Is it worth the trip?
4Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: too small (3 ft swell at 5 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 s
- Energy
- 23kJ
- Wind
- ESE 10 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Wed 4 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 s
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- SE 8 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Thu 5 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft9 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- SSE 3 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Fri 6 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft8 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- SW 4 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sat 7 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- SE 2 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sun 8 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft8 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- SE 5 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Mon 9 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft4 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- ESE 11 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 28, too small
- Tue 36, too small
- Wed 411, too small
- Thu 52, too small
- Fri 62, too small
- Sat 72, too small
- Sun 81, too small
- Mon 92, too small
- Tue 102, too small
- Wed 113, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 8, too small | 3 ft5 s | 26kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 9 knots | 29°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft5 s | 23kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 10 knots | 30°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 11, too small | 3 ft5 s | 28kJ | wind from the south-east, 8 knots | 30°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft9 s | 2kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 30°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft8 s | 2kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 29°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft5 s | 2kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 29°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft8 s | 1kJ | wind from the south-east, 5 knots | 29°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft4 s | 2kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 11 knots | 30°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft5 s | 5kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 12 knots | 30°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 3, too small | 2 ft5 s | 15kJ | wind from the east, 13 knots | 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
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.
Map
the spot and its town
Papagayo Beach 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
2 places
- Playa Canoa 11.4 km away
- Sint Joris Baai 11.5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Papagayo Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (207°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (27°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea is about 27°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in September, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Jan Thiel, 1.6 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 wind sports spots and 5 dive sites.
Water about 29°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$845–US$1,580 each
about US$845–US$1,580 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 CUR, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$302–US$631 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$34–US$60 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$201–US$329 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$221–US$416 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$845–US$1,580 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 2 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 · 78 places to stay
About Jan Thiel its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Willemstad on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 49 places to stay
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 9h 40m
About 9h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → CUR, direct, then 35 min by road
Flights ORD → CUR on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
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.