Ollie's Point (Potrero Grande)

At a glance

About this spot

Boat-access right point in Guanacaste's Santa Rosa NP (Endless Summer II fame) — long, peeling, offshore walls.

Location

10.8434, -85.7980

Photos

Trip overview

Ollie's Point — Potrero Grande on the chart — is the long, peeling right-hand point wrapping into a remote bay inside Santa Rosa National Park, up in the far northwest corner of Guanacaste near the Nicaraguan border. There are no roads to it, no town, no shade, and nobody selling you a smoothie at the takeoff: you get here by boat or you don't get here at all. Made famous by The Endless Summer II and nicknamed for Colonel Oliver North (whose covert airstrip once sat nearby), it's the right-hand counterpart to the sand-bottom barrels of Witch's Rock a few miles south, and the two are almost always sold as a single dawn-to-dusk boat trip.

On a clean south or southwest swell at lower tides, Ollie's is one of the most rewarding points in Central America — a well-organized wall that lets you stand and trim for a long, fast right, with the occasional barrel section and morning offshores off the headland. It's not a beginner wave. The rides are long, the paddle-back is real, and when it's firing the small fleet of boats anchored in the bay concentrates everyone onto the same peak, so it surfs best mid-week, early, when the swell is up and the boat count is down.

Because the break sits inside a protected national park, everything human — beds, food, beers, surf shops, ATMs — lives back in the launch towns. Playas del Coco (the closest and most common departure, ~30 min from Liberia airport) and Tamarindo (the bigger surf town, ~1h15 away) are your real bases; this guide treats logistics, lodging and food as a Coco/Tamarindo trip with a boat day bolted on. Come self-sufficient for the water — water, food, sun protection, your own board and a ding kit — because once the boat leaves the dock there is no resupply.

Local vibe & lineup etiquette

The 'lineup' at Ollie's is defined by boats, not a resident crew — there's no walk-up local pack because the wave sits inside an uninhabited national park. The friction is crowd management: on a good south swell several charter pangas anchor in the bay and funnel everyone onto the same takeoff. It's known as a wave where boat etiquette matters — wait your turn, don't drop in, and read that the guides and regulars expect newcomers not to paddle straight to the peak and hog the set waves. Tip your captain/guide and keep the vibe friendly and it stays mellow.

In the lineup: It's a right-hand point: sit up by the headland on the takeoff and use the rip/channel along the rocks to paddle back out rather than slogging through the lineup. Lower tides are generally better; the wave gets long and fast on size. Watch the rocks on the inside and at the point, mind the strong offshore wind pushing you over the falls on bigger mornings, and remember exit/entry is from the boat, not a beach stroll.

Off the water you're in Playas del Coco or Tamarindo, not at the spot. Coco is a workmanlike Guanacaste beach town — diving, fishing, a lively but slightly rough-edged main strip, easy access to LIR, and more locals-and-expats than backpackers. Tamarindo is the bigger, glossier surf town: a proper scene of surf shops, beach bars, sushi and sunset crowds, busier and pricier but with everything a surfer needs in walking distance. Neither town is the 'Ollie's experience' — the wave is a remote, wild, no-facilities bay you visit by boat and leave the same day.

Getting there

Fly into Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, Liberia (LIR) — about 17 miles from the break, 30–40 minutes to Playas del Coco (the usual boat-launch base); ~1h15 to Tamarindo. San José (SJO) is the country's main hub with far more flight options, but it's a 4.5–5 hour drive (or a short domestic hop) to Guanacaste — only worth it if the LIR fare is dramatically worse. For this spot LIR is the obvious choice.

• rental car$40–70/day (plus mandatory CR liability insurance, often another $12–20/day)30–40 min to Playas del Coco; ~1h15 to Tamarindo

  Easiest way to base yourself and reach the boat dock at dawn. Roads to Coco and Tamarindo are paved and easy. You do NOT drive to the wave — the car just gets you to the launch town. Reserve roof racks ahead if you're bringing boards; most agencies are at or beside LIR.

• private transfer$45–75 per vehicle to Coco; $90–130 to Tamarindo30–40 min (Coco); ~1h15 (Tamarindo)

  Pre-booked shuttle from LIR — the simplest option with board bags. Plenty of operators (Liberia Airport Shuttle and similar); confirm the vehicle takes boards when you book.

• shuttle$15–25 per person (shared shuttle to Tamarindo); local bus to Coco ~$2–41–1.5 hours

  Shared tourist shuttles run LIR–Tamarindo daily. To Coco, the cheap option is the public bus from Liberia (transfer in Liberia town), but with boards a taxi or transfer is far less hassle.

