PLAYA HERMOSA

Playa Hermosa is considered Costa Rica’s National Surf Stadium.  The all year round beach breaks have been home to the first surf competitions in the country and are known for having punchy A frame peaks that frequently barrel.  While known for the variety of beach breaks, Playa Hermosa has 15 different spots including a rocky point break and rivermouth setup.  While Playa Hermosa shines during the south swell season in the spring, it is considered one of the most consistent waves in the country of Costa Rica.

Playa Hermosa’s first settlers came from San José and Palmares in 1974.  The first settlers came to harvest wood from the coastal forest and more families eventually came to the beach to raise livestock.  Up until this time, the waves at Playa Hermosa were a secret to the world and only a few local Costa Ricans began to discover this zone in the 1970’s.  More surfers began to arrive at Playa Hermosa with the construction of the new highway from San Jose and the 2009 ISA World Championship put Playa Hermosa on the surf map.

Locals and visitors alike describe Playa Hermosa as a surfers zone with locals and visitors scouring the beach for the best peak and a friendly relaxed atmosphere.  As Costa Rica is a popular tourist destination, Playa Hermosa has a definitive international surf scene and the community is centered around the waves and surfers that seek out the punchy beach barrels.

Playa Hermosa is a recognized biodiversity hotspot and hosts multiple critically important ecosystems including estuaries and mangrove habitat.  There are 61 threatened species in the Playa Hermosa surf ecosystem including 3 endangered species of sea turtles and the infamous Scarlet Macaw.

Playa Hermosa hosts the Punta Mala Wildlife Refuge, a national protected area that spans 2,742 hectares and 82% of this area is marine.  The refuge contains a sea turtle hatchery and conservation program.