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

Sat19

Fair

1.2mSSW@9s

7km/h

1.2m@9s

7km/h

Today20

Poor

1.0mSSW@9s

10km/h

1.0m@9s

10km/h

Mon21

Fair

1.1mSSW@11s

8km/h

1.1m@11s

8km/h

Tue22

Fair

1.0mSW@13s

8km/h

1.0m@13s

8km/h

Wed23

Fair

1.1mSW@8s

9km/h

1.1m@8s

9km/h

Thu24

Poor

0.8mWSW@14s

15km/h

0.8m@14s

15km/h

Fri25

Poor

0.8mW@13s

13km/h

0.8m@13s

13km/h

Sat26

Good

1.1mSW@15s

5km/h

1.1m@15s

5km/h

Sun27

Fair

1.2mSW@14s

7km/h

1.2m@14s

7km/h

Mon28

Poor

1.0mWSW@13s

8km/h

1.0m@13s

8km/h

5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: AfternoonAM 8 km/h · PM 6 km/h · Tide at 3pm (0.8m)

Swell

1.2m

SSW(194°)

Score: 19/25

Period

Short period / windswell

Score: 2/25

Wind

7km/h

ESE(118°)

Score: 20/25

Weather

28°C

0.3mm80%

First light 5:00amSunrise 5:30amSunset 5:38pmLast light 6:08pm

Secondary0.7mConfidence

100%

Location & Conditions

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Swell

Wind

Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 5:00–5:37am · risingStrike window: 12:38–6:08pm · through lowIdeal 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

26°

29°

30°

29°

26°

25°

28°

27°

25°

24°

28°

29°

26°

25°

27°

28°

27°

25°

28°

29°

28°

25°

27°

28°

27°

25°

28°

25°

24°

26°

28°

27°

25°

24°

27°

30°

27°

24°

26°

27°

26°

25°

2m1.0

sec

11s

13s

14s

13s

15s

14s

13s

swell

windkm/h

5g17

10g25

5g27

4g17

8g14

8g13

6g18

13g30

17g41

10g22

4g9

2g13

11g28

11g33

10g23

1g4

7g19

12g32

10g26

10g19

4g6

9g23

13g32

10g32

6g28

11g22

15g35

14g39

16g43

17g39

9g26

16g37

13g37

13g33

6g12

2g18

9g26

3g28

7g27

9g17

6g23

10g30

7g35

2g35

7g16

7g23

9g31

8g31

10g29

tidem

2:48am0.9m

9:15am2.3m

3:32pm0.8m

10:02pm2.1m

3:50am1.0m

10:19am2.2m

4:39pm0.9m

11:14pm2.1m

5:05am1.0m

11:32am2.2m

5:50pm0.8m

12:21am2.1m

6:19am1.0m

12:38pm2.3m

6:52pm0.8m

1:16am2.3m

7:18am0.8m

1:32pm2.4m

7:41pm0.6m

2:01am2.5m

8:06am0.6m

2:18pm2.5m

8:22pm0.5m

2:40am2.7m

8:46am0.4m

2:58pm2.7m

9:00pm0.3m

3:17am2.8m

9:24am0.2m

3:37pm2.8m

9:36pm0.2m

3:53am3.0m

10:02am0.1m

4:15pm2.9m

10:12pm0.1m

4:30am3.1m

10:40am0.0m

4:53pm2.9m

10:50pm0.1m

Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

2:48 am

Low tide - 0.91m

9:15 am

High tide - 2.37m

3:32 pm

Low tide - 0.82m

10:02 pm

High tide - 2.15m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Fair

Components

Swell Direction15/25

Swell Size19/25

Swell Period2/25

Wind20/25

Raw Score56/100

Adjustments

🌊 Tide+5

💨 Gusty Wind-4

Adjusted Score57/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score57

🌊 Optimal 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.