Costa Rica

A rainforest river regularly rated one of the best whitewater trips on the planet, two accessible active volcanoes, and a left-hand surf break so long that riding it end to end has become its own bucket-list challenge.

2 Surfing lines

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Surfing · Puntarenas Province

Surfing, Pavones

EXPERTRisk: MODERATEFree

One of the longest left-hand waves on the planet — on a good swell, a single ride can run for over a kilometre and several minutes, drawing surfers who specifically travel here to test their stamina against the wave's sheer length rather than its size.

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Surfing · Puerto Viejo, Limón Province

Surfing, Salsa Brava

INSANERisk: EXTREMEFree

Costa Rica's heaviest, most dangerous wave — a powerful Caribbean reef break named for the violent "salsa" of whitewater it throws, breaking directly over shallow, sharp coral close enough to shore that mistakes are visible from the beach.

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