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Pelada, Costa Rica

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

Also within 20 km of Nosara

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

27711- fishermen in the surf
Near Pelada. Photo: Panegyrics of Granovetter, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Pelada

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

The spot faces W (251°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (71°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.3 km out (1 in 125). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 28°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April, November and December, with about 6 good days in 7; in June, September and October, about 4. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Nosara, 3.6 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 11 h 25 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to LIR, direct.

    See flights ORD → LIR · Skyscanner from about £250 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 30 from the airport to Pelada.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in NosaraAd

    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 Nosara · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Nosara · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Pelada 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 intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct06 ft13 ssoft1,074kJ29°C
Mon 19Oct594 ft12 ssoft450kJ29°C
Tue 20Oct734 ft12 ssoft367kJ28°C
Wed 21Oct574 ft12 smushy337kJ28°C
Thu 22Oct724 ft12 ssoft387kJ29°C
Fri 23Oct634 ft11 ssoft317kJ27°C
Sat 24Oct503 ft11 ssoft234kJ27°C
Sun 25Oct383 ft9 ssoft148kJ27°C
Mon 26Oct403 ft9 ssoft116kJ28°C
Tue 27Oct312 ft7 smushy57kJ28°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

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to LIR, then 2h 30 by road. About 11h 25 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Pelada

    Best 12:00 to 15:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Pelada

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Pelada

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Pelada

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Pelada

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 3 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to LIR, then 2h 30 by road. About 11h 25 door to door

The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Nosara each day: Olgas, Pelada, Playa Guiones.

The trip from Nosara, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £755–£1,405 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 LIR, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£250–£520
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£755–£1,405

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Nosara

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.