Hey everyone, thanks for taking the time to read this.
I am trying to set up my honeymoon. I am trying to figure out which one would suit us best. Travel time can be anytime of the year ( we don’t mind waiting to go for the right time to be there) By this time next year I will have been surfing for a year…( I live across the street from ocean now and surf every chance I get) in South Carolina. She does not surf but loves to soak in the sun. We are very laid back and not into the tourist thing although we would like to be able to go out a few nights for dinner/drinks. I have been trying to do as much research as I can but getting confused.
My intial thought was Golfito. This way with the rental of a 4x4 we could check out or stay in Zancudo…travel to Pavones and/or Osa Pennisula. Seems to be remote and laid back. Maybe even go on a charter fishing trip for a day.
Problem I am having is this:
Would Golfito fit what I am looking for? I do not want to end up at a break that is too much for me to handle, on the other hand I don’t want a lot of traffic in the water and sets that won’t excite me. If so what time of year should I go to make this a good choice?
Would Panama be a better choice? If so where and when?
Would Nicaragua be a better choice? If so where and when?
So far from what I have found is both Panama and Nicaragua seem to have surf that is only accessible by boat? Is this correct?
I have also heard that there is a really buggy time to avoid but when?
Would somewhere else in CR be better?
I have ordered the Surfers Guide to Costa Rica…now including Nicaragua but, I was hoping for a little help here.
I will be bringing my quad fish with me.
Oh yeah and how long of a drive from let’s say Hermosa to Osa or Golfito?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Would like to explain the options to her and get tickets, lodging, etc as far in advance as possible. THANKS AGAIN!!
I got married in costa, I think it sucks compared to Nica. Expecially the locals. San Juan Del Sur has fantastic food and you can go to a bunch of great waves in minutes. It is where we spent our honey moon and loved every second of it. you can also take a boat from the town to many surf spots. I recomend 100%. Its also offshore 335 days a year. just don’t go in dead winter bc the wind is to strong.
cool idea —my thoughts would be : panama—a bit third world i think, but carol holland at surf express has some idea that you might like for the area.
nicra—i’ve heard too many horror stories for my liking, i ain’t goin’ there.
CR-----my fav here is Norssa down on the nicoya penlinsula---- the website “surfing norssara” is pretty full of info. it’s off a lot of the beaten path…
Will look it up kinda nervous of things that I have heard. I am also wary that CR has gotten to crowded. So if I understand you right…there are places to walk down the beach and paddle out? I would give a boat a try for a day or two…but I would like to be able to surf and come and chill with my lady here and there…it is OUR honeymoon after all.
going from 1 year in South Carolina to some of those heavy waves in Nica is a pretty bad idea. from what I have seen there are softer easier waves in costa.
salty—my fav in norsarra is the harbor reef—nice rooms, good food and a short walk to beach, and theres lots of other places to dine----my friend really likes ‘casa romanicia’ and theres lots of others…the surf is not all that threatening either, just fun for several levels
Looked at a bunch of things in that area very reasonable. Would you recommend staying in a community/surf camp or would it be safe enough to rent a small house?
Thanks…that is why I am asking I do not want to get crushed. I would like to surf clean waves…with the possiblity of a few barrels…nothing more nothing less. I figured nothing bigger than 6-8 foot max. I could be wrong but you know more about CR than I. I will check out all responses tommorow…have to get up before the sun. Thanks again
Nica is not all bombing surf most of the waves are really clean and playfull. You can take a bus from the local surf shop to maderas(a great wave). its abou a 15 minute ride. ALso the harbor breaks if there is a really big swell and that is on your door step. It is really safe in town I would rent a house and get a car or rent a driver for a few days. The food in town is mostly expats and it is so good. Costa is crap and over crowded and full of people who would love to rip you off instead of getting to know you. go to Nica save a bunch of money. If you arent into nica after a day pay 20 dollars and take a cab to the border then go to wiches on your way to playa grande.
I haven’t been to Nicaragua but I’ve been to both Panama and Costa Rica. I’d highly recommend Bocas Del Toro, Panama as a honeymoon destination but the surf, when it’s happening, is pretty challenging reef surf. Incredible spot though (Not the town itself but some of the more remote island spots.)
