Playa Guiones a Top Costa Rica Surf Spot

[Shannon Farley]

Long-favored as a site for the Costa Rica national surfing competitions, the white sandy beach of Playa Guiones at Nosara hosted the sixth tournament of the Costa Rica National Surfing Circuit kölbi 2015 in June.

 

Presented by Adrenaline Rush, the Beach Club Tournament was held June 13-14, the last of the 2015 Costa Rica pro surfing season before the Costa Rica National Surfing Championship finals in July at Playa Hermosa near Jacó.

 

On the north Pacific Coast of the Nicoya Peninsula in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Playa Guiones is known as one of the best surfing beaches in Costa Rica. Home to the annual Triple Crown Surf Tournament held every February, March and April by the Nosara Surf Association, Playa Guiones is reputed to have the most consistent surf on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast.

 

“Quality and consistency makes this beach THE spot for surfing in Costa Rica,” reports the informational website Nosara.com. “Great beach break conditions, with multiple peaks both left and right. The place has become popular among traveling ‘longboarders’. Great surf can occur at any time during the year; however November through May will offer you the best chance of finding excellent conditions. As in California, the best time for surfing is early morning.”

 

The beautiful crescent-shape white sand beach stretches approximately 4 miles (7 km), lined with low vegetation and a few palm frond huts built here and there to provide shade. Because Playa Guiones is so close to the continental shelf, the sandy-bottom beach picks up both North and South facing swells for great waves more than 300 days a year.

 

“Offshore winds blow most every morning during dry season, from mid-November until the end of April, making for great surf conditions. In the rainy season, the waves are often bigger, but expect less consistent wind and slightly choppier and disorganized conditions,” according to VisitNosara.com.

 

The Guanacaste beaches of Playa Guiones, Playa Nosara, Playa Pelada, Playa Garza and Playa Os... all recently received the Costa Rica Ecological Blue Flag Award by the Costa Rican Tourism Board for continuing to be some of Costa Rica’s cleanest beaches. The Nosara, Costa Rica area was named one of the 11 Places to Go Worldwide in 2014 by CNN.

 

Where to Stay in Playa Guiones, Nosara, Costa Rica

Whether you are coming for the surf competitions, to surf Playa Guiones, or simply enjoy the beauty of Nosara, Costa Rica, your place to stay is L'acqua Viva Resort & Spa.

The Bali-style Costa Rica luxury hotel is located between the beautiful beach of Guiones and forested foothills, full of an amazing variety of wildlife – especially howler monkeys. All hotels and businesses at Playa Guiones are set back from the beach to preserve the coastline. L'acqua Viva Resort & Spa is an Enchanting Costa Rica Hotel; accommodations include spacious Deluxe Rooms, luxury Suites and magnificent Villas.

 

How to get to Nosara:

• 55-minute flight to Nosara from San Jose; 10-minute drive to Playa Guiones.
• 2.5-hour drive from the Liberia International Airport.
• 5-hour drive from San Jose’s Juan Santamaria International Airport