Most surf towns in Guanacaste are built around a wave that demands something from you. Samara is built around a bay that does not. It is the one stretch of this coast where a first timer and a longboarder can paddle out side by side and both come in smiling.
Why Playa Samara?
Samara sits inside a horseshoe shaped bay, with an island and a reef at the mouth of it breaking up most of the open ocean swell before it reaches the beach. That geography is the whole story here: it is the reason this town became one of the most trusted places in Costa Rica to actually learn to surf, rather than just watch someone else do it.
→ The bay faces south and southwest, so it catches swell for most of the year, with size building through the wet season from roughly May to November.
↪ Because the bay filters that swell down to something gentle, Samara stays rideable and forgiving even when towns up and down the coast are closing out or going flat.
Getting There and Getting Around
- Fly into Liberia International Airport (LIR), about 105 km (65 miles) north of Samara.
- → A pre-booked shared shuttle runs about 2 hours direct to your hotel for around $86 USD, while a private taxi takes closer to 1 hour 45 minutes for about $130 USD.
- ↪ The budget route is a public bus through Nicoya, roughly 4 hours including the connection and around $4 USD, though it does not stop directly at the terminal, so plan on a short walk or local taxi at the end.
- Samara's town center is small and walkable, with surf shops, sodas and rental counters within a few blocks of the beach. A rental car or ATV is worth it for day trips to nearby beaches like Carrillo.
When to Surf
Season: The dry season, late November through April, brings the clearest water and the calmest, most consistent bay conditions, which is exactly why surf schools run back to back lessons through the busy December to March stretch. The wet season, roughly May through November, pushes bigger south and southwest swell into the bay, with September and October being the wettest and least predictable months. January through March also tend to be the windiest months, which can bump up a stand up paddle session but makes for cleaner mornings before the breeze fills in.
Who it suits: This is a beginner and intermediate bay first, with sandy, forgiving beach break peaks that longboarders lean on heavily. It is not where you go looking for a serious, powerful wave.
Safety notes: Stay inside the protected cove. Beaches outside it can carry real currents that the bay itself does not have. Do not swim or surf in the small rivers around town, since crocodiles are present in some of them. Standard beach town precautions apply too: do not leave valuables in a parked car or unattended on the sand, and avoid walking the unlit roads out of town alone at night. The emergency number is 911, and English speaking officers are usually available.
Surf Breaks
- Playa Samara main beach: A sandy bottom beach break with both right and left peaks, working best on a rising or high tide.
Wave: Ordinary power, normal length rides, generally soft and sloppy in the gentlest sense of the word.
Level: Beginner to intermediate, longboard friendly. - Camaronal: A nearby beach reached by boat trip from Samara, holding more size and punch than the bay itself.
Wave: More powerful than Samara's main peak, better suited to a bigger swell day.
Level: Intermediate to advanced.
Where to Stay
→ All three of these sit within a short walk or drive of the main beach and town center.
Budget ($)
Woodstock Hostel, Samara
A straightforward backpacker hostel in the heart of town. Rooms from approx. $25/night for two, per Booking.com, seen November 2026.
Mid-Range ($$)
Locanda Samara Beach Hotel
A beachfront hotel in the middle of town, close enough to walk to the main peak in under five minutes. Starting at approx. $71/night, per EnterCostaRica.com, seen November 2026.
Beachfront/Luxury ($$$)
Villas Playa Samara Beach Front Resort
A full beachfront resort with villa style rooms directly on the sand. Deluxe rooms from approx. $173/night, per Momondo, seen November 2026.
Food and Drink
→ Soda Colochos, in downtown Samara about 150 meters south of the ICE office, is a small family run seafood spot known for its ceviche. The Machubela platter, a shareable mix of lobster, fish, shrimp, squid, octopus and mussels for two, runs about 10,000 colones, roughly $20 USD, per Voz de Guanacaste, seen November 2026.
↪ Soda La Perla is a classic, no frills soda known for its casado vegetariano, cash only. A current per plate price could not be confirmed, so budget for ordinary soda pricing in this part of Guanacaste rather than a fixed figure.
Photographing Playa Samara (Surf Snaps)
Between the surf lessons lined up on the sand every morning and the longboarders trading waves in that gentle bay, Samara is one of the easier places on this coast to build a steady photo business. If you are shooting sessions here, upload your shots to Surf Snaps, where there is no subscription, no listing fee and no storage bill, just a 10% revenue share paid monthly whenever a photo sells, and you keep copyright the whole time. Surfers and their families can search Surf Snaps by sport, place and date, with photos starting at $8 and no account needed just to browse.
FAQ: Surfing Playa Samara
Is Playa Samara good for beginner surfers?
Yes. The bay is protected by a reef and an island at its mouth, which breaks up most incoming swell, leaving soft, forgiving beach break peaks that surf schools in town rely on for lessons year round.
When is the best time to surf Samara?
The dry season from late November through April brings the calmest, clearest conditions and is the most popular window. The wet season from May through November brings bigger south and southwest swell, though with more rain, especially in September and October.
How do I get from Liberia airport to Samara?
It is about 105 km. A shared shuttle takes roughly 2 hours for about $86 USD direct to your hotel, a private taxi is faster at about 1 hour 45 minutes for around $130 USD, and a public bus through Nicoya takes about 4 hours for roughly $4 USD.
Are there hazards to know about at Samara?
Stay inside the protected cove, since beaches outside it can have real currents. Avoid swimming in the small rivers near town because crocodiles are present in some of them, and take the usual precautions against petty theft.
Where can I find photos from my Samara surf session?
Search Surf Snaps by sport, place and date on the explore page to find galleries from sessions at Samara's main beach and nearby breaks.
