Surf spot

San Rafael

Forecast conditions and map view for San Rafael in Dominican Republic. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: Dominican Republic
Coordinates: 18.0298, -71.1372

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)	1.1	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.3	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.4	1.4	1.4	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.2	1.1	1.1	1	1	1	1.1	1.2	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	1	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	1	1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.7	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	1	1
Wave direction	SE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	SE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	SE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE
Wave period (s)	4.9	4.9	4.9	5.2	5	5	5.2	5.3	5.4	5.3	5.4	5.5	5.5	5.3	5.3	5.2	5.3	5.2	5.1	5.1	5	5.1	4.9	5	4.9	4.7	4.8	4.8	4.7	4.7	4.4	4.5	4.7	4.8	4.7	5	4.6	4.6	4.7	4.7	4.5	4.7	4.7	4.7	4.7	4.7	4.9	4.2	4.3	4.6	4.7	4.8	4.8	5	5.2	5.3
Wave energy (kJ)	62	67	67	74	84	91	91	93	99	108	105	104	110	110	102	104	99	91	75	65	57	54	52	49	54	59	45	38	35	32	37	31	28	29	31	26	33	33	33	31	38	46	45	42	38	33	25	28	31	37	39	42	40	45	52	61
Wind speed (km/h)	12.6	10.9	12.7	16.3	15.9	10.8	10.8	14.1	20.9	15.6	11.7	15.6	17.2	10.1	10.9	13.9	16.1	14.7	11.1	13	14.1	12.6	10.5	9.4	13.2	12.2	10.5	9	5.7	16	12.6	12.9	13.6	10.5	12.4	14.2	12.6	8.9	11.2	14.8	12.9	11.1	8.8	14.4	13.1	11	10	12.6	14	14.8	15.2	17.7	14.6	11.4	10.2	11.9
Wind direction	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	EOnshore	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	NECross-on	NECross-on	ENEOnshore	EOnshore	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	EOnshore	ESEOnshore	EOnshore	NECross-on	NNECross-on	NNECross-on	NCross	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	EOnshore	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	NECross-on	NNECross-on	NNECross-on	ENEOnshore	ENECross-on	NNECross-on	NECross-on	NECross-on	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	NECross-on	ENECross-on	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	NECross-on	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENECross-on	ENEOnshore	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENECross-on	NECross-on

San Rafael is a scenic surf spot on the southwest coast of the Dominican Republic, near the town of Barahona. It’s known more as a beautiful, punchy beach break and river-mouth area than a world-famous surf destination, but it can offer fun waves when conditions line up.

What it’s like

Wave type: Mostly a beach break, with some shifting peaks depending on sand and river conditions.
Wave quality: Can be fun and playful, but often less consistent than the better-known breaks in the DR.
Best for: Beginners to intermediate surfers on smaller days, though stronger swells can make it more challenging.
Crowd factor: Usually lightly crowded compared with more established surf towns.

Conditions

Swell exposure: San Rafael tends to work best when a south or southwest swell wraps into the coast.
Wind: Offshore or light morning winds are ideal; afternoon onshore winds can spoil conditions quickly.
Tide: Tidal influence can matter a lot because of the beach/river-mouth setup, so some tides may work better than others.

Setting

One of the biggest draws is the setting: turquoise water, dramatic mountains, and the famous San Rafael waterfall and beach area nearby. It’s a very picturesque place to surf, even if the wave itself is not always the most consistent.

Things to keep in mind

Conditions can change quickly due to sand movement and river flow.
After heavy rain, water quality and currents may be affected.
It’s a good idea to check locally for the best tide and swell window.