Beach

both

Level 5/10

Playa Avellanas

Guanacaste, Costa Rica

🌀Strong rips

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Playa Avellanas is Tamarindo's cooler cousin—a quality beach break famous for Lola's restaurant and the curious spectacle of pigs wandering the beach. The wave is a noticeable step up from Tamarindo's beginner-friendly peaks, with more power and better shape that attracts intermediate surfers seeking progression without the crowds. The dirt road access filters out day-trippers, preserving a more authentic vibe than the tourist strip. When larger swells arrive, "Little Hawaii" (the main peak) produces genuinely impressive waves that have hosted professional contests.

Playa Avellanas surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today19

Fair

1.0mSSW@13s

8km/h

1.0m@13s

8km/h

Sun20

Fair

0.8mSW@12s

9km/h

0.8m@12s

9km/h

Mon21

Good

1.0mSW@12s

8km/h

1.0m@12s

8km/h

Tue22

Good

0.8mSW@13s

7km/h

0.8m@13s

7km/h

Wed23

Fair

0.8mWSW@13s

9km/h

0.8m@13s

9km/h

Thu24

Good

0.8mWSW@13s

8km/h

0.8m@13s

8km/h

Fri25

Poor

0.8mW@11s

14km/h

0.8m@11s

14km/h

Sat26

Good

1.0mSW@13s

6km/h

1.0m@13s

6km/h

Sun27

Good

1.2mSW@12s

7km/h

1.2m@12s

7km/h

Mon28

Fair

1.0mSW@11s

9km/h

1.0m@11s

9km/h

5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 6 km/h · PM 10 km/h · Tide at 7am (1.8m)

Swell

1.0m

SSW(201°)

Score: 14/25

Period

13s

Medium period swell

Score: 23/25

Wind

8km/h

S(172°)

Score: 18/25

Weather

29°C

0.7mm92%

First light 5:02amSunrise 5:32amSunset 5:41pmLast light 6:11pm

Secondary0.7mConfidence

100%

Location & Conditions

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Swell

Wind

Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 5:02–5:43am · risingStrike window: 9:19am–6:11pm · through lowIdeal tide: 0.3–1.6m

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

°C

26°

32°

29°

28°

26°

25°

30°

28°

27°

25°

26°

25°

24°

26°

28°

26°

24°

28°

27°

28°

26°

24°

27°

28°

27°

26°

25°

26°

28°

27°

25°

24°

27°

29°

27°

26°

25°

27°

29°

28°

26°

25°

27°

29°

28°

27°

2m1.0

sec

12s

14s

12s

11s

12s

11s

13s

12s

14s

12s

14s

13s

12s

13s

12s

11s

swell

windkm/h

8g13

4g21

15g39

8g22

12g27

9g17

6g21

16g36

10g29

4g10

6g9

2g17

10g22

6g23

5g10

4g12

3g18

7g26

12g28

7g11

9g16

7g18

11g30

10g33

9g25

8g14

6g17

8g26

12g34

9g25

9g17

12g27

18g39

16g42

12g40

2g14

4g20

9g27

9g28

6g27

4g16

8g24

12g32

6g36

0g36

7g17

6g24

11g30

11g31

8g30

tidem

1:08am0.6m

7:30am1.8m

2:02pm0.6m

8:13pm1.6m

2:08am0.8m

8:34am1.8m

3:10pm0.7m

9:19pm1.6m

3:24am0.8m

9:45am1.8m

4:19pm0.7m

4:39am0.8m

10:53am1.8m

5:18pm0.7m

5:38am0.7m

11:48am1.9m

6:06pm0.5m

6:30am0.6m

12:36pm2.0m

6:47pm0.4m

1:01am2.1m

7:12am0.4m

1:18pm2.0m

7:24pm0.3m

1:39am2.2m

7:53am0.2m

1:57pm2.1m

8:01pm0.2m

2:14am2.4m

8:30am0.1m

2:36pm2.2m

8:38pm0.1m

2:50am2.5m

9:09am0.0m

3:15pm2.3m

Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

1:08 am

Low tide - 0.62m

7:30 am

High tide - 1.84m

2:02 pm

Low tide - 0.61m

8:13 pm

High tide - 1.61m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Fair

Components

Swell Direction10/25

Swell Size14/25

Swell Period23/25

Wind18/25

Raw Score65/100

Adjustments

🌊 Tide+1

💨 Gusty Wind-5

Adjusted Score61/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score61

🌊 Partly in the tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to LIR, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Location & Conditions

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Swell

Wind

Showing forecast for today

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Spot Details

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: SW (230°)
Direction range: 200° - 270°
Size range: 0.8m - 2.5m
Ideal size: 1.6m - 2.1m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
Ideal period: 14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: E (90°)
Offshore range: 45° - 135°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: mid
Optimal range: 0.3m - 1.6m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

5/10

Crowd level

5/10

Access: Dirt road from main highway. Famous Lola's beach bar.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Playa Avellanas?

The Playa Avellanas profile favors mid tide, ideally between 0.3m and 1.6m on the local tide chart. Compare this preference with the forecast tide and local conditions before choosing a session.

What wind direction is offshore at Playa Avellanas?

The Playa Avellanas profile uses wind from E (90°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 45° to 135°. Wind speed matters too: light winds outside that range can still produce surfable conditions, while strong offshore winds can make takeoffs difficult.

What swell size and direction work best at Playa Avellanas?

The Playa Avellanas scoring profile favors swell from SW (200° to 270°), a swell-height range of 0.8m to 2.5m, and a reference period of 14s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.