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)	1.2	1.2	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.4	1.5	1.6	1.7	1.8	1.8	1.9	1.9	1.9	1.9	1.9	1.8	1.8	1.8	1.7	1.7	1.6	1.5	1.5	1.4	1.4	1.4	1.4	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.1	1.1	1	1	1	1	1	0.9	0.8	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	1	1	1	1	1.1	1.1	1.1
Wave direction	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	NE	NE	NE	NE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	NE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE
Wave period (s)	6.1	6.2	6.3	6.4	6.5	6.7	6.5	6.7	7	7.1	7.2	7.3	7.2	7.1	7	7	7	7.1	7.1	7	7	6.8	6.6	6.6	6.7	6.7	6.7	6.7	6.5	6.5	6.3	6.2	6.2	6.2	6.2	6.1	6	6	6	5.8	5.8	5.8	5.8	5.8	6	5.9	5.9	5.8	5.8	5.7	5.9	6.2	6.3	6.3	6.3	6.2
Wave energy (kJ)	114	116	126	138	150	164	183	218	273	319	351	364	366	364	349	341	337	341	319	283	266	231	207	186	183	183	181	178	166	149	143	130	122	116	105	100	92	83	77	71	66	65	62	60	46	62	59	58	59	62	70	82	85	88	88	90
Wind speed (km/h)	4.6	5.5	4.8	6.8	9.7	9.3	4.2	4	4.3	4.8	3.9	4.7	4.2	4.8	5.3	4	5.1	3.6	1.9	2.8	6.5	6.8	6.6	5.6	5.1	3.3	2.5	3.7	6.9	7.6	4	4	3.7	4.7	4.6	7.2	8.6	7.9	6.2	4.7	4	3.1	3.2	4.1	7.2	7.6	1.8	4.8	3.3	1.6	3.1	4	7.9	7	2.2	2.3
Wind direction	WSWGlassy	WSWOnshore	WSWGlassy	NNWCross	NCross-off	NNWCross	WNWGlassy	WGlassy	WGlassy	WSWGlassy	SWGlassy	NGlassy	NNWGlassy	NWGlassy	WNWCross-on	WGlassy	WOnshore	NWGlassy	WSWGlassy	NWGlassy	NNWCross	NNWCross	NWCross-on	WNWCross-on	WOnshore	SWGlassy	WGlassy	NGlassy	NCross-off	NCross-off	WGlassy	WGlassy	WGlassy	WGlassy	WSWGlassy	NNWCross	NCross-off	NNWCross	WOnshore	WGlassy	WGlassy	SWGlassy	SGlassy	NEGlassy	NECross-off	NNECross-off	NGlassy	WNWGlassy	WSWGlassy	SSWGlassy	WSWGlassy	NGlassy	NNECross-off	NNECross-off	NGlassy	WSWGlassy

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.