Gully's, Costa Rica
Also within 20 km of Jacó
Watch this spot We email you when Gully's is worth the trip.
About Gully's
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SW (216°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (36°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 7). 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 March, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually March, April, May and July, with about 6 good days in 7; in January, about 4. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Jacó, 5.9 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots.
Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 11 h 15 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 returnAdGetting there. 2 h 15 from the airport to Gully's.
Accommodation.
Stay in JacóAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Jacó (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Jacó 10 min by car · rooms from £65 a night · 187 places to stay · where Gully's stays
Places to stay in Jacó · Booking.com AdEsterillos Oeste 20 min by car · rooms from £65 a night · 23 places to stay
Places to stay in Esterillos Oeste · Booking.com AdBajamar 54 min by car · rooms from £65 a night · 4 places to stay
Places to stay in Bajamar · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Jacó · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Jacó · GetYourGuideAd
Budget 
Mid-range 
Luxury .jpg){kind=link}
Where it is
Gully's 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
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 54, good | 5 ft14 shollow | 886kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 54, good | 5 ft11 shollow | 575kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 3 knots | 29°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 62, good | 3 ft12 shollow | 299kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 3 knots | 29°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 65, good | 4 ft10 shollow | 321kJ | wind from the north-west, 5 knots | 28°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 62, good | 5 ft11 shollow | 504kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 29°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 57, good | 5 ft12 shollow | 535kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 2 knots | 28°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 68, good | 4 ft10 shollow | 301kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 60, good | 3 ft9 shollow | 189kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 0 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 57, good | 3 ft9 shollow | 158kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 47, fair | 3 ft8 shollow | 109kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 27°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 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to SJO, then 2h 15 by road. About 11h 15 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Turtle farms
Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 2 kn (3 km/h).
- Wed 21 OctSurf Turtle farms
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctSurf Turtle farms
Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctSurf Herradura
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).
- Sat 24 OctSurf Gully's
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to SJO, then 2h 15 by road. About 11h 15 door to door
The plan picks the best of 11 spots near Jacó each day: Escondida, Gully's, Herradura, Jaco, La Isla, Perro Fino, Playa Hermosa Jaco, Roca Loca, T box, The Tree, Turtle farms.
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.
| 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 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £170–£280 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £160–£300 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 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 Jacó
- Jorge's PizzaPizza · 0.1 km from the centre
- Pizza Pata JacóPizza · 0.1 km from the centre
- La cocina de RobertoBreakfast and brunch · 0.2 km from the centre
- Locals GrillAmerican · 0.2 km from the centre
- Mono VerdeSpanish · 0.2 km from the centre
- Naans & Curries JacóIndian · 0.2 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
Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.