Beaches in Costa Rica

When someone says, “Costa Rica,” you probably think, “fantastic beaches!”

Warm waters year-round, an unparalleled tourism infrastructure, and limitless attractions spanning two coasts are the reasons Costa Rica’s beaches rank among the best in the world. And since nearly two thirds of Costa Rica’s borders are coastline, there are a whole lot of beaches to explore. Let’s get started!

Playas del Coco

Playas del Coco is among the most well known beaches in the country. Located near the Daniel Oduber International Airport, Liberia.

A very popular area for sport fishing, Playas del Coco is the largest village in Guanacaste province. Known primarily as the gateway for surfers to reach places like Ollie’s Point and Witches Rock, where the waves are superb, this busy beach is a prime scuba diving spot, with many tour and dive companies set up here.

Very popular among the locals, Playas del Coco has a well developed infrastructure, with good roads and plenty of shops, restaurants, bars, discos, casinos, hotels, resorts and markets. The nightlife here is also quite good, so if you happen to visit the area during Christmas or Easter week expect to find a lot of people here partying ‘beach style.’

The beach of Playas del Coco itself is a grayish brown and the tide here often remains quite low. Surrounded by steep cliffs and hills, this horseshoe shaped bay area is the ideal place to have some fun. However, if you are looking for a quiet spot to relax, try staying away from the center of town, where most of the fun happens.

From Playas del Coco you can also head out to Pelonas Islands, Catalinas and Bat
Islands as well, which are excellent sites to spot turtles, sharks and octopuses in the natural environment. The main attraction of this beach is its excellent variety of tourist facilities and great weather. Besides fishing excursions, the sailing here is also quite good. Many tourists also use Playas del Coco as a base camp because of its affordable accommodations, when touring the Guanacaste region.

Playa Grande

An important part of the Marino Las Baulas National Park, the stunning beach of Playa Grande with its pristine shoreline and clear blue sea, is one of the best beaches on the Guanacaste coast. Lying in the North Pacific Coast in Guanacaste province, Playa Grande is home to the endangered Leatherback Sea Turtles that come ashore every year to lay their eggs on the beach.

Incorporated into the national park in 1990, Playa Grande is open top the general public only during the day during the ‘arribadas’ or turtle nesting season. At night the park’s police are on patrol to ensure that the turtles and their eggs are protected, especially from poachers and overzealous tourists who pose a considerable threat to these gentle giants as their eggs are considered to be aphrodisiacs and an eastern delicacy. The turtle hatching season here is from October to May and it is indeed a sight to see. If you are in the area around this time, it is definitely worth your while to see millions of turtles coming ashore under the cover of darkness to lay their eggs.

Another popular reason for visiting Playa Grande is for the excellent surfing found here on the main beach. Playa Grande is much more quiet than say Playa Tamarindo, but the surf here is equally good. In fact according to some expert surfers the breaks and swells are consistent enough for it to be rated as among the overall best surf spots in the country. Further north of the beach is excellent for swimming if you are not a surf fan.

Since this beach is part of a protective enclosure, no hotels have any rooms facing the beach. However, there are a handful of hotels on Playa Grande that are both affordable and economical. By law no one is allowed to roam the beach at night especially during the nesting season and no lights are allowed on the shore. The reason for this is because the lights scare away the turtles. There is only one hotel next to the beach, the Hotel Las Tortugas that was built before the Marino Las Baulas National Park was established. Run by Louis Wilson, who played a key role in the setting up of this park, the hotel is a wonderful place to enjoy the area’s superb natural beauty as well as rent surfboards, kayaks, snorkeling equipment and horses.

Possibly the only drawback of Playa Grande is that it is not the most easily accessible beach. Tamarindo is the closest beach, and is a couple of kilometers south of Playa Grande. With no direct road you can also reach Playa Grande by crossing the estuary between the beach and Playa Tamarindo. The shortest way to get to this beach is to arrive at the Liberia International Airport and take it from there.

