Surf: Dominical is a laid-back surf city, less developed than Jaco and Tamarindo, with a highly consistent, strong barrelling beachbreak at Playa Dominical. It can hold serious size without closing-out, gets bigger near Rio Baru rivermouth, but broken boards and drownings are frequent here. Best on the push to higher tides, it rarely ever goes flat. Any W in the swell will help. Environment: Other semi-secret reefbreaks and rivermouths lie in the area. All surf supplies and accommodations, similar to Playa Hermosa, but with more exuberant/tropical landscape and killer back-drop of the rain forest. Surf: General: The mile-long stretch of sand that fronts the town of Dominical offers up some fine beachbreak -- maybe not as hollow and perfect as Playa Hermosa, but on a high tide with a head-high-plus S swell running, there's more than enough to satisfy the most rabid wave-seeker. The only problem is that the sand tends to be quite flat, which can turn the best swell into a series of frustrating closeouts. Fortunately, there is a river at the north end of town that breaks up the sandbars a bit -- especially following rains -- and, naturally, the best peaks can be found around there. The rips that form along this stretch can be serious. But if you're a good paddler, you can hang at the edges and pick up the little corner peaks that shape off the rip.

At the south end of the Dominical Bay there's a decent left pointbreak that gets good when the beachbreak is too big to surf; just north is a series of really similar beachbreaks, and farther north in Manuel Antonio State Park and around Quepos, there are a few quirky reefbreaks as well as beachbreaks, though they're not as consistent or as easy to find as Dominical. Tides: High. Low tide's hollower, but closes out more. Size: Head-high to double overhead Wind: East Swell: South, South-West Bottom: Sand Paddling: When it's firing, you can get throttled especially around low tide. Spot Rating: This is a go to beachbreak in the area. Access: Right in front of the town, south of the river. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Yes, but it's pretty spread out. Local Vibe: There are local Ticos and expats who commandeer the best peak, but with some humility and respect, you'll get waves. Environment: Water surprisingly clean being near such a populated area. Hazards: Stingrays. Season: Rainy season May-Oct