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Sunset Reef, Costa Rica

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

Also within 20 km of Santa Teresa

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

About Sunset Reef

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

The spot faces SW (245°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (65°). 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 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 October, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February, March, April and December, with about 6 good days in 7; in September and October, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Santa Teresa, 5.4 km away (about 10 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 12 h 45 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. 3 h 40 from the airport to Sunset Reef.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Santa TeresaAd

    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 Santa Teresa · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Santa Teresa · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Sunset Reef 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 18Oct566 ft12 shollow1,028kJ29°C
Mon 19Oct425 ft11 shollow599kJ28°C
Tue 20Oct284 ft12 shollow340kJ28°C
Wed 21Oct284 ft12 shollow380kJ28°C
Thu 22Oct294 ft11 shollow300kJ28°C
Fri 23Oct253 ft12 shollow268kJ28°C
Sat 24Oct324 ft11 shollow407kJ28°C
Sun 25Oct193 ft11 shollow214kJ29°C
Mon 26Oct203 ft9 shollow152kJ28°C
Tue 27Oct163 ft8 shollow94kJ28°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 3h 40 by road. About 12h 45 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: 4 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 3 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 3h 40 by road. About 12h 45 door to door

The plan picks the best of 5 spots near Santa Teresa each day: Mal Pais- Santa Teresa, Mar Azul, Playa Jackals, Santa Teresa, Sunset Reef.

The trip from Santa Teresa, 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 Santa Teresa

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.