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Tivives, Costa Rica

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

Also within 20 km of Caldera

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

About Tivives

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

The spot faces SW (228°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (48°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–5 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 41). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 28°C in October, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in March, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best month is usually June, with about 6 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Caldera, 5.4 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.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 11 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

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

    See flights ORD → SJO · Skyscanner from about £255 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h from the airport to Tivives.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in CalderaAd

    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 Caldera · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Caldera · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Tivives on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct704 ft14 scrumbling514kJ29°C
Mon 19Oct624 ft11 scrumbling291kJ29°C
Tue 20Oct463 ft12 scrumbling217kJ29°C
Wed 21Oct473 ft10 scrumbling165kJ29°C
Thu 22Oct704 ft12 scrumbling339kJ29°C
Fri 23Oct694 ft12 scrumbling370kJ29°C
Sat 24Oct644 ft11 scrumbling343kJ29°C
Sun 25Oct443 ft9 scrumbling136kJ28°C
Mon 26Oct433 ft9 scrumbling122kJ30°C
Tue 27Oct343 ft8 scrumbling84kJ28°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 SJO, then 2h by road. About 11h 05 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Tivives

    Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Tivives

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 5 kn (8 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Tivives

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

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Tivives

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 2 kn (3 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Tivives

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

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to SJO, then 2h by road. About 11h 05 door to door

The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Caldera each day: Corralillo, El Hoyo, Puerto Caldera, Tivives.

The trip from Caldera, with every spot near it

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.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to SJO, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£255–£530
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£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 Caldera

  • Restaurante y Marisquería LedaSeafood · 0.2 km from the centre
  • Restaurante KathiaSeafood · 1.4 km from the centre
  • Lastro Sport Bar y RestauranteBar and grill · 0.3 km from the centre
  • Restaurante Arrecife el PatioSeafood · 0.3 km from the centre
  • Bar y Marisqueria el PuenteSeafood · 0.6 km from the centre
  • Cevichera Arrecife PlazaSeafood · 0.8 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

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.