Best time to surf Playa Marbella – Guanacaste

The best time to surf at Playa Marbella – Guanacaste is April–November.

Marbella, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Sports: Surfing

Best time to go: April–November

Playa Marbella – Guanacaste surf forecast

Playa Marbella is a long beach of dark sand by the small village of Marbella, about 30 minutes south of Playa Junquillal on the Pacific coast of Guanacaste, with San Juanillo and Ostional further south. Tamarindo is about an hour away by road. The road is paved as far as Junquillal and gravel after that, and the rains of the green season can make it slow or briefly impassable. There are few facilities: no lifeguards, no rentals on the beach and little shade, and the nearest fuel and cash machines are in Junquillal.

The beach is exposed and catches a lot of swell, so it often has waves when the beaches nearby are small. The beach break has quick, sometimes hollow peaks, with fast rights, best from mid to high tide; at the south end a left point breaks off a rock shelf at lower tides, with a big shoulder for turns rather than barrels. South-west swells give the biggest days and are most common from about April to November. In the dry season, from December to April, the east and north-east winds blow offshore more often and the surf is cleaner but usually smaller.

The waves are powerful and rip currents form quickly when the surf is up, so Marbella suits intermediate surfers and up; beginners only on small days. The line-up is far less crowded than at Avellanas or Nosara, but local surfers ride the beach break, so give them respect. Bring your own board if you can. The water is warm all year, about 27 to 30 °C, so boardshorts or a lycra are enough.

Spots near Playa Marbella – Guanacaste

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