“Pura vida” is a popular catchphrase on the beaches of Costa Rica. Beyond the simple translation of “pure life” it captures the country’s personality — filled with good energy and perennial optimism.
1. SAN JOSECITO BEACH
San Josecito Beach is one of Osa Peninsula’s most praised beaches – an ideal place to relax, read a book and work on your tan. Here, the rainforest meets the beach and you can watch wildlife from your preferred spot on the sand. San Josecito also offers clear waters with great underwater visibility to admire colorful fish, sea turtles, dolphins, moray eels, among other creatures. For active travelers there is an option of getting the full experience by hiking the narrow jungle trail from Drake Bay, which can be accessed from San Jose on a 40-minute flight. Nearