Surfing with Crocodiles in Playa Tamarindo (Kind Of)
And by kind of, I mean I didn’t actually see any while I was surfing, but the threat was there. Playa Tamarindo, in Costa Rica, is a popular surf town in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica. The town is only about an hour drive from the Liberia International Airport, several bus transfer companies offer rides for fairly cheap to and from the airport, and the drive offers views of Costa Rica’s country sides, houses and green mountains. The town of Playa Tamarindo (which means Tamarindo Beach) is partly popular because of its closeness to the airport, but also because of its large and consistent surf swells that roll in throughout the year. There is, however, a semi dangerous reason for why the surf swell there is as good as it is.
An estuary that runs deep through one of Guanacaste’s many jungles feeds directly into the Pacific Ocean on Tamarindo Beach. Because of this, Tamarindo offers both a solid beach break and river break, as the waves steadily rise along the sand and break around the estuary. This creates some pretty stellar waves, and also some pretty strong undertow. The undertow, however, isn’t the only threat in these waters. Because the waves break on an estuary in Costa Rica, crocodiles inhabit the water. Now, this doesn’t mean that the waves are infested with crocodiles, but it does mean that sometimes crocodiles will find their way out into the ocean. This is not a common occurrence, but it has happened.
The strange thing is that, despite this knowledge of the estuary’s prehistoric inhabitants, the waves are always jammed from sunrise until sunset with beginner to advanced surfers. There are two reasons for this: the beach pulls in some really big swells and occasional pipelines for advanced surfers, and smaller waves that break on the sand provide an ideal spot for beginners because there is less risk of injury if you wipe out on the sandy bottom as opposed to reefs or rocks. This, then, makes the beach forever crowded with people, but also almost makes you forget that there are potentially crocodiles in the water. Every time I went out to surf, I didn’t think about the potential crocodile cruisers once; I just saw everyone else out there with their boards, floating over waves and trying to catch barrels.
So, in saying all of this, I would still say that the beach break in Playa Tamarindo is definitely well worth the journey, whether you are a beginner or an advanced surfer, as long as you are ok with having to wait to drop in on a busy day. The road in front of the beach is lined with surf shops that provide lessons and board rentals for cheap. I used Iguana Surf. It’s right across the road from the estuary break, their staff provide helpful tips and tricks, and, because their shop is so close to the water, you can rent one of their boards and switch it up for different boards throughout the day depending on what kind of waves are rolling through. And when you’re tired of surfing, Witches Rock Surf Camp has a solid patio on the beach where you can chat with some of the locals and fellow surf travellers, enjoy a beer and watch one of Costa Rica’s famous sunsets.
The great thing about Tamarindo, too, is that there are so many other great, and quieter, surf spots in the area, so if you decide you don’t want to surf with the crowds or around a crocodile-infested estuary, check out some of the other local breaks or book a tour group that will drive you to some of the other spots. Either way, once you ride a few of the waves in and around Tamarindo, you’ll see why everyone forgets about the crocodile threat, grabs their boards each morning and paddles out towards the horizon. It may be one of the most badass surf spots you’ll ever ride.
Local Surf Shops
Nearby Surf Breaks
Playa Grande
Playa Langosta
Playa Avellanas
Playa Negra
For more information on the surf breaks in the Tamarindo area, click here.