Map › Costa Rica › Bahía Salinas › Playa Papaturro

Guanacaste · Bahía Salinas · La Cruz

Playa Papaturro

also known as Bahia Salinas / Papaturro, Playas Papaturro

flat waterbeginner-friendlyside-onshorelow crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

Wind
- Month by month
Forecast
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
- Rescue
Hazards
Rules & access
Schools
Tips
Getting there
FAQ

Nearby Playa Copal 1 km · straight-line distance

SeasonJan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Nov, Decthe months riders and schools name How windy15-20 ktmixed, side-onshore Launchok to goodaccess rules on record, below Waterflat to chop in a protected bay24°C in summer · 7 things riders flag LevelBeginner to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools3named at this spot From the airportin words under Getting thereLiberia (LIR)

On the clock

09:00

A gap wind rather than a thermal, so there is no hour it fills in at. On a working day it runs through the daylight and you can ride from morning to sunset; the staffed beach day on the bay is 09:00 to sunset. Indicative, no hourly measurement exists for the beach itself.

The marks are the clock times the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The bar between the first and the last covers those hours; it is not a promise of wind.

Playa Papaturro is the beach on the eastern side of Bahia Salinas, about 250 m on foot from Blue Dream Hotel and a short downwinder to Playa Copal. Same bay, same wind: the Papagayo/NE trade-wind pattern comes through the mountain gap and hits the beach side-onshore, 15-20 kt in the calmer months and 20-40 kt in the strong ones.

November through May is the season; January to March is the big-wind stretch, gusty and cold-front driven, when a 5 or 8 m is the kite, June-August is lighter and steadier and often the better learning period, and September and October are the months to skip.

The beach is nearly 2 km long, no shorebreak, gradual entry, standable at both high and low tide, with rocks and shells around the launch and stingrays in the shallows. It gets choppy once the wind passes 20-22 kt.

Copal is where the schools run most of the time, so on a given day Papaturro is the quieter beach; ask at Blue Dream which one is working. The upwelling is the surprise: on the coldest January-March days the bay can drop to around 15 C, so beginners want a shorty then.

The wind

locals call it Papagayo gap wind / NE trade wind with mountain Venturi

Direction

cross-onNNE to NE

Kite sizes

4567891011121314

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

mixed

fills in: A gap wind rather than a thermal, so there is no hour it fills in at. On a working day it runs through the daylight and you can ride from morning to sunset; the staffed beach day on the bay is 09:00 to sunset. Indicative, no hourly measurement exists for the beach itself.

Typical strength

15-20 kt in less gusty months; 20-40 kt possible in the strongest season

Frequent and strong, gusty in Jan-Mar. June to mid-August is steadier and the better stretch for learning and progression days.

The main Bahia Salinas season runs November to May. Papaturro and Copal can work nearly all year except September and October, with January-March the strongest and June-August often usable.

Thermal or synoptic

synoptic (Papagayo gap wind)

Also on record

24.4 kt is one long-term average for Bahia Salinas / Playas Papaturro; monthly figures for the bay run from 12 kt in June to 23 kt in Jan-Feb.

The quiver, in words

5, 8 and 12 m covers the season; 7-8 m is the size that gets used on strong Bahia Salinas days. Do not turn up with only big kites.

Dominant direction

NNE to NE, occasionally given as east-sector

Forecast

Month by month

Jan, riders' month97
Feb, riders' month96
Mar, riders' month86
Apr, riders' month78
May, riders' month44
Jun, riders' month28
Jul75
Aug52
Sep21
Oct30
Nov, riders' month47
Dec, riders' month91

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Nov, Dec.

18Jan27°
21Feb25°
16Mar28°
14Apr28°
10May30°
9Jun30°
12Jul29°
11Aug30°
9Sep30°
9Oct30°
10Nov28°
15Dec27°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	97%	17.8 kt	ENE	26.1°C	26.6°C
Feb	96%	20.8 kt	ENE	26.3°C	25.3°C
Mar	86%	15.9 kt	ENE	27.8°C	27.6°C
Apr	78%	14.3 kt	ENE	28.4°C	27.9°C
May	44%	10.3 kt	ENE	28°C	30.4°C
Jun	28%	9.2 kt	ENE	26°C	30°C
Jul	75%	12.4 kt	ENE	26.7°C	29.2°C
Aug	52%	10.8 kt	ENE	26.6°C	29.5°C
Sep	21%	8.8 kt	ENE	26.3°C	30.2°C
Oct	30%	8.9 kt	ENE	25.8°C	29.6°C
Nov	47%	10 kt	ENE	25.4°C	28.3°C
Dec	91%	15.2 kt	ENE	25.7°C	26.6°C

modelled

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024

The water

Type

flat to chop in a protected bay

Standing depth

Standable areas exist; exact depth and extent unconfirmed.

