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South Africa has J-Bay, Indonesia has G-Land, Australia has Kirra, Europe has Mundaka, California has Rincon, and Costa Rica -- God bless its Tico heart -- has Pavones. It's been called the longest left pointbreak in the world, and though Chicama in Peru probably holds that distinction, a good wave at Pavones works your legs more than an hour on any bloody Stairmaster ever would. Rides of three minutes are possible on a solid south swell -- and that's three minutes of full-on, down-the-line, zero-cutback surfing. It's the kind of wave that -- especially if you're used to surfing beachbreaks -- will expand your whole scope of riding waves. Your bottom turns are extended 30 yards, and top turns can last longer than some TV commercials.
The top of the point is west of the rivermouth and acts as the main takeoff zone; as such, it's always crowded and super competitive. If you're lucky enough to get a wave from here, you get three or four semi-bowly sections where you can do a few carves; as you approach the rivermouth the wave speeds up and (depending on the tide) can get super hollow, so you need to start tucking and pumping and going as fast as your little board'll carry you; after you pass the rivermouth it slows down again for a bit before tapering perfectly into the bay past the Cantina, where beer-drinkers can heckle you as your legs give out, almost a mile later. Then you step out onto the sand and slog back up the point for more punishment.
So why does Pavones suck? Well, for one, it's fickle as all hell. You could sweat out a month in the middle of primo south swell season and not see a head-high wave, as it's tucked pretty far in the Golfo Dulce. And you will be sweating -- it's fricken hot, and humid and sticky and can rain anytime and most probably will. It's also really hard to get to -- about an eight-hour bus ride from San Jose puts you in the hellhole of Golfito, where you can catch a 4WD taxi for another two hours down some of the silliest "roads" in Costa Rica, which will put you at the Cantina, where you should probably get a beer, 'cause you're hot, tired, and, oh yeah, those are bloodthirsty mosquitoes draining your delicious, exotic gringo blood. And there's 20 Brazilians camped at the point, a couple dozen Norte Americanos crammed into the cabinas, a couple dozen more wizened expats frowning at you from behind their beers -- and none of 'em have seen a head-high wave for a month. Welcome to Pavones.
But: If you time it right, and can deal with all the hassles of getting and staying there...ah, hell. Probably not worth the trouble. (Yeah, right.)
NEARBY SPOTS
There are a couple quirky reefbreaks a few miles south that pick up a bit more swell, and across the bay, Matapalo has a series of fickle (and localized) pointbreaks.
-- Marcus Sanders
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When it's smaller, it needs a higher tide to link up; once it's a few feet overhead, low tide is better and hollower.
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Head-high to double overhead
N-NE
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Sand and rock
Beginner to advanced
6'3" pintail and mini-gun
Summer
Right there behind the soccer field
Ridiculous, but when it's really cooking you can take off anywhere along the line.
Pavones has a weird history -- a gringo was murdered there over land-dispute issues a few years back. Whatever the case, the expats and Ticos have it wired and aren't afraid to remind you of that fact.
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This is not a gastronome's paradise. For decent, cheap grub, you really can't beat the Esquina del Mar cantina right on the point -- make sure to check out the sporadic (but delicious) sunset ceviche. There's a little mini-mercado just east, if you're going really low budget.
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This isn't Tamarindo, by any stretch of the imagination. There aren't that many places to stay, and the ones you want (i.e., closest to the surf) tend to be kinda hot and dingy, though they are cheap. The Esquina del Mar ($10-$20/night) has some rooms above the cantina that are perfectly located, if a little loud. Cabinas Muchos Olas ($15-$25/night) is right by the soccer field and has decent rooms. A little more upscale, the Cabinas La Ponderosa ($20-$50/night;
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Eating a Dos Pinos ice cream bar in the shade of the mini-mercado can liven up the slowest sweltering afternoon. If it's really flat, you can hike around south of the point and look for crazy wildlife, of which there's plenty. You could also ask around at the little boat place at the foot of the point to go fishing or just a cruise around the bay. Pavones is a really good place to catch up on your reading.
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Sea Kings is a small surf shop found right near the beach that is ready to meet your surfing needs. A few local guys might do ding repair (depending on resin availability, of course), and you could probably buy a used board off a broke and/or departing traveler.
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