Backyards Surf Spot Guide
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Unique Apartments with pool, yoga deck and coworking space with high speed internet in Playa Hermosa
Backyards is a well-known surf spot located in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica, famous for its consistent and heavy waves, making it popular among intermediate to advanced surfers. Playa Hermosa itself is a hotspot for surfing contests and has produced many talented local surfers.
Surfing Conditions at Backyards
The waves break close to the shore over a sandy bottom.
A variety of sandbars along the beach offer different wave shapes and challenges depending on tides, winds, and swell activity. Tubes to the left and the right are common. The sand banks create the best waves during mid upcoming tide. Backyards needs swell from the Northwest or Southwest.
The name "Backyards" originates from the now-defunct Backyards Bar, which used to be a local landmark near the surf break. This spot has a rich history in the Costa Rican surf community and continues to be a favorite for those seeking quality waves close to San Jose.
Weekly Saturday Surf Series Contest
Backyards has hosted significant events, underscoring its importance in the Costa Rican surfing scene. The area remains a vibrant hub of local surf culture, continually celebrating the surf lifestyle through events like the popular weekly Saturday Surf Series. This high-stakes contest, offering prize money, takes place every Saturday at 4:30pm and consistently attracts both professional surfers and talented up-and-coming riders. As a result, the level of competition is impressively high, making it a must-see event for anyone in the area.
Whether the waves are pumping or the conditions are challenging, the contest always delivers an exciting showcase of skill and creativity, especially for those who have just surfed the same breaks earlier in the day. Watching how the pros handle the waves can be both inspiring and entertaining. After the contest, many spectators choose to linger on the beach, soaking in the vibrant atmosphere and enjoying a stunning sunset, which perfectly caps off a day immersed in surf culture and community. This blend of competition, camaraderie, and natural beauty truly embodies the spirit of the local surf scene.
Photos of Backyards
A surfer rides deep inside a perfect barrel at Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica, showcasing the world-class waves that make this beach a surfer’s paradise.
Arturo Quiros surfing at Backyards, Playa Hermosa.
The dark beach at Backyards, Playa Hermosa, in the rainy season.
Surfing at Backyards, Costa Rica.
This beach is not recommended for swimming due to huge waves and strong currents.
Surfing a left at Backyards.
Backyards is a well known surf spot in Costa Rica.
Mikela Castro, a member of the Costa Rican National Surf Team, rides the waves at her home break, Playa Hermosa.
Riding the lip of Costa Rica waves, pure surfer’s paradise.
Gilbert Brown getting covered in the tube, August 27th 2025.
Big waves and not many people in the water, August 27th 2025.
Carlos Muñoz and Gilbert Brown paddling for the next wave in Playa Hermosa.
Huck and Hack Pro 2016, Surfing Backyards, Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica
Backyards on the map