By Trevor Brown

Playa Dominical has always been a popular beach for local and inland families that spend holidays and weekends on the coast. The town is clustered close to the sand with easy access to many restaurants, bars and artisanal shops, all within a close walk. Although the beach is beautiful and unique in its own way, the sport of surfing shaped the focus and vibe of the town. The famously consistent and heavy beach break has always attracted high-level surfers who not only visit but move and build a life here.

There are many examples of surf towns around the world that attribute their growth and popularity to surfing. Puerto Escondido, Mexico, Jeffery’s Bay, South Africa and a little closer to home, Tamarindo in Costa Rica. In the mid 90’s, Bruce Brown released the classic surf film Endless Summer ll. In the movie, surfers travel to Tamarindo and Witches Rock where they showcase perfect, tropical, empty waves. Although there were surfers pre-dating the movie here, the secret was out. As a result of this the surf frenzy in a seemingly new tropical paradise, the Tamarindo area experienced a lot of rapid growth and popularity.

Escaping the instant-fame of the “big screen”, Dominical has slowly gained popularity for its surfing. It’s one of Costa Rica’s best-kept secret! Now, the town thrives on surf tourism. National and regional surf contests occur annually in Dominical further showcasing the powerful waves and help in keeping our surf culture alive.

The Ballena Coast is rich with waves and has many other options to choose from. The dream of surfing all year long in tropical water is real.

Come unravel the best-kept secret!