Windsurfing in Costa Rica

The Lake Arenal area of Costa Rica is a paradise for windsurfers. It is considered one of the top spots in the world for high-wind boardsailing. Warm water, predictably high winds, moderate temperatures and great accomodations all add up to possibly the greatest windsurfing conditions on the planet! The trade winds and pleasure combined together at Lake Arenal to make the Northern end of the lake in one of the world’s premier windsurfing spot. This point offers you the excellent sailing that will give you the sensation of freedom and 100 % enjoyment.

The best time for windsurfing is between December and March. The same winds that buffet Lake Arenal make their way down to Bahía Salinas (also known as Bolaños Bay), near La Cruz, Guanacaste, where you can get in some good windsurfing. However, just about anytime during the year, windsurfing is possible depending on wind intensity.

The Tradewinds blow across Costa Rica with incredible force and consistency during the dry months, creating windsurfing conditions in the northwest part of the country. The western end of Lake Arenal is one of the world's premier windsurfing spots, having been compared to Italy's Lake Garda and the Columbia River Gorge. During the dry season, the wind speed averages 33 miles an hour, a velocity than only experienced windsurfers can handle.

For those beginners considering taking windsurfing lessons, Lake Arenal is the ideal place for sending surfers sailing across the water with phenomenal speed. There are also some spots along the Pacific coast that have good conditions for practicing the sport. The best area for experienced surfers is Puerto Soley, near the border with Nicaragua, whereas the Golfo de Papagayo is a better area for less experienced surfers, since is features calm waters and less intense wind.

Basic equipment can be rented at some of the beach resorts in the Papagayo area, as well as along the Central Pacific Coast, where the dry season winds tend to be less intense.