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Punta mala, Costa Rica

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

Also within 20 km of Esterillos Oeste

All 10 on Esterillos Oeste's map

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

About Punta mala

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

The spot faces S (186°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (6°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.6 km out (1 in 161). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 28°C in October, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in March, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually March, April, May and June, with about 6 good days in 7; in January, about 4. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Esterillos Oeste, 2.9 km away (about 5 min by car). 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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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 11 h 15 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

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

    See flights ORD → SJO · Skyscanner from about £255 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 15 from the airport to Punta mala.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Esterillos OesteAd

    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 Esterillos Oeste · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Esterillos Oeste · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Punta mala on Google Maps · Directions

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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 experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct455 ft14 ssoft873kJ29°C
Mon 19Oct435 ft11 ssoft555kJ28°C
Tue 20Oct253 ft12 ssoft333kJ29°C
Wed 21Oct324 ft10 ssoft335kJ28°C
Thu 22Oct345 ft11 ssoft490kJ28°C
Fri 23Oct375 ft12 ssoft520kJ28°C
Sat 24Oct304 ft10 ssoft320kJ27°C
Sun 25Oct223 ft9 ssoft130kJ28°C
Mon 26Oct213 ft9 ssoft150kJ29°C
Tue 27Oct203 ft8 smushy100kJ27°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

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to SJO, then 2h 15 by road. About 11h 15 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 5 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 5 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to SJO, then 2h 15 by road. About 11h 15 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Esterillos Oeste each day: Esterillos Oeste, Punta mala.

The trip from Esterillos Oeste, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £760–£1,415 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 SJO, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£255–£530
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£760–£1,415

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

Places to eat near Esterillos Oeste

  • El Patio Bar & GrillBar and grill · 0.1 km from the centre
  • Los Almendros0.2 km from the centre
  • El Velero RestaurantSeafood · 0.6 km from the centre
  • Zoco Restaurant0.6 km from the centre
  • CR Macaws0.8 km from the centre
  • Restaurante El patioMexican · 0.8 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.