• taxi$25–40 to Coco; $70–95 to Tamarindo30–40 min (Coco); ~1h15 (Tamarindo)

  Official orange airport taxis wait at LIR. Agree the fare or confirm the meter first; for longer boards make sure it's a wagon or SUV.

Getting around

A rental car (US$40–70/day plus insurance) is the most flexible base for a Guanacaste surf trip and makes the early boat departure painless, but it isn't essential if you stay walkable in Coco or Tamarindo and book a boat trip that includes hotel pickup — several Tamarindo operators run a van to the Playa Panama/Coco dock as part of the package. Taxis are easy in both towns; there's no formal Uber but local drivers and WhatsApp taxis fill the gap. The boat trip is the 'transport' to the wave — you book a charter, not a bus.

Boards: On the boat trip your boards ride in the panga — operators are used to loaded quivers, but bring a board sock and your own straps if you're particular. For the road legs, request roof racks on a rental or confirm a transfer/taxi is a wagon/SUV. There is no board rental at the break; the camps rent boards (~$20–30/day) to bring along, but a dedicated point wave rewards your own step-up or performance board.

Where to stay

• Witch's Rock Surf Campsurf camp$ mid-range

  Tamarindo beachfront; the camp's own boat trip runs ~1h drive + 1h boat to Ollie's · The original and most established operator for the Witch's Rock/Ollie's Point boat trip, right on Tamarindo's main break. Beachfront rooms, two restaurants, a brewery and the biggest surf shop in town — the turnkey pick if you want lodging, lessons and the boat mission booked under one roof. (Direct (witchsrocksurfcamp.com), Booking.com, Tripadvisor)

• Pueblo Dorado Surf Hotelhotel$ mid-range

  Tamarindo, ~3-min walk to the beach and Witch's Rock Surf Camp · Tidy pool-garden hotel a block off Tamarindo beach with breakfast at Witch's Rock's beachfront restaurant — a more affordable Tamarindo base from which to book the boat trip next door. (Direct (pueblodorado.com), Booking.com)

• Slumber Party Tamarindo (formerly Selina)hostel$ budget

  Tamarindo, short walk to the beach · Social flashpacker hostel with dorms and private rooms, pool and coworking — the budget-to-mid Tamarindo option for travelers who want company before the dawn boat. Book the Ollie's trip through any town operator. (Rebranded from Selina after the chain's 2024 restructuring; confirm the current name when booking.) (Booking.com, Hostelworld)

• Hotel Coco Beachhotel$ budget

  Playas del Coco, walk to the beach and town; closest base to the Coco/Playa Panama boat docks · Simple, well-located in-town hotel in Playas del Coco — the closest launch town to LIR and to the dock, so you can roll out of bed for a 5:30–6am departure. Practical rather than fancy. (Booking.com, direct)

• Pato Loco Innguesthouse$ budget

  Playas del Coco, short walk to the beach · Long-running small inn in Coco with clean A/C rooms and a good breakfast, repeatedly well reviewed — a friendly budget base for a Coco-launched boat day. (Tripadvisor, Booking.com)

• Villa Buena Ondaboutique$$ high-end

  Above Playas del Coco, ~10 min to town and docks · Adults-only boutique hotel on the hill above Coco with pool, included breakfast and a polished, all-inclusive feel — the splurge base for a Coco trip when the surf is half the agenda. (Direct (villabuenaonda.com), Booking.com)

Eat & drink

• Soda La Teresitasoda$ budget

  Casado with grilled fish or chicken, rice, beans and patacones — Honest local soda in Playas del Coco for the cheap, filling Costa Rican plate — the budget-surfer fuel-up before or after a boat day. Cash-friendly, generous portions.

• Nikkei (formerly Citron)restaurant$$ high-end

  Peruvian-Japanese (Nikkei) small plates and seafood — Coco's upmarket dinner spot in the Pacifico shopping village (recently rebranded from Citron to a Peruvian-Japanese Nikkei concept) — a well-reviewed splurge for the night you're not eating rice and beans. Reservations smart in high season.

• Coconutz Sports Bar & Grillbar$ mid-range

  Burgers, wings and cold beers; sports on the screens — Reliable, sociable bar-grill in central Coco — the easy post-surf burger-and-beer with a crowd, central and open late.

• Eat at Joe's (Witch's Rock Surf Camp)restaurant$ mid-range

  Tico classics, Tex-Mex, sushi and craft beer from the in-house brewery — The busiest beachfront kitchen in Tamarindo, attached to the surf camp — wide menu, in-house microbrewery, and the natural gathering spot the night before a boat trip. In Tamarindo, not Coco.

