Surfing Playa Dominical
Playa Dominical is a growing tourist destination thanks to its world famous beach and well-paved roadways that provide easy access from San Jose. Playa Dominical has one of the most consistently strong and fast waves in all of Costa Rica, with wave heights that rarely drop below waist high and strongly positioned sandbars that make for challenging lefts and rights as well as strong barrels. The beach itself spans roughly 1.5 kilometers with multiple beach breaks that produce strong waves. This means that surfers at Playa Dominical will rarely have to compete for waves and that the beach is hardly ever crowded.

Surfers of all skill levels will find much to enjoy about Playa Dominical, as a number of beach schools can be found along the shoreline. Amateurs should be warned, however, that the waves at Playa Dominical can get pretty intense, so staying close to shore is recommended. Thankfully, Playa Dominical is also one of few beaches to feature lifeguards on duty, as the donation-based Dominical Lifeguards patrol the beaches. All tides are rideable at the beach, but surfers will find the hollow breaks that come about as mid tide rolls into low tide to be irresistible.
Dominical is a small beach town 15 to 20 minutes from Platanillo, where the Talamancan mountains reach the sea. The main break is a beachbreak with a strong rip current at times and a rivermouth separating the village from the Hacienda Baru Wildlife Refuge which expands 4 kilometers to the north.

Known for its surfing, Dominical has the most consistent waves in Costa Rica, with heights rarely dropping below waist-level. There are a number of quality lefts, rights, and barrels, making this the focal point for surfers in the area. This area has a stretch of seemingly countless beaches, each one ready for a traveler to explore!

Surfers visiting the Costa Rica tend to congregate on the west coast, where the more lively waters of the Pacific provide travelers with plenty of opportunities to carve world class waves. Yet there is no rule that says that a top quality surf spot cannot also be scenic and beautiful, and surfers exploring the Pacific coast of Costa Rica can experience this phenomenon at Playa Dominical and Matapalo