Black Beach, Costa Rica

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Cocles, 7 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CHX (CHX), 38 km.

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About Black Beach

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

The spot faces NE (44°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (224°). 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 moderately: 10 m deep about 350 m out (1 in 35). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 28°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in September, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and July, with about 4 good days in 7; in October, about 0. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Cocles, 7 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CHX (CHX), 38 km. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

Water about 30°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 14 h 10 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 10 from the airport to Black Beach.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Cocles, 7 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CHX (CHX), 38 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Black Beach · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Black Beach · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Black Beach on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Black Beach, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	57, good	4 ft6 smushy	97kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 5 knots, offshore	28°C
Mon 19Oct	37, fair	3 ft6 smushy	42kJ	wind from the south-west, 5 knots, offshore	29°C
Tue 20Oct	28, too small	2 ft5 smushy	22kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 2 knots, offshore	28°C
Wed 21Oct	28, too small	2 ft6 smushy	26kJ	wind from the west, 4 knots	29°C
Thu 22Oct	23, too small	2 ft5 smushy	18kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots, offshore	29°C
Fri 23Oct	19, too small	2 ft4 smushy	10kJ	wind from the north-west, 3 knots	28°C
Sat 24Oct	12, too small	1 ft5 smushy	5kJ	wind from the south-west, 5 knots, offshore	28°C
Sun 25Oct	12, too small	2 ft3 smushy	6kJ	wind from the north-west, 5 knots	29°C
Mon 26Oct	19, too small	2 ft3 smushy	7kJ	wind from the north, 2 knots	29°C
Tue 27Oct	17, too small	2 ft4 smushy	7kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 1 knot	29°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 10 by road. About 14h 10 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Direct flight ORD to SJO, then 5h 10 by road. About 14h 10 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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Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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