Playa Matapalo
Puntarenas · Costa Rica
Rating right now
Playa Matapalo is a S-facing sand beach on the Costa Rica shoreline, opening onto the Gulf of Tribugá — it catches SE–SW swell, and offshore NW–NE winds tidy the banks through year-round.
10-day forecast
Local time · updates hourly
Wave height & period
Wind
| Time | Rating | Waves | Swell | Wind | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Water temperature by month
This month: ~28.9°C (84°F) on average
Jan
28.8°C
83.8°F · 26.9–29.8°C
Feb
29°C
84.2°F · 27.4–30°C
Mar
29.4°C
84.9°F · 27.9–30.3°C
Apr
29.4°C
84.9°F · 28.5–30.6°C
May
29.4°C
84.9°F · 28.1–30.8°C
Jun
29.1°C
84.4°F · 27.4–30.2°C
Jul
28.9°C
84°F · 27.1–30.4°C
Aug
29.1°C
84.4°F · 28–30.4°C
Sep
28.9°C
84°F · 26.9–30.1°C
Oct
28.2°C
82.8°F · 26.4–30.2°C
Nov
28°C
82.4°F · 26.6–29.6°C
Dec
28.5°C
83.3°F · 27–29.8°C
25-year monthly averages from the NOAA OISST satellite record — typical range min–max, not a live reading.
Know before you go
Best swell
SE–SW
Best wind
NW–NE
Break type
Beach break
Best season
Year-round
Safety: Friendly by surf standards, but rip currents and drop-in etiquette still apply. Shifting sandbars create moving rip currents — learn to spot them and use them to get out back.
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