Back to results

Pico Grande, Costa Rica

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

Also within 20 km of Playa Grande

All 13 on Playa Grande's map

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

Beach on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica
Pico Grande. Photo: PoeXinia, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

About Pico Grande

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

The spot faces W (283°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (103°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–14 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 17). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 28°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Playa Grande, 3.6 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 6 surf spots.

Water about 29°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 10 h 40 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. 1 h 40 from the airport to Pico Grande.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Playa GrandeAd

    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 Playa Grande · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Playa Grande · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Pico Grande 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 18Oct156 ft13 shollow995kJ30°C
Mon 19Oct604 ft12 shollow423kJ30°C
Tue 20Oct624 ft12 shollow331kJ28°C
Wed 21Oct554 ft12 shollow328kJ30°C
Thu 22Oct674 ft12 shollow374kJ30°C
Fri 23Oct574 ft11 shollow303kJ29°C
Sat 24Oct403 ft11 shollow213kJ30°C
Sun 25Oct303 ft10 shollow140kJ31°C
Mon 26Oct353 ft9 shollow109kJ32°C
Tue 27Oct253 ft8 shollow76kJ30°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 1h 40 by road. About 10h 40 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Playa Grande

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

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Playa Grande

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

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Playa Grande

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

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Playa Grande

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

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Playa Grande

    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 1h 40 by road. About 10h 40 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Playa Grande each day: Pico Grande, Playa Grande.

The trip from Playa Grande, 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 Playa Grande

  • Sugar's Monkey Pizza Playa GrandePizza · 0.2 km from the centre
  • La Tortugas RestauranteSeafood · 0.1 km from the centre
  • Taco StarMexican · 0.1 km from the centre
  • El Huerto de Playa Grande0.8 km from the centre
  • Alejos Bar y GrillBar and grill · 2.0 km from the centre
  • Malinches Street TacosTaco · 2.0 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.