Key Costa Rica National Surfing competition to be at Playa Guiones in June
The second-to-last competition of the 2015 Costa Rica pro surfing season is coming to Playa Guiones at Nosara in June. Presented by Adrenaline Rush, the sixth tournament of the Costa Rica National Surfing Circuit kölbi 2015 –the Beach Club Tournament – will be held June 13-14 at Playa Guiones. The competition is an important one before the Costa Rica National Surfing Championship finals on July 17-19, 2015 at Playa Hermosa by Jacó.
Long-favored as a site for Costa Rica surfing competitions, the white sandy beach of Playa Guiones on the north Pacific Coast of the Nicoya Peninsula in Guanacaste, is known as one of the best surfing beaches in Costa Rica. The annual Triple Crown Surf Tournament also is held here every February, March and April by the Nosara Surf Association.
Playa Guiones is said to have the most consistent surf on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast. Positioned close to the continental shelf, the sandy-bottom beach picks up both North and South facing swells for great waves more than 300 days a year.
“Quality and consistency makes this beach THE spot for surfing in Costa Rica,” reports the informational website Nosara.com. “Great beach break conditions, with multiple peaks both left and right. The place has become popular among traveling ‘Longboarders’. Great surf can occur at any time during the year; however November through May will offer you the best chance of finding excellent conditions. As in California, the best time for surfing is early morning.”
“Offshore winds blow most every morning during dry season, from mid-November until the end of April, making for great surf conditions. In the rainy season, the waves are often bigger, but expect less consistent wind and slightly choppier and disorganized conditions,” according to VisitNosara.com.
The beautiful crescent-shape white sand beach stretches approximately 4 miles (7 km), lined with low vegetation and a few palm frond huts built here and there to provide shade. Playa Guiones, along with nearby Playa Nosara, Playa Pelada, Playa Garza and Playa Ostional all recently received the Costa Rica Ecological Blue Flag Award by the Costa Rican Tourism Board for continuing to be some of Costa Rica’s cleanest beaches. Arecord 108 Costa Rica beaches received Ecological Blue Flag Awards for 2014, presented at a ceremony in March 2015. The Nosara, Costa Rica area was named one of the 11 Places to Go Worldwide in 2014 by CNN.
Where to stay in Playa Guiones, Nosara, Costa Rica:
Whether you are coming for the Costa Rica National Surfing Circuit competition in June, to surf Playa Guiones, or simply enjoy the beauty of Nosara, Costa Rica, your place to stay is L'acqua Viva Resort & Spa. The Bali-style Costa Rica luxury hotel is located between the beautiful beach of Guiones and forested foothills, full of wildlife like frequently visiting howler monkeys. L'acqua Viva Resort & Spa is an Enchanting Costa Rica Hotel.
How to get to Nosara, Costa Rica:
- 55-minute flight to Nosara from San Jose; 10-minute drive to Playa Guiones.
- 2.5-hour drive from the Liberia International Airport.
- 5-hour drive from San Jose’s Juan Santamaria International Airport
Article by Shannon Farley