Matapalo, Costa Rica

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Zancudo, 24 km away, is the nearest town we list.

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About Matapalo

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

The spot faces S (160°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (340°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 3). 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 February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, June, August and September, with about 6 good days in 7; in January, about 1. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Zancudo, 24 km away, is the nearest town we list. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

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

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From Chicago: about 15 h 30 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 returnAd
Getting there. 6 h 30 from the airport to Matapalo.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Zancudo, 24 km away, is the nearest town we list.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Matapalo · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Matapalo · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Matapalo on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Matapalo, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	48, good	5 ft14 sslab	902kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 5 knots	28°C
Mon 19Oct	49, good	5 ft11 sslab	545kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 3 knots, offshore	28°C
Tue 20Oct	57, good	5 ft11 shollow	428kJ	wind from the north-west, 5 knots, offshore	28°C
Wed 21Oct	61, good	5 ft10 shollow	389kJ	wind from the north-west, 6 knots, offshore	27°C
Thu 22Oct	44, fair	5 ft12 shollow	588kJ	wind from the east, 2 knots	28°C
Fri 23Oct	55, good	5 ft12 sslab	631kJ	wind from the north-east, 4 knots	28°C
Sat 24Oct	69, good	4 ft12 shollow	390kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 0 knots	28°C
Sun 25Oct	50, good	3 ft8 shollow	102kJ	wind from the north-west, 6 knots, offshore	28°C
Mon 26Oct	55, good	3 ft9 shollow	147kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 6 knots, offshore	28°C
Tue 27Oct	54, good	3 ft8 shollow	120kJ	wind from the south-east, 1 knot	27°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

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Direct flight ORD to SJO, then 6h 30 by road. About 15h 30 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Surf Matapalo
Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 5 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.
Wed 21 Oct
Surf Matapalo
Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 5 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
Thu 22 Oct
Surf Matapalo
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 5 ft at 12 s, wind 2 kn (4 km/h).
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Matapalo
Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 5 ft at 12 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).
Sat 24 Oct
Surf Matapalo
Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 0 kn (1 km/h).
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Direct flight ORD to SJO, then 6h 30 by road. About 15h 30 door to door

Rough cost

About £590–£1,135 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
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
Food	7 days eating out	£160–£300
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£70–£120
Total		£590–£1,135

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

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Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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