• Green Papaya Taco Barstreet food$ budget

  Fish and pork tacos, fresh salsas — Open-air taco bar in Tamarindo — quick, cheap, tasty plates that suit a surfer's budget and appetite. A Tamarindo staple for the casual post-session feed.

Cooking for yourself

• Auto Mercado (Playas del Coco)supermarket

  The most complete supermarket in Coco, at the town entrance by the Pacifico village — imported goods, fresh produce, deli and bakery. The place to stock the cooler with water, food and snacks for the boat day, where there is no resupply.

• Luperón Supermarket (Playas del Coco)supermarket

  Family-run full-service grocery that's been a Coco landmark for decades — butcher, deli, bakery, produce and dry goods, generally cheaper than Auto Mercado. Fine for boat-trip provisioning.

• Automercado / Super Compro (Tamarindo)supermarket

  If you're basing in Tamarindo, the town has full supermarkets for boat-day provisions — load up on water, fruit, sandwiches and electrolytes the night before, since the break has zero facilities.

Surf shops & rentals

• Witch's Rock Surf Shop (Tamarindo)board rentalboard saleswaxleashesfinsding repairlessonsapparelwetsuits~$20–30/day

  The biggest, best-stocked surf shop in the region, inside Witch's Rock Surf Camp — boards to rent or buy, wax, fins, leashes, repairs and the camp's own Ollie's/Witch's Rock boat trip. The one-stop shop if you base in Tamarindo. Rent or buy a board to take on the boat; the point rewards a step-up.

• Kelly's Surf Shop (Tamarindo)board rentallessonswaxleashesfins~$20–30/day

  Established Tamarindo shop and surf operator that also runs the Witch's Rock & Ollie's Point boat trip — rentals, gear and a booking desk for the mission. A solid alternative to Witch's Rock.

• Coco-area surf/dive shops & boat operators (Playas del Coco)board rentalwaxleashesfinslessons~$20–30/day

  Coco is more of a dive-and-fishing town than a surf-retail hub, so the surf 'shops' here are mostly tour operators (e.g. North Pacific Tours, Deep Blue, and similar) that run the Witch's Rock/Ollie's Point boat trips and can sort a rental board and basic gear. Bring your own wax and ding kit to be safe — selection is thinner than Tamarindo.

When you're not surfing

• Witch's Rock (Roca Bruja) surf boat tripwaterBundled with the Ollie's Point charter (see boat-trip pricing); park fee ~$15–18/person

  Almost every Ollie's trip pairs with Witch's Rock, the legendary sand-bottom A-frame beach break a few miles south inside the same park. Often the better call for less-advanced surfers, and the iconic backdrop for the dawn run. Same boat, same day.

• Witch's Rock / Ollie's Point full-day boat charteradventure$600–750 for a private boat (1–6 surfers, +13% tax); per-person trips ~$95–130; park fee extra

  The headline activity itself: a ~5:30–6am departure, ~1h boat each way, and a dawn-to-mid-afternoon session split between the two breaks, with cooler/snacks usually included. Book a day or two ahead through a Tamarindo or Coco operator; advanced surfers only.

• Scuba diving & snorkeling (Catalinas / Bat Islands)water$80–160 for a two-tank dive; snorkel tours ~$60–90

  Coco is one of Costa Rica's best dive bases — the Catalina and Bat Islands deliver rays, sharks and big pelagics. The obvious flat-day or rest-day activity between surf missions.

• Rincón de la Vieja National ParknaturePark entry ~$15; guided tours $60–110

  Active volcano with bubbling mud pots, waterfalls, hot springs and ziplines, ~1.5–2 hours inland from Coco/Tamarindo. The classic Guanacaste land adventure for a no-swell day.

• Palo Verde / Tempisque River wildlife boat tournature~$50–90 per person incl. transport

  Mangrove and river safari for crocodiles, monkeys and waterbirds in the Guanacaste lowlands — a mellow nature day that contrasts the surf charter.

• Sportfishing charter out of Playas del Cocowater$400–900+ per boat (half/full day)

  Coco and the Gulf of Papagayo are a serious sportfishing base (sailfish, marlin, dorado). A natural add-on for non-surfing travel partners or a flat spell.

Practical notes

Know before you go — Costa Rica

Other passports: entry rules differ — check the official source before booking.

Frequently asked questions

Guide researched and verified 2026-06-12. Details change — confirm bookings and entry requirements before travel.

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