Playa Samara

Samara has a superb coral reef and its own picturesque wooded island in the bay ~ Isla Chora. It’s popular with swimmers and windsurfers, and it’s an ideal beach for your kids.
Samara is not only a charming beach resort, with a wide choice of friendly and attractive hotels, restaurants, bars and discos, but, unlike other Pacific Ocean resorts, it is also a thriving fishing and farming community.
There are cowboys and cattle drives, fishing boats returning at sunset, exotic fruit harvests, specialty and organic farming, tree  nurseries and reforestation projects and many other authentic and vital Sámara activities.

There are unusual plant and animal species, ancient Indian sites, underwater caves and coastal and mountain nature trails. Guitar, Spanish, aerobic and dancing lessons and massages are available. And there is even a Sámara art gallery with its own resident artist.

Playa Conchal

Considered to be one of the most exotic beaches on the Costa Rican Gold Coast, Playa Conchal is situated in the north of Guanacaste province on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Two kilometers from Playa Brasilito, this marvelous beach is also a stone’s throw away from the famous Playa Flamingo and Tamarindo. Together with Playa Brasilito, this beach is separated by a rocky headland known as Punta Conchal, which gets its name from the sand found here that is composed of hundreds of millions of tiny crushed shells.

This four kilometer beach stretch is accessible by air from San Jose to Tamarindo Domestic Airport, from where you can take a 10-minute taxi ride into town. However, you can also get here by taxi from the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia, but it is around a 45-minute drive. If you don’t mind the traveling, you can enjoy a lovely scenic drive from San Jose to Playa Conchal, which takes around 4 hours.

A fabulous beach that has near perfect weather all year long, Playa Conchal, is bathed in sunshine most of the time, with over 12 hours of daylight from December to April. The water here always remains at a comfortable temperature and is ideal for swimming or snorkeling.

Close to the beach is the impressive resort of Paradisus Playa Conchal, one of the best hotels on the coast. You can consider staying here as this beach has no adjoining town. However, do keep in mind that a resort of this caliber is on the pricey side. For those traveling on a budget or just backpacking through, you can stay in the town of Brasilito.

With some of the clearest waters on the Gold Coast, snorkeling is a must-indulge activity for anyone who knows how to swim. With a fantastic array of marine life on display, you can swim with the many tropical fish that dwell here, and even catch a glimpse of stingrays that swim in the area. For the more adventurous, deep seas fishing, scuba diving, and other water sports are offered as well. If you get tired of the beach, Playa Conchal is also close to a few national parks and nature reserves. Nearby is a small estuary as well. Surrounded by a number of cattle ranches, Playa Conchal also has quite a few areas where one can camp out and sleep under the stars.

For the avid golfer, the ‘Garra de Leon’ Golf Course is just a few paces away from the beach. This championship course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., is considered to be one of the best golf courses in Central America with its breathtaking scenic beauty of the Pacific coast. Bordered by a forest on one side, you can often catch sight of howler monkeys that live there.

Playa Flamingo

While Tamarindo maybe the most developed beach resort along the Guanacaste coastline, Playa Flamingo is still one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica. Situated on the country’s Gold Coast, Playa Flamingo is located in Punta Salinas, northwest of Bahia Brasilito, 75 km southwest of Liberia. Located in between the beaches of Playa Potrero and Playa Brasilito, Playa Flamingo or Flamingo Beach is the sole full-service marina between Acapulco and Panama on the Pacific coast of Central America.

With its stunning white sand, unspoiled beaches and pristine clear blue waters, Playa Flamingo is the ideal vacation getaway, offering visitors some of the best deep sea fishing in the world. Marlin, tuna, swordfish and snapper can be found off the coast all year around, making this beach an extremely popular tourist destination. Every July, this beautiful beach also plays host to a fantastic international sailfish tournament sponsored by the Costa Rican Amateur Fishermen’s Club.

Besides deep sea fishing, Playa Flamingo also offers a wealth of water sports along with close proximity to the amazing Santa Rosa National Park and the Palo Verde natural reserve. Nearby, for the golfing enthusiast is also an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.

Scuba diving is available here all year round, allowing tourists to experience the excitement of swimming with white-fin sharks and an array of other stunning tropical fish and marine life. Sailing and diving expeditions and tours can also be arranged to the close by island of Plata.

