Playa Negra

Playa Negra breaks over a shelf of rock rather than sand, which is what gives it its character: a fast hollow right-hander that barrels on the right swell and size, shallow enough to be unforgiving, and it acquired international recognition after appearing in the surf film Endless Summer II. The village behind is small, a scatter of hotels, rental houses and restaurants along unsurfaced roads with no centre, and the beach itself is dark sand and rock, better for watching the surf than for swimming. Howler monkeys are constant in the trees. Nearby Playa Avellanas and Junquillal complete the string of quiet breaks on this stretch.

What you actually see

• The reef right - the fast hollow wave over the rock shelf.
• The rock shore - the dark sand and reef of the beach itself.
• The village - the scattered hotels and restaurants behind.
• Howler monkeys - the troops in the trees along the roads.

When to go

April to October for the best swell; the dry season from December to March has smaller surf and easier roads. Tide matters a great deal on the reef and the break works on specific stages.

Honest expectations

The break is over shallow rock and is not for beginners; injuries are common. Swimming is poor. Access roads are unsurfaced, dusty in the dry season and muddy in the wet. Facilities are scattered with no town centre.

Nearby

Avellanas lies north; Junquillal is south.