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Playa samara, Costa Rica

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

Also within 20 km of Sámara

  • Barrigona Surf spot · 5.4 km from Sámara
  • Camaronal Surf spot · 10 km from Sámara
  • Islita Surf spot · 14.4 km from Sámara
  • Playa Guiones Surf spot · 15.2 km from Sámara
  • Olgas Surf spot · 17.9 km from Sámara
  • Pelada Surf spot · 18.1 km from Sámara

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

Palm trees at Samara beach - panoramio
Playa samara. Photo: Paul IJpelaar, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Playa samara

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

The spot faces S (199°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (19°). 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 6). 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 April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually April, with about 6 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Sámara, 1.2 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

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 40 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 45 from the airport to Playa samara.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in SámaraAd

    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 Sámara · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Sámara · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Playa samara 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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct166 ft13 sslab1,010kJ30°C
Mon 19Oct634 ft12 shollow442kJ29°C
Tue 20Oct734 ft12 shollow386kJ29°C
Wed 21Oct654 ft12 shollow358kJ30°C
Thu 22Oct704 ft12 shollow371kJ30°C
Fri 23Oct614 ft11 shollow303kJ27°C
Sat 24Oct593 ft11 shollow244kJ26°C
Sun 25Oct483 ft10 shollow202kJ27°C
Mon 26Oct523 ft9 shollow137kJ29°C
Tue 27Oct413 ft8 shollow89kJ29°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 45 by road. About 11h 40 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Playa samara

    Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 2 kn (4 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Barrigona

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Playa samara

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Playa samara

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

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Playa samara

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 3 ft at 11 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to LIR, then 2h 45 by road. About 11h 40 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Sámara each day: Barrigona, Playa samara.

The trip from Sámara, 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 Sámara

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.