Home to some of the most beautiful hotels, condos and private residences on the coast, the Playa Flamingo is a fabulous holiday spot if you prefer taking advantage of the world class fishing out here, or if you prefer a simple sunset cruise. The best time to visit here is from December to April, when the beaches are bathed in sunshine and the average annual temperature hovers around 28°C (82°F).

Playa Langosta

Lying on the Pacific Northwest Coast, just south of Tamarindo, one of the most popular destinations on the North Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, is the exotic and sandy beach of Playa Langosta. Known for its amazing surfing and gorgeous beachfront bed and breakfasts that line the shore, Playa Langosta is ideal for those who want to have some fun while enjoying the stunning beauty of the area. A mostly rocky shoreline with small pockets of sandy beach, Playa Langosta is definitely worth visiting especially if you happen to be in the Tamarindo area.

A great beach for a quiet stroll, Playa Langosta at its southern end sits near the mouth of an estuary and has an excellent surf break here, attracting surfers from Tamarindo who prefer to surf amid some peace and quiet. However, be warned that Playa Langosta can get pretty crowded in the high season when tourists and locals come here to enjoy the area’s natural beauty.

Just 2.5 km from Tamarindo village, Playa Langosta is an excellent place to spend a peaceful day after being the very popular Tamarindo. Some 10 minutes away from the local airport in Tamarindo and around 50 minutes from the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia. Also close to the Las Baulas National Park, come here between October and March to catch a glimpse of the leatherback turtles that nest in the area.

Playa Tamarindo

With its pristine beaches, crystal clear blue waters, superb natural surroundings, and near perfect weather, it is no wonder that Tamarindo is among the most popular vacation destinations in Costa Rica. A former fishing village in the northern regions of Guanacaste province on the North Pacific Coast, Tamarindo is the area’s most well developed tourist town with plenty of accommodations to suit every pocket. With much to enjoy & even more to do, this multi-cultural community is the ideal place to have some fun in the sun!

The beaches here are first-rate, and the entire town has a relaxed laidback feel to it, making it a fabulous place for anyone looking to have a good time. With the surfing and windsurfing conditions here near perfect for the experienced as well as novice surfers, Tamarindo Costa Rica is probably the most accessible beach town on the country’s entire northern Pacific Coast. Besides surfing, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, kayaking, jet skiing, boogie boarding, horseback riding and scuba diving, visit the nearby wildlife refuge of Diria, as well as the Marino Las Baulas National Park, where leatherback turtles come every summer to nest and breed.

The beach at Tamarindo Costa Rica is large enough for those who are looking to find some peace and quiet to get some. But for those who want to be where the action is, another favorite past time here is sportfishing, with record marlin, tuna and sailfish catches off the coast. For the land loving traveler, golf is a popular option at the Hacienda Pinilla, one of the finest golf courses in Central America.

It is important to keep in mind that Playa Tamarindo has strong rip currents and barely submerged rocks, so be careful swimming here. Also the estuaries to the north and south are very dangerous to cross at medium to high tide. The estuary to the north that separates Tamarindo from Playa Grande is quite big and canoes can be rented to view the wildlife here. To the south is the beautiful but upscale beach of Playa Langosta, with its excellent Bed & Breakfasts. Most of the high-end expensive hotels and B&B’s are spread out along Playa Langosta & south of Tamarindo.

Tamarindo town itself is quite colorful with plenty of local Tico flavor. Here you can find several bakeries, an outdoor vegetable market, an art gallery, pottery stores, a beauty spa and more than 40 restaurants, bars and discos with cuisines to suit every palette. Easily accessible by bus, the best way to get to Tamarindo is to fly into the Liberia International Airport or if you are already in San Jose take the domestic flight to Tamarindo Domestic Airport which is just outside of town.

Warning: Recent years have seen a growth in tourist robberies, while rental car break-ins are of particular concern.

