Pan Dulce, Costa Rica

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Zancudo, 21 km away, is the nearest town we list.

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About Pan Dulce

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

The spot faces E (108°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (288°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 16). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 28°C in October, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Zancudo, 21 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 Pan Dulce.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Zancudo, 21 km away, is the nearest town we list.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Pan Dulce · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Pan Dulce · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Pan Dulce on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

Pan Dulce 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

Forecast and score for expert surfers at Pan Dulce, each day
Day	Scorefor Expert	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	30, too small	5 ft14 shollow	863kJ	wind from the north-east, 4 knots	29°C
Mon 19Oct	34, too small	5 ft11 shollow	518kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 2 knots, offshore	28°C
Tue 20Oct	31, too small	4 ft11 shollow	411kJ	wind from the north-west, 5 knots, offshore	28°C
Wed 21Oct	29, too small	4 ft10 shollow	370kJ	wind from the north-west, 5 knots, offshore	28°C
Thu 22Oct	33, too small	5 ft12 shollow	578kJ	wind from the north-east, 3 knots	28°C
Fri 23Oct	34, too small	5 ft12 shollow	615kJ	wind from the east, 3 knots	28°C
Sat 24Oct	24, too small	4 ft12 shollow	361kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 2 knots	28°C
Sun 25Oct	17, too small	3 ft9 shollow	126kJ	wind from the north-west, 5 knots, offshore	28°C
Mon 26Oct	19, too small	3 ft9 shollow	151kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 4 knots	28°C
Tue 27Oct	15, too small	3 ft8 shollow	115kJ	wind from the south-east, 2 knots	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 expert 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
Rest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
Thu 22 Oct
Surf Pan Dulce
Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 5 ft at 12 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Pan Dulce
Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 5 ft at 12 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
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.

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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