The WQ Crew in Costa Rica
June, 2004
The WQ Crew's second trip down to Costa Rica was a blast. We scored head to overhead surf all week. Our trip was booked through Surf Express. An eight day 'Wings and Wheels' package. I've used Surf Express for a couple of trips and I have to give them an unsolicited thumbs-up for their service and prices. Below is a brief summary of our trip.
| The Road to Mal Pais |
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After
our Lacsa
flight touched down in San José, we loaded up our 4x4, which was rented from Economy Car Rental by Surf Express. We drove west along Route 1 toward Puntarenas. At Puntarenas, we took the Ferry Boat across the Gulf of Nicoya to Paquera. We drove through Paquera on to Tambor, then Cobano and finally to Mal País. |
| Mal Pais and Santa Teresa |
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Once at Mal Pais, we checked in to the
Mal Pais Surf Camp & Resort. The camp was recommended to us by a friend who had stayed there on a past trip. Aside from one waitress who was angry at the world, we were very pleased with the accommodations, food and service. We could hear the waves crashing from our bungalow. The surf was a short 250 yard walk along a path that lead us through a field with 5-10 grazing horses.
For a change of pace, we would take the 2 mile ride up to Santa Teresa. It's only 2 miles, but it's a 15 minute journey due to horrendous road conditions. It is hands down the worst road I've been on in Costa Rica. Try to avoid the seven foot wide potholes and splashing the locals on foot with muddy water.
The surf was in the 5-10 foot range during our stay at Mal Pais. This made for a brutal paddle out at both Mal Pais and Santa Teresa. But at the same time, it thinned out what little crowd there was. During most of the Mal Pais/Santa Teresa sessions, there was only a handful of surfers within sight. The break at Santa Teresa seemed to work a little better at low tide.
We hit a couple of restaurants while in Mal Pais. Rancho Italiano, Mar Azul, and a road side fish taco stand in San Teresa. All had great food. Mar Azul and a restaurant called Buenos Aires, which we have heard great things about but weren't able to visit due to an impassible road, are great for watching amazing sunsets after a hard day of surfing. |
| The Road to Nosara |
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After 4 days of primo surf in Mal Pias, we loaded up and headed north to Nosara in a roundabout way. Some of the small coastal roads in-between Mal Pais and Nosara can be impassible in June. We opted for an alternate route more inland, which took us back through Tambor, Paquera and then on to Carmona, Nicoya and finally Nosara. The trip took about 6 hours. |
| Nosara and Ostional |
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We arrived at Nosara midday and immediately noticed how much more built up is was compared to our last visit four years ago. With all the real estate agencies that have popped up and the construction going on, we couldn't help but think, for better or worse, this area is going to be the next Tamarindo.
We got settled into our new pad at the Harbor Reef Lodge. It's a great place to stay in Nosara. The lodge is a five minute walk away from the surf. The staff is super helpful and the food was so good that we ate every meal there.
The surf was in the 5-8 foot range with variable winds. This made for a challenging paddle out due to the shear distance we needed paddle in order to make it to the line up. During the 4 days in Nosara, the crowd was anywhere from 10-30 surfers dispersed on a few peaks. I suspect it's more crowed during the high season. Unfortunately, we didn't have the reliable offshore winds that we had on our past trip in January.
We had heard good things about Ostional, so we took the 11 kilometer trip north. Along the way, we had to cross three streams, but they were manageable. The wave at Ostional was a little bigger/heavier than Nosara. We were the only ones in sight all day long while surfing it. |
| The Road Home |
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On the last day of the trip, we had a dawn patrol session before we loaded up our SUV and started back to San Jose.
During the ride, we crossed over the Tempisque River on a new bridge and enjoyed beautiful scenery off of the Pan-American highway.
The trip back to San Jose took about 4 1/2 hours. |
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| Ferry Boat Info |
| The Paquera ferry leaves at 5:00 AM, 8:45 AM, 12:30 PM, 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM and at 8:15 PM. Be there at least 45 minutes before any departure, as during the high season, it gets very busy. Cost - 3,000 colones for car and driver; 405 colones for each additional passenger. |
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