Playa Tambor

Lying in Ballena or Whale Bay, the laidback town of Tambor is located in the south of the Nicoya Peninsula in northern Puntarenas province. Roughly some 20 km south of Paquera and 38 km south of Naranjo, Tambor has a lovely, long, white, sandy beach, ideal for swimming and diving. Situated amidst lush green hills, this town is quite well developed and has its own airport, which is the only local airport in the southern region of the Nicoya Peninsula.

Chosen as the location for Temptation Island 2, a hit Fox TV series, Tambor is now becoming a fast growing tourist travel destination. There are plenty of hotels and resorts found in the area including the Barcelo Playa Tambor Beach Resort, Costa Rica’s first all inclusive resort, and the Los Delfines Golf and Country Club, which has a 9-hole golf course on its premises.

A major attraction of this town is that every year whales migrate from the north to the warm waters of Ballena Bay to mate and give birth amid the abundant marine habitat found here. Bordered by two rocky platforms to the north and south, Tambor beach is protected from ocean swells, making it ideal for swimming, snorkeling and diving.

To get here, it is best to fly into Tambor from San Jose Airport via a domestic flight. However, for those traveling on a strict budget, one can drive or take a bus to Puntarenas city and catch a ferry to Paquera. After that, you have to drive around 45 km to Tambor. This drive, though a little bumpy, is very nice as it offers travelers stunning costal views, and lush green sceneries.

Tambor is also a great place to use as a stop over if you wish to go to Tortuga Island, or if you wish to visit the beautiful and diverse Curu National Wildlife Refuge or Cabo Blanco National Park. With lots of foliage, bird watching is quite popular out here. While for the more active and adventurous, there is plenty of hiking, horseback riding and various water sports to be enjoyed in the area. Plus with some excellent deep sea fishing opportunities and golfing, there is a lot to do out here.

Playa Blanca

Playa Blanca (White Beach) is Costa Rica’s top-ranked beach and is located at Hotel Punta Leona on the Central Pacific coast. Playa Blanca is a spectacular 3/4 mile white sand beach in a 750-acre private biological reserve. It is what you envision when you think of a tropical beach: blue water, gentle waves lapping on the white sand, palm trees jutting out over the sand, and a gentle ocean breeze. Here you can snorkel, boogie board, swim safely, or just enjoy the scenery in tropical splendor.

Many of our guests prefer Playa Blanca to Manuel Antonio National Park. Frankly, we agree. Manuel Antonio is beautiful, but it has some drawbacks: it is often overcrowded, in a congested area, has a smaller beach, an entrance fee, beach vendors, no snorkeling and is 4 hours from San Jose.

Playa Blanca is only 90 minutes from San Jose, much larger, very safe, with limited access and no beach vendors. Playa Blanca is cleaner, and you can safely snorkel, boogie board and swim. Because Playa Blanca is in a 750-acre private biological reserve, hundreds of birds, plant and animal species thrive here. That’s why the Costa Rican Government recognizes Playa Blanca as the finest beach in Costa Rica!

Manuel Antonio Beaches Area

Manuel Antonio is not only one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful beaches, but one of the most beautiful in the entire world. Imagine: perfect horseshoe bays bordered by soft white sands, dazzling blue-green waters, and hilltops piled with jungle and streaming waterfalls. Dive, snorkel, surf, kayak, hike, or zipline — but don’t forget to relax and enjoy the unforgettable views.

Montezuma Beaches Area

Located on the inner base of the Nicoya peninsula, Montezuma is a gathering place for Costa Rica’s most idiosyncratic locals and travelers. Dreadlocked Rastafarians, tattooed bohemians, sun-kissed surfers, and other examples of exceptional beauty are the norm at this picturesque little beach, which also boasts tide pools, forested waterfalls, and wildlife (Capuchin monkeys! Crocodiles!) viewing.

Mal Pais Beaches Area

Surf culture is the principle philosophy in Mal Pais and its coastal neighbor, Santa Teresa. If you’re not a wave-worshiper, book a boat tour and watch dolphins, manta rays, and other creatures thriving in the area’s protected waters. Travelers can also hike to the Montezuma waterfalls and take a flying leap, or conquer the 4-hour trek through the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve to its pristine, white sand beach. However, Mal Pais’s own beaches are even better for stringing up a hammock and swaying in the sun.