Beach

both

Level 4/10

Santa Teresa

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

🌀Strong rips👥Crowded

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Santa Teresa is Costa Rica's open secret that's no longer much of a secret—a once-remote beach town that has blossomed into a world-class surf destination with the yoga studios and organic cafés to match. The consistent beach break peaks stretch for miles along the dusty main road, offering waves for all abilities with reliable year-round surf. The sunset sessions, with silhouettes of surfers against orange skies, have become iconic imagery. Development is transforming the area, but the waves remain as consistent as ever, drawing a continuous stream of surf travelers seeking pura vida perfection.

Santa Teresa surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today9

Firing

1.6mSW@16s

6km/h

1.6m@16s

6km/h

Sat10

Good

1.6mSW@15s

9km/h

1.6m@15s

9km/h

Sun11

Good

1.3mSW@16s

6km/h

1.3m@16s

6km/h

Mon12

Good

1.6mSW@15s

6km/h

1.6m@15s

6km/h

Tue13

Firing

1.7mSW@16s

6km/h

1.7m@16s

6km/h

Wed14

Firing

1.6mSW@15s

6km/h

1.6m@15s

6km/h

Thu15

Firing

1.3mSW@15s

6km/h

1.3m@15s

6km/h

Fri16

Firing

1.0mSW@15s

4km/h

1.0m@15s

4km/h

Sat17

Firing

1.3mSW@17s

6km/h

1.3m@17s

6km/h

Sun18

Firing

1.6mSW@16s

5km/h

1.6m@16s

5km/h

5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 5 km/h · PM 5 km/h · Tide at 8am (0.2m)

Swell

1.6m

SW(221°)

Score: 25/25

Period

16s

Long period groundswell

Score: 25/25

Wind

6km/h

SE(136°)

Score: 21/25

Weather

28°C

0.1mm67%

First light 4:58amSunrise 5:28amSunset 5:26pmLast light 5:56pm

Secondary0.5mConfidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell

Wind

Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 5:29–7:48am · droppingStrike window: 9:30–11:51am · risingIdeal tide: 0.3–1.5m

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

24°

30°

29°

27°

25°

28°

29°

26°

25°

24°

27°

26°

27°

26°

24°

27°

28°

26°

24°

29°

27°

28°

25°

24°

28°

27°

25°

24°

26°

28°

27°

26°

24°

26°

27°

26°

25°

26°

27°

26°

24°

26°

28°

27°

25°

2m1.0

sec

16s

15s

16s

15s

16s

15s

17s

16s

swell

windkm/h

7g13

3g13

8g25

6g18

4g12

5g9

8g21

13g32

11g25

7g20

8g14

4g15

10g28

6g21

6g11

3g7

4g15

8g28

9g24

0g22

7g12

3g15

8g28

8g24

6g21

3g16

7g21

9g28

8g26

2g21

3g14

6g21

10g27

7g28

3g27

9g16

2g22

5g26

5g24

3g19

7g19

5g26

6g30

7g27

5g14

2g22

4g29

6g28

9g26

tidem

2:23am2.8m

8:37am0.2m

2:48pm2.7m

8:51pm0.2m

3:08am2.9m

9:22am0.1m

3:32pm2.8m

9:34pm0.1m

3:50am3.0m

10:03am0.0m

4:14pm2.8m

10:13pm0.1m

4:29am3.0m

10:42am0.0m

4:54pm2.8m

10:51pm0.1m

5:07am3.0m

11:19am0.0m

5:32pm2.7m

11:28pm0.2m

5:44am2.9m

11:57am0.1m

6:12pm2.6m

6:22am2.7m

12:35pm0.3m

6:52pm2.5m

12:45am0.5m

7:02am2.6m

1:16pm0.4m

7:37pm2.3m

1:27am0.7m

7:46am2.4m

2:01pm0.5m

8:27pm2.2m

2:17am0.8m

8:37am2.3m

2:53pm0.7m

9:25pm2.1m

Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

2:23 am

High tide - 2.82m

8:37 am

Low tide - 0.19m

2:48 pm

High tide - 2.71m

8:51 pm

Low tide - 0.17m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Firing

Components

Swell Direction17/25

Swell Size25/25

Swell Period25/25

Wind21/25

Raw Score88/100

Adjustments

🌊 Tide+3

💨 Gusty Wind-3

Adjusted Score85.6/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score86

🌊 Mostly in the tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to SJO, 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: SSW (210°)
Direction range: 180° - 250°
Size range: 0.6m - 2.5m
Ideal size: 1.5m - 2m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
Ideal period: 16s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: ENE (70°)
Offshore range: 30° - 110°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: mid
Optimal range: 0.3m - 1.5m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

4/10

Crowd level

6/10

Access: Nicoya Peninsula. Tambor airport closer. Beach town vibes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Santa Teresa?

The Santa Teresa profile favors mid tide, ideally between 0.3m and 1.5m 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 Santa Teresa?

The Santa Teresa profile uses wind from ENE (70°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 30° to 110°. 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 Santa Teresa?

The Santa Teresa scoring profile favors swell from SSW (180° to 250°), a swell-height range of 0.6m to 2.5m, and a reference period of 16s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.

When is the best time of year to surf Santa Teresa?

The main season at Santa Teresa is Apr-Oct. A secondary window runs Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. Year-round waves. Bigger swells April-October.

How do I get to Santa Teresa?

The spot profile lists SJO as a nearby airport. The estimated road transfer is 300 minutes. Nicoya Peninsula. Tambor airport closer. Beach town vibes.