Costa Rica is still a nice country to travel in and, as far as surf, has a lot of variety and places you can just walk down the beach and jump in.
Hey everyone, thanks for taking the time to read this.
I am trying to set up my honeymoon. I am trying to figure out which one would suit us best. Travel time can be anytime of the year ( we don’t mind waiting to go for the right time to be there) By this time next year I will have been surfing for a year…( I live across the street from ocean now and surf every chance I get) in South Carolina. She does not surf but loves to soak in the sun. We are very laid back and not into the tourist thing although we would like to be able to go out a few nights for dinner/drinks. I have been trying to do as much research as I can but getting confused.
My intial thought was Golfito. This way with the rental of a 4x4 we could check out or stay in Zancudo…travel to Pavones and/or Osa Pennisula. Seems to be remote and laid back. Maybe even go on a charter fishing trip for a day.
Problem I am having is this:
Would Golfito fit what I am looking for? I do not want to end up at a break that is too much for me to handle, on the other hand I don’t want a lot of traffic in the water and sets that won’t excite me. If so what time of year should I go to make this a good choice?
Would Panama be a better choice? If so where and when?
Would Nicaragua be a better choice? If so where and when?
So far from what I have found is both Panama and Nicaragua seem to have surf that is only accessible by boat? Is this correct?
I have also heard that there is a really buggy time to avoid but when?
Would somewhere else in CR be better?
I have ordered the Surfers Guide to Costa Rica…now including Nicaragua but, I was hoping for a little help here.
I will be bringing my quad fish with me.
Oh yeah and how long of a drive from let’s say Hermosa to Osa or Golfito?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Would like to explain the options to her and get tickets, lodging, etc as far in advance as possible. THANKS AGAIN!!
Ha Ha…honeymoon in a third world country to surf. Your a brave man. I got married in Hawaii. Best of both worlds. Plenty of surf, plenty of four star hotels, plenty of stuff for girls that don’t surf. If you have to go to central America with a girl…choose Costa Rica. I wouldn’t choose any of those for a honeymoon. British Virgin islands or Hawaii sounds better.
I took my wife to France for our honeymoon… A couple days in Paris, then about a week in Biarritz, then back to Paris for a few more days. She was happy. I was stoked. I got lucky and got a three day swell where it was solid 8 ft.
And let me also say, that the women there don’t have tanlines!
If you go to Nicaragua, do yourselves a favour and get into the Flor de Cana…
Nicaraguan rum, as good as it gets.
Worth taking a trip there just for that
The waves are harder to find, but that just makes it better.
Well worth checking out, don’t believe the scary stories, its great.
When I went through (road trip from California to Costa Rica) all the americans I spoke to told me they would never hear from me again… Except the ones who had actually been there, they all told me I had to go!
oh, and i’m so jealous of people who have a lady that surfs… no such thing in this country
a wise friend of mine gave me this piece of wisdom “never date a girl who doesn’t have a brother or father who are avid surfers or isn’t a surfer her self”
Never been to Panama. Been to Costa several times and Nicaragua once. I vote Nicaragua. empty waves that are accesible by both car or boat. Offshore 99% of the time I was there which was November of 2006 I believe. I stayed at surfaricharters.
Great hosts and excellent surf guides. Brought us to some epic spots with zero people out. The fishing was unreal as well.
Just curious why are some of you guys wary of Nicaragua (vs. CR or Panama)? Is the crime rate really high there? Was that the country that Eric Volz ran into trouble?
It just seem that CR is so crowded now; and, never mind the stories of alligators and crocs in the line-up as well as raw sewerage being dumped into the ocean…
I felt completely safe in Nica, but did not travel outside the surfcamp area other than to surf. I found the water to be cleaner than Costa as well, at least cleaner than Tamarindo. Mal Pais in Costa Rica was another beautiful place and is great for a romantic getaway with decent surf. Still, the surf in Nica was better and way less crowded. The swell angle was not optimal when I went, and we still had solid 2-3 overhead surf with glass conditions. Some spots were pretty hairy on the takeoff, but we managed to find a few boat access spots that broke like Trestles (when Trestles goes off). I’ll never forget that wave…