Puerto Viejo – Salsa Brava
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limón, Costa Rica
Sports: Surfing
Best time to go: January–March, December
Salsa Brava is a reef break right off the village of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, in Limón province on Costa Rica's southern Caribbean coast. It is the best-known wave on this coast and one of the heaviest in the country.
The Caribbean has no long-distance swell, so the wave depends on short-period wind swell from storms and strong trade winds in the Caribbean Sea. These come mainly from about December to March, with a smaller window around June and July, and the coast can stay flat for weeks in between. When it works, a thick, hollow right (and a shorter left) breaks very fast over a shallow, sharp coral reef close to shore. Offshore winds blow from the south-west, south and west, usually early in the morning. It is a wave for experienced surfers only: wipeouts on the reef cause serious cuts and injuries, and the channel and rocks need care. The local crew is tight-knit, so wait your turn. The water is warm all year (about 27–30°C); boardshorts or a lycra are enough, and reef booties and a helmet are worth considering.
Spots near Puerto Viejo – Salsa Brava
- Playa Cocles (3 km)
- Bocas del Toro – Playa Bluff (63 km)
- Dominical (130 km)
- Pavones (147 km)
- Matapalo – Osa Peninsula (154 km)
- Esterillos (192 km)
- Playa Hermosa – Jacó (203 km)
- Jacó (205 km)