SE Surf

Playa Matapalo

Guanacaste · Costa Rica

IntermediateBeach break10.531, -85.754

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Playa Matapalo is a NW-facing sand beach on the Costa Rica shoreline, opening onto the Gulf of Tribugá — it catches W–N swell, and offshore E–S winds tidy the banks through year-round.

10-day forecast

Local time · updates hourly

Wave height & period

HeightPeriod

Wind

SpeedGusts
TimeRatingWavesSwellWindAir

Water temperature by month

This month: ~28.9°C (84°F) on average

Jan

27.2°C

81°F · 24.9–29.1°C

Feb

27.1°C

80.8°F · 25.7–29.1°C

Mar

27.5°C

81.5°F · 25.2–29.1°C

Apr

28.5°C

83.3°F · 27–29.4°C

May

29.1°C

84.4°F · 27.4–30.4°C

Jun

29°C

84.2°F · 27.8–30.1°C

Jul

28.8°C

83.8°F · 27.7–30.4°C

Aug

29°C

84.2°F · 28.1–29.8°C

Sep

28.9°C

84°F · 27.8–30.5°C

Oct

28.3°C

82.9°F · 26.3–30.4°C

Nov

27.8°C

82°F · 26.3–29.2°C

Dec

27.6°C

81.7°F · 26.1–29.2°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

W–N

Best wind

E–S

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.

Nearby spots

More beaches in Guanacaste →see all spots in Guanacaste, Costa Rica

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