Back to results

Ostional, Costa Rica

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

Also within 20 km of Ostional

  • Pelada Surf spot · 5.5 km from Ostional
  • Olgas Surf spot · 5.9 km from Ostional
  • Playa Guiones Surf spot · 9.3 km from Ostional
  • Marbella Surf spot · 11.6 km from Ostional
  • Barrigona Surf spot · 18.8 km from Ostional

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

Sunset in Nosara Beach - panoramio
Near Ostional, 1 km away. Photo: Erick Hidalgo, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Ostional

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

The spot faces SW (234°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (54°). 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 January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually March, April, July and November, with about 6 good days in 7; in September and October, about 4. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Ostional, 0.2 km away (about 5 min by car).

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

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 11 h 20 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 25 from the airport to Ostional.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in OstionalAd

    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 Ostional · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Ostional · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Ostional on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct06 ft13 sslab1,074kJ29°C
Mon 19Oct634 ft12 shollow429kJ28°C
Tue 20Oct714 ft12 shollow349kJ27°C
Wed 21Oct674 ft12 shollow358kJ28°C
Thu 22Oct714 ft12 shollow387kJ28°C
Fri 23Oct654 ft11 shollow317kJ28°C
Sat 24Oct533 ft11 shollow234kJ28°C
Sun 25Oct423 ft9 shollow148kJ29°C
Mon 26Oct503 ft9 shollow116kJ32°C
Tue 27Oct403 ft8 shollow84kJ30°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 25 by road. About 11h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Ostional

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Ostional

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Ostional

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Ostional

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Ostional

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

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to LIR, then 2h 25 by road. About 11h 20 door to door

The trip from Ostional, 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.

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.