Tamarindo Surf Guide

Tamarindo in Guanacaste is an exposed beach break that has consistent surf Offshore winds are from the east. Most of the surf here comes from groundswells and the optimum swell angle is from the west northwest. The beach breaks offer lefts and rights. It's often crowded here. Beware of .

Tamarindo Spot Info

Type:Rating:Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
River3consistent
30.0°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Tamarindo:

The best conditions reported for surf at Tamarindo occur when a West-northwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the East.

What's the best time of year to surf Tamarindo (for consistent clean waves)?

januaryBest Season: winter
The best time of year for surfing Tamarindo with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter  and most often the month of January. Clean surfable waves are typically found 8% of the time in January while 1% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 91% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
8%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
1%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
91%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Tamarindo Location Map

Interactive Tamarindo surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Tamarindo is Nosara Airport (NOB) in Costa Rica, which is 42 km (26 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Tamarindo is Daniel Oduber Quiros International (Liberia) Airport (LIR), also in Costa Rica, 45 km (28 miles) away.

  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Tamarindo Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 06:45 Local Time
Wednesday 06
3AM6AM9AM12PM
Wave (m)
0.9
SW
0.9
SW
0.9
SW
0.9
SW
Period (s) 15 15 16 16
Wind (km/h)
10
10
10
10
Wind State off off cross-
off
cross-
on

Swell History at Tamarindo

Surf stats for Tamarindo, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Wind History at Tamarindo

Wind stats for Tamarindo, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.

Tamarindo Reviews:

Interactive Porthcawl Point location map. View nearby buoy information, live wind conditions and surrounding roads, paths and locations to help find new breaks. Click the buoys or wind icon to view more information.

Ratings
Based on 4 votes.
  • Overall:3.0
  • Quality on a good day:3.5
  • Consistency of Surf:4.0
  • Difficulty Level:2.0
  • Wind and Kite Surfing:1.0
  • Crowds:1.5
  • ...

See all 18 ratings


Review
Impartial reviews submitted by Surf-Forecast users.
Kristina from Costa Rica
“Great beginner surf spot. I live down here and have been practicing on a fun board. There are many breaks to try from down at Suizo to right out front for beginners. Over the last few months I have been able to go across the river mouth and surf at Casitas. Super fun and less crowded. I use the surf cam at Iguana Surf to check out the swell each day cause my board is rather large to walk down with. Great spot for beginners to intermediates.”

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