Surf spot

Salsa Brava

Forecast conditions and map view for Salsa Brava in Costa Rica, Caribbean. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: Costa Rica, Caribbean
Coordinates: 9.6556, -82.7561

Metric
Metric	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00
Wave height (m)	1.4	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.4	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.4	1.4	1.4	1.4	1.5	1.6	1.6	1.7	1.7	1.8	1.8	1.8	1.8	1.8	1.7	1.6	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.4	1.4	1.4	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.1	1.1	1.1	1	1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	1	1
Wave direction	NE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	NE
Wave period (s)	7.8	7.6	7.2	6.8	6.8	6.7	6.3	6.3	6.2	6.1	6.1	6.2	6.4	6.2	6.3	6.4	6.5	6.7	6.8	7	6.9	6.9	6.9	7	7	7	7	6.9	6.8	6.8	6.5	6.6	6.6	6.7	6.7	6.7	6.6	6.4	6.3	6.3	6.3	6.2	6.2	6.2	6.2	6.2	6	6	5.9	5.8	5.8	6	6	6	5.8	5.8
Wave energy (kJ)	235	246	242	211	192	168	145	132	116	104	100	107	118	140	156	165	178	202	234	260	275	282	295	318	329	322	304	269	234	208	185	186	181	183	173	164	156	147	136	120	109	103	96	96	85	82	75	68	64	60	58	60	64	63	63	61
Wind speed (km/h)	5.8	5.2	4.1	2.6	2.5	4	3.2	5.1	3.8	4.5	4.2	7.1	10.2	9.3	5.4	4	4.1	2.9	1.8	4	7.2	4	1.9	2.5	3	4	2.4	4.2	4.3	2.5	4.2	4.2	3.9	4.2	3.7	4.4	6	4.5	1.9	4.6	2.9	3.9	4	3.6	3.3	5.2	1.1	4.8	2.5	3.3	2.9	2.1	1.3	2.1	1.9	3.3
Wind direction	WOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWGlassy	NWGlassy	NGlassy	NGlassy	NNWGlassy	WOnshore	WSWGlassy	WSWGlassy	WSWGlassy	NNWCross	NCross	NNWCross	NWCross-on	WGlassy	WSWGlassy	WGlassy	SWGlassy	NGlassy	NNECross-off	NGlassy	WNWGlassy	SGlassy	WSWGlassy	WGlassy	WSWGlassy	NNEGlassy	NEGlassy	NGlassy	WSWGlassy	WSWGlassy	WSWGlassy	WSWGlassy	WGlassy	NGlassy	NNECross-off	NNEGlassy	SSWGlassy	SWGlassy	WGlassy	WSWGlassy	WGlassy	NWGlassy	NNEGlassy	NNECross-off	NNWGlassy	SSWGlassy	SGlassy	SWGlassy	WSWGlassy	SSWGlassy	SWGlassy	WNWGlassy	WSWGlassy	SWGlassy

Salsa Brava is Costa Rica’s most famous and heaviest Caribbean surf break, located in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca on the country’s eastern coast. It’s a fast, powerful reef break known for producing some of the most intense barrels in Central America.

What it’s like

Wave type: Heavy reef break
Best for: Advanced to expert surfers
Main draw: Thick, hollow, powerful barrels
Takeoff: Very critical and shallow, with little room for error
Reef: Sharp, shallow coral reef

Conditions

Works best when a solid swell hits the Caribbean, especially with favorable offshore winds and clean conditions.
It can be world-class when everything lines up, but it’s not a forgiving wave.
Smaller days can still be fun, but when it’s big, Salsa Brava becomes extremely consequential.

Hazards

Shallow reef
Strong hold-downs on larger sets
Very unforgiving drops
Crowds and local respect are important, since it’s a legendary break with a strong surf culture

Atmosphere

The spot has a raw, tropical Caribbean vibe—lush coastline, warm water, and a laid-back beach town feel, with a serious surf reputation. It’s one of those waves that attracts experienced barrel hunters from around the world.