Hermosa

Edit Spot

About

Super fun spot! I was up there for 10 days and got 10 days of perfect surf. Get out early though, it tended to chop out at about noon.

Atmosphere:
The better breaks in the area can get crowded, but there are numerous peaks along the beach, so you can find uncrowded surf. (See also "The Tree" and "Tulin")

Additional Info:
This break works best at high tide, with the tree and Tulin better at lower tides. You can surf on any of the peaks in front of the buildings - a neat place with very easy access. Gets hard when the swell builds. However, when the swell is big - try the local reefs and points instead!
There are 2 playa Hermosa in Costa Rica, one is in the North Pacific and the other is in the Central Pacific. The one famous for surfing is in the Central Pacific, next to Jaco.

Location

Access

Easy access. Hermosa is about 1 1/2 hour from San Jose. If you are staying in Jaco you can walk (2-3km) or rent a bicycle or hitch a ride: busses are infrequent and random. A taxi ride from Jaco is around $3, I personally wouldn't walk since there is only one road and no sidewalks. You can also rent scooters and other affordable vehicles in Jaco.

Walk	Instant access (<5 min)
Public access	Yes
4x4 required	Unknown
Boat required	Unknown

Wave Characteristics

Type	Beach break
Direction	Right and left
Bottom	Sandy
Power	Hollow, Fast, Powerful
Frequency	Very consistent (150+ days/year)
Normal length	Short (<50m)
Good day length	Normal (50 to 150m)

Ideal Conditions

Wind direction	SouthEast, East, NorthEast
Swell direction	NorthWest, West, SouthWest
Swell size	3ft-5ft - 10ft+
Tide	Mid tide
Tide movement	Rising and falling tides