Playa Negra Guanacaste
Surf spot · Costa Rica
Is it worth the trip?
71Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 4 ft swell at 11 s
Tue 3 · 70 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft12 s
- Energy
- 626kJ
- Wind
- SSE 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Wed 4 · 85 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 s
- Energy
- 352kJ
- Wind
- S 4 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 82 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 s
- Energy
- 369kJ
- Wind
- S 0 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Fri 6 · 70 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 s
- Energy
- 265kJ
- Wind
- ESE 3 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 58 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 s
- Energy
- 184kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 s
- Energy
- 89kJ
- Wind
- ENE 2 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Mon 9 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 s
- Energy
- 182kJ
- Wind
- NNE 5 kn
- Temp
- 32°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Tue 370, good
- Wed 485, good
- Thu 582, good
- Fri 670, good
- Sat 758, fair
- Sun 831, too small
- Mon 961, good
- Tue 1055, fair
- Wed 1129, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 28 °Cno wetsuit
- Best in Apr7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Playa Negra Guanacaste does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 70, good | 5 ft12 s8 ft at break (est.) | 626kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 2 knots | 26°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 85, good | 4 ft11 s6 ft at break (est.) | 352kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 82, good | 4 ft12 s6 ft at break (est.) | 369kJ | wind from the south, 0 knots | 25°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 70, good | 3 ft12 s5 ft at break (est.) | 265kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 58, fair | 3 ft12 s5 ft at break (est.) | 184kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 31, too small | 3 ft9 s3 ft at break (est.) | 89kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 61, good | 3 ft11 s4 ft at break (est.) | 182kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 32°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 55, fair | 3 ft11 s4 ft at break (est.) | 172kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 32°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 29, too small | 2 ft12 s3 ft at break (est.) | 69kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 32°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
- Tue 3 NovLow 02:54 −0.8 mHigh 09:03 +0.8 mLow 15:23 −0.8 mHigh 21:47 +0.9 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 04:09 −0.8 mHigh 10:17 +0.8 mLow 16:32 −0.8 mHigh 22:55 +1.0 m
- Thu 5 NovLow 05:20 −0.8 mHigh 11:27 +0.8 mLow 17:36 −0.8 mHigh 23:55 +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
best in Apr
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun5of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul6of 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 Wed 4 Nov
- Dec6of 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 Negra Guanacaste 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.
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More surf near here
5 places
- raps 2.9 km away
- Playa Avellana 3.7 km away
- Junquillal 4 km away
- Playa Avellanas 4.4 km away
- Little hawaii 5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Playa Negra Guanacaste
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (243°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (63°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea is about 28°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually April, with about 7 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Paraiso Guanacaste Province, 3.8 km away (12 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 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$872–US$1,620 each
about US$872–US$1,620 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 LIR, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$289–US$597 |
| 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$872–US$1,620 |
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
12 min by car · 12 places to stay
about US$74/nightcountry average
About Paraiso Guanacaste Province its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Junquillal on Booking.com
13 min by car · 12 places to stay
- Beds in Tamarindo on Booking.com
35 min by car · 10 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 10h 55m
About 10h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → LIR, direct, then 2h 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.
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.