Malpais Costa Rica Surfing Guides

Driving again, it was difficult to avoid the large holes because the road was quickly turning into a river.  Lightning struck a little too close, which rattled the windows and made us film our last will and testament.  

Out of the rainstorm we took an interesting 30 km route to Cobano.  The one lane track was virtually impassable.  Delilah climbed high into the mountains and her engine screamed for breath.  Down in the flats, the road stopped at a 30 foot wide river and appeared on the other side.  I charged the river and luckily we made it to Mal Pais in one piece.

We arrived in the Mal Pais area just as a large and long anticipated south swell poured on to the beaches.  The town of Mal Pais is on the left and Santa Teresa is not far down the road on the right.  We stayed somewhere in between the sister towns at Tranquilo backpackers haven just behind Playa del Carmen.  

Tranquilo hostel is packed with travelers from all over the world.  People relax in hammocks, play pool, and watch movies during the day and get rowdy with rum concoctions and drinking games at night.  If you are looking to meet a lot of different foreigners, I would recommend checking out this popular hang-out. When the lights turned off for the evening we moved the party to the sea.  Fireside, the guitarists serenaded us under a backdrop of fireflies and starry skies.  

The surf spot was right on our front door step.  The other popular break is a 20 minute walk towards Santa Teresa.  The place lacks a channel to paddle out so duck diving skills are a must when the waves get big.  I mostly got worked but caught some of the heaviest lefts of my life.  Consistent, rideable waves are the norm there.  A post session beach futbol game with some Costa Rican kids was the cherry on top of a truly Pura Vida visit.