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Islita, Costa Rica

Stay in Islita: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Islita

Watch this spot We email you when Islita is worth the trip.

Guanacaste Province, Punta Islita, Costa Rica - panoramio (79)
Islita. Photo: kajikawa, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Islita

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces S (172°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (352°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 4). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hard and thick, like a slab. The sea is about 28°C in October, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually April, with about 6 good days in 7; in January, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Islita, 1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 11 h 45 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to LIR, direct.

    See flights ORD → LIR · Skyscanner from about £250 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 50 from the airport to Islita.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in IslitaAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Islita · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Islita · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Islita on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Islita does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct285 ft14 sslab968kJ29°C
Mon 19Oct614 ft12 shollow419kJ28°C
Tue 20Oct704 ft12 shollow354kJ28°C
Wed 21Oct654 ft12 shollow351kJ31°C
Thu 22Oct654 ft12 shollow331kJ29°C
Fri 23Oct603 ft12 shollow256kJ26°C
Sat 24Oct613 ft11 shollow254kJ25°C
Sun 25Oct584 ft10 shollow224kJ26°C
Mon 26Oct533 ft9 shollow140kJ28°C
Tue 27Oct453 ft8 shollow85kJ28°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 intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to LIR, then 2h 50 by road. About 11h 45 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Camaronal

    Best 12:00 to 15:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Camaronal

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Camaronal

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Camaronal

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 3 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Islita

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 3 ft at 11 s, wind 1 kn (2 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to LIR, then 2h 50 by road. About 11h 45 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Islita each day: Camaronal, Islita.

The trip from Islita, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £755–£1,405 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to LIR, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£250–£520
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£70–£120
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£170–£280
Food7 days eating out£160–£300
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£70–£120
Total£755–£1,405

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Islita

  • Sámara Brewing Co. & Mexican CocinaMexican · 1.5 km from the centre
  • Don Ramiro0.1 km from the centre
  • Cabinas y Restaurante Donde Cambute0.2 km from the centre
  • Restaurante Kimbute0.3 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

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.