Tides

Rideable and standable at both high and low tide; the full-moon tidal range is big but does not change the riding.

Temperature

24°C summer · 22°C winter

Wetsuit

Usually no full wetsuit; a shorty is recommended for beginners during Jan-Mar cold-front periods, otherwise shorts or no wetsuit most days.

Currents

No strong currents; nobody has measured them.

25–30°C water

Sandy beach inside Bahia Salinas, protected by Isla Bolanos and a land protrusion. Shallow, mostly choppy/flat water, no shorebreak, and a bay layout suitable for lessons and freeride.

The same strong dry-season wind that powers the spot also drives coastal upwelling, pulling cold water up from depth; this is why bay water can drop to around 15 C on the coldest Jan-Mar days even though typical days run in the low-to-mid 20s C.

Your level

beginnerintermediateadvanced

Beginner-friendly on paper: shallow water, gradual entry, no strong currents, and the beach sits next to Blue Dream. On the strongest Jan-Mar days it is very strong and gusty, and a beginner needs an instructor.

The scene

What riders come here for

freeridelearningstrong-wind ridingdownwinders to Playa Copalflat-water practice

Quiet bay with a couple of schools and resorts and nature around it; nobody is in a hurry.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

3 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: ok to good

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Playa Copal, 1 km

Playa Copal

Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.

Rescue

+506 8826 5221 +506 8470 8481 +506 8500 3222

No lifeguard and no rescue boat at Papaturro. Cover is whatever the schools give you: Blue Dream sits about 250 m back with its own entrance onto the beach and instructors working on radio, and the Copal operation across the bay is staffed daily from 09:00 until sunset through the season.

Neither advertises a paid rescue for independent riders, so ride with someone and carry the numbers: Blue Dream +506 8826 5221 or +506 8470 8481, Costa Kite +506 8500 3222.

Launch

Sandy launch at Playa Papaturro, about 250 m walking distance from Blue Dream Hotel. Medium-sized take-off zone with road access and nearby parking.

Space

ok to good

Rules & access

No kite rule specific to Papaturro found as of 2026. Isla Bolanos has been a wildlife refuge since 1981; going there independently means a boat and a Santa Rosa National Park permit, and you do not land or disturb the birds without current park authorization.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Rider tips

Stay at Blue Dream and walk the 250 m to the beach; ask at the desk whether Copal is working better before you rig.
Bring a 5 m and an 8 m alongside the 12; Bahia Salinas goes past 30 kt in Jan-Mar.
Shuffle your feet in the shallows and wear booties: stingrays, rocks and shells all around the bay.
Do the Papaturro-to-Copal downwinder with someone from Blue Dream or a school the first time, not solo.
Pack a shorty for cold-front days in January-March; the water can drop to around 15 C.
Isla Bolanos has been a wildlife refuge since 1981; no landing without a boat and a Santa Rosa National Park permit.

Getting there

Airport

Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport, Liberia (LIR)

Route

Fly to Liberia if you can, then drive north through La Cruz toward El Jobo and Bahia Salinas. Blue Dream sits 250 m from the beach. The bus via La Cruz works but is slow.

Transfer

60-80 min from Liberia airport to Bahia Salinas/Playa Papaturro; about 4-5 hours from San Jose by car or bus.

Cost level

mid-range

Staying

Blue Dream Kiteboarding Resort is near Playa Papaturro; other accommodation options in the bay include Playa Copal kite lodging, Estrella Del Norte and nearby hotels/resorts such as Dreams Las Mareas around El Jobo.

No-wind days

SUP, kayaking to/around Isla Bolanos with permitted local guidance, snorkeling, fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, quad/ATV tours, zip lines, scuba diving, hot springs/volcano tours, Santa Rosa National Park, Palo Verde, Rio Celeste, Rincon de la Vieja, Granada or San Juan del Sur side trips.

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Papaturro?

The main season runs November to May, with January-March typically the strongest and gustiest.

Is Papaturro suitable for beginners?

Yes, the shallow water, gradual entry and lack of strong currents make it beginner-friendly, though the strongest season days call for instruction.

What is the wind like at Papaturro?

Side-onshore NE Papagayo-gap wind runs around 15-20 knots in calmer months and up to 40 knots in the January-March peak.

Are there kite schools nearby?

Yes, Blue Dream Kiteboarding Resort is about 250 m from the beach, and Costa Kite operates nearby at Playa Copal.

What hazards should riders know about?

Stingrays, rocks and shells near the launch, and a protected wildlife refuge at nearby Isla Bolaños are reported.

Last updated: August 2026