Rio Claro, Costa Rica

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Drake, 6 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: PJM (PJM), 48 km.

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About Rio Claro

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

The spot faces NW (293°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (113°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 24). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. 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 January, February, March and April, with about 4 good days in 7; in October, about 1. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Drake, 6 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: PJM (PJM), 48 km.

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

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From Chicago: about 14 h 05 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. 5 h from the airport to Rio Claro.
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Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Drake, 6 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: PJM (PJM), 48 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Rio Claro · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Rio Claro · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Rio Claro on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

Rio Claro does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Rio Claro, each day
Day	Scorefor Intermediate	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	62, good	5 ft14 shollow	726kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 6 knots, offshore	30°C
Mon 19Oct	61, good	4 ft10 scrumbling	300kJ	wind from the north, 2 knots	28°C
Tue 20Oct	54, good	4 ft11 shollow	331kJ	wind from the north-west, 4 knots	29°C
Wed 21Oct	56, good	4 ft9 scrumbling	220kJ	wind from the south, 3 knots	28°C
Thu 22Oct	58, good	4 ft12 shollow	478kJ	wind from the south-east, 6 knots, offshore	28°C
Fri 23Oct	61, good	4 ft12 shollow	403kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 3 knots	28°C
Sat 24Oct	55, good	3 ft12 shollow	283kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots, offshore	28°C
Sun 25Oct	33, too small	3 ft9 shollow	99kJ	wind from the north, 1 knot	28°C
Mon 26Oct	45, fair	3 ft9 scrumbling	142kJ	wind from the south-west, 1 knot	28°C
Tue 27Oct	37, fair	3 ft8 scrumbling	94kJ	wind from the south, 2 knots	28°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 5h by road. About 14h 05 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Surf Rio Claro
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).
Wed 21 Oct
Surf Rio Claro
Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).
Thu 22 Oct
Surf Rio Claro
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Rio Claro
Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).
Sat 24 Oct
Surf Rio Claro
Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Direct flight ORD to SJO, then 5h by road. About 14h 05 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

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Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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