Junquillal (pronounced HOON-KEY-AL) is a quiet little town south of Tamarindo, north of Nosara, and west of Paraiso.

Luckily, most tourists don’t know a surf board from a water ski so you won’t have much company as you ride the excellent waves on the beautiful Junquillal beach.

The waves of Junquillal are just a 10 minute walk down the beach from Hotel Iguanazul. If you’ve elected to travel light, you can rent boards for $15 a day or $80 a week if you want to stay that long. Boards are 5.5 to 9.5 feet long; there are boogie boards and skim boards available for $10 a day.

If you’re a beginner or have brought a newbie with you, there are 2 hour surfing lessons for $60 per person. Be aware, however, that Junquillal is not a place for beginners and they will probably spend more time wiping out than riding.

Junquillal has a bottom of sand and flat rocks so you won’t cut your feet, good news for those who’ve experienced the unpleasant surprise of sharp objects when heading to shore in the shallows. However, there are strong swells and rip-tides and it’s not unusual for a barney to be rag dolled once they wipe out.

You’ll like the right and left waves here that are easy to mount with fast, powerful, hollow waves that are ideal gas chambers. Most are around 150-400 feel long but on a really good day you’ll get to ride as far as a quarter mile. The waves are good no matter what the tides are and you’ll get as many as 200 waves a day.

Plus, these beach break waves extend your time on the deck. Winds are usually from the northwest with the swells moving southwest. Swells start at a bit less than 3 feet and generally hold up at ten feet.

You can have a lot of fun here, especially during high tides when there are a lot of peaks that quickly jack up from the sand bar for an exciting, fast drop in. You won’t have to contend with swimmers since the strong swells drive them to the tidal pools to snorkel or shell.

If you’re traveling with hodads or kooks they’ll have a great time in the pools or walking along the uncrowded beach–luckily, Junquillal hasn’t caught the attention of most tourists yet!

Other attractions are the nearby estuary and the dry forests around the beach. You can ride horses, hike, bike, camp, or deep sea fish when you’re worn out from the waves.

Paraiso lies east and inland and offers several attractions such as the Lankester Botanical Gardens and Finca la Flor de Paraiso, a non-profit organic farm that supplies the farmer’s market in the heart of the town.

Paraiso is the first city in Costa Rica to officially declare itself GMO (genetically modified organism) free, making its produce and other local food products some of the healthiest and tastiest in the world.

There is also the Paraiso Shopping Center with a movie theater, pharmacy, grocery stores and some fast food places for junkies who have to have their burgers and fries.

All in all, Junquillal has something for everyone but especially for surfers. Enjoy Junquillal before everyone else finds out about it!

Written by Scott Oliver, author of 1: How To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisa, 2: Costa Rica’s Guide To Making Money Offshore and 3. ¿Cómo Comprar Bienes Raices en Costa Rica, Sin Perder Su Camisa?

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.