kJ
- Wind
- ESE 3 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 297kJ
- Wind
- SSE 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 59 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 237kJ
- Wind
- ESE 7 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 65 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 224kJ
- Wind
- SE 6 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 48 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 117kJ
- Wind
- SE 6 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Mon 9 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 194kJ
- Wind
- S 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 281, good
- Tue 375, good
- Wed 482, good
- Thu 572, good
- Fri 659, fair
- Sat 765, good
- Sun 848, fair
- Mon 947, fair
- Tue 1066, good
- Wed 1150, fair
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 28 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Apr–May, Nov6 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 | 81, good | 4 ft12 shollow7 ft at break (est.) | 478kJ | wind from the south-east, 5 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 75, good | 5 ft11 shollow7 ft at break (est.) | 477kJ | wind from the north, 4 knots | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 82, good | 4 ft11 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 357kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 72, good | 3 ft13 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 297kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 2 knots | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 59, fair | 3 ft13 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 237kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 65, good | 3 ft11 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 224kJ | wind from the south-east, 6 knots | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 48, fair | 3 ft8 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 117kJ | wind from the south-east, 6 knots | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 47, fair | 2 ft13 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 194kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 66, good | 3 ft11 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 212kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 3 knots | 28°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 50, fair | 3 ft10 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 149kJ | wind from the north, 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
- 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
- Wed 4 NovLow 04:13 −0.9 mHigh 10:25 +0.8 mLow 16:36 −0.9 mHigh 22:59 +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 Apr–May, Nov
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb4of 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
- Jun5of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul5of 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
- Dec4of 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
Herradura 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
- La Isla 2.7 km away
- Escondida 3.1 km away
- Jaco 4.5 km away
- El Culo 5.8 km away
- Playa Blanca (el punto) 6.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Herradura
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (245°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (65°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 2). 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 March, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April, May and November, with about 6 good days in 7; in January, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Jacó, 4.8 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots and 1 wind sports 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$879–US$1,630 each
about US$879–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 2 November 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$611 |
| 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$879–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 10 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
about 15 min by car · 10 places to stay
- Beds in Bajamar on Booking.com
about 40 min by car · 4 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 2 November 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 · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.