Dominical, Costa Rica
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About Dominical
Facing, offshore wind, exposure and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SW (223°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (43°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits expert surfers. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 26). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 28°C in October, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For expert surfers the best months are usually May, June, July and August, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Dominical, 0.4 km away (about 5 min by car).
Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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From Chicago: about 12 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to SJO, direct.
See flights ORD → SJO · Skyscanner from about £255 returnAdGetting there. 3 h 05 from the airport to Dominical.
Accommodation.
Stay in DominicalAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Dominical (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Dominical 1 min by car · rooms from £65 a night · 24 places to stay · where Dominical stays
Places to stay in Dominical · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Dominical · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Dominical · GetYourGuideAd
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Dominical on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Dominical does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 43, fair | 5 ft14 shollow | 758kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 42, fair | 5 ft11 scrumbling | 514kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 27°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 36, fair | 4 ft10 scrumbling | 381kJ | wind from the north-west, 2 knots | 27°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 28, too small | 4 ft9 scrumbling | 236kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 39, fair | 4 ft11 scrumbling | 467kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 25°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 36, fair | 4 ft12 scrumbling | 447kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 26, too small | 4 ft10 scrumbling | 242kJ | wind from the south, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 19, too small | 3 ft10 shollow | 163kJ | wind from the south, 1 knot | 27°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 24, too small | 3 ft9 scrumbling | 160kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 21, too small | 3 ft8 scrumbling | 109kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 26°C |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to SJO, then 3h 05 by road. About 12h 05 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to SJO, then 3h 05 by road. About 12h 05 door to door
Rough cost
About £760–£1,415 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to SJO, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | £255–£530 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £70–£120 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £170–£280 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £160–£300 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £70–£120 |
| Total | £760–£1,415 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Dominical
- Dominical SushiSushi · 0.3 km from the centre
- Phat NoodleThai · 0.3 km from the centre
- Dominical, FuegoAmerican · 0.2 km from the centre
- El Pescado LocoFish and chips · 0.3 km from the centre
- La Junta Dominical0.3 km from the centre
- Restaurante El CocoSeafood · 0.3 km from the centre
Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits
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