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Playa Blanca (el punto)
Surf spot · Costa Rica
Is it worth the trip?
72Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: 4 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 85 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 423kJ
- Wind
- SSE 6 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Tue 3 · 83 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 348kJ
- Wind
- SSE 6 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 70 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 290kJ
- Wind
- ESE 3 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Thu 5 · 63 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 124kJ
- Wind
- E 4 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 68 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 278kJ
- Wind
- NNE 1 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sat 7 · 59 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 220kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 scrumbling
- Energy
- 99kJ
- Wind
- W 2 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 179, good
- Mon 285, good
- Tue 383, good
- Wed 470, good
- Thu 563, good
- Fri 668, good
- Sat 759, fair
- Sun 835, too small
- Mon 958, fair
- Tue 1050, fair
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 3–11 ftof swell
- Water 28 °Cno wetsuit
- Best in Jan1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 79, good | 4 ft14 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 636kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 6 knots | 29°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 85, good | 4 ft12 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 423kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 6 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 83, good | 4 ft12 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 348kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 6 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 70, good | 3 ft12 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 290kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 3 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 63, good | 3 ft8 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 124kJ | offshorewind from the east, 4 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 68, good | 3 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 278kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 1 knot | 28°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 59, fair | 3 ft12 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 220kJ | wind from the north-east, 4 knots | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 35, too small | 3 ft8 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 99kJ | wind from the west, 2 knots | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 58, fair | 3 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 226kJ | wind from the north-west, 2 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 50, fair | 3 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 203kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 2 knots, offshore | 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
- Sun 1 NovLow 00:40 −1.0 mHigh 06:51 +1.1 mLow 13:11 −1.1 mHigh 19:32 +1.1 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 01:45 −0.9 mHigh 07:56 +1.0 mLow 14:16 −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 21:51 +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 Jan
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 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
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Mon 2 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
Playa Blanca (el punto) 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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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Playa Blanca (el punto)
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (284°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (104°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 27). 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 April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best month is usually January, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Quebrada Ganado, 5.1 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 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
9 min by car · 10 places to stay
about US$74/nightcountry average
About Quebrada Ganado its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Jacó on Booking.com
19 min by car · 187 places to stay
- Beds in Bajamar on Booking.com
27 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 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 11h 05m
About 11h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SJO, direct, then 2h 05m by road
Flights ORD → SJO on your dates · Skyscanner
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.