Heading south from Quepos you will come across the little known Matapalo beach. For some unknown reason most travellers give this palm fringed sandy beach a miss which is a shame as it has some stunning surf.

With it's two river mouth breaks, a handful of reasonable accommodations and some super cool waves, this little hideaway is a must for any serious surfer. It's not for swimming though. The rips are truly ferocious and not to be treated lightly.

Matapolo is just one of the many beaches along the Quepos to Uvita route. You may not notice, but just south of Quepos the road paving suddenly stops, then resumes again when you reach Dominical. Apparently the stretch of road is owned by the Quepos regional government which doesn't want tourists going to Manuel Antonio and beyond. Talk about being taken hostage by pothole! The upside of this is that over-development of the coastline basically stops south of Quepos so there are plenty of deserted beaches and awesome surfing spots.

Around and closeby
Further south of Matapalo you will find the Terciopelo Waterfalls which are famous for their swimming pools. Ask a local to point out the trail for you as it can be hard to find. The falls are located just down the road from the village of Rio Hatillo Viejo.