Matapalo, Costa Rica
No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Zancudo, 24 km away, is the nearest town we list.
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About Matapalo
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces S (160°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (340°). 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 3). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hard and thick, like a slab. The sea is about 28°C in October, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, June, August and September, with about 6 good days in 7; in January, about 1. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Zancudo, 24 km away, is the nearest town we list. 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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The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.
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From Chicago: about 15 h 30 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 · SkyscannerAdGetting there. 6 h 30 from the airport to Matapalo.
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Zancudo, 24 km away, is the nearest town we list.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Matapalo · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Matapalo · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Matapalo on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 19Oct | 54, good | 5 ft10 sslab | 535kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 5 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 56, good | 4 ft10 shollow | 359kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 2 knots | 28°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 62, good | 4 ft10 shollow | 318kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 2 knots | 27°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 49, good | 5 ft12 sslab | 604kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 1 knot | 28°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 54, good | 5 ft12 sslab | 647kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 28°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 66, good | 4 ft11 shollow | 364kJ | wind from the south-west, 2 knots | 27°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 66, good | 4 ft10 shollow | 312kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 61, good | 4 ft9 shollow | 195kJ | offshorewind from the north, 3 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 50, good | 3 ft8 shollow | 118kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Wed 28Oct | 48, good | 3 ft8 shollow | 101kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 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 today, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to SJO, then 6h 30 by road. About 15h 30 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Matapalo
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 2 kn (4 km/h).
- Wed 21 OctSurf Matapalo
Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 2 kn (4 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctSurf Matapalo
Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 5 ft at 12 s, wind 1 kn (2 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctSurf Matapalo
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 5 ft at 12 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).
- Sat 24 OctSurf Matapalo
Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, wind 2 kn (3 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to SJO, then 6h 30 by road. About 15h 30 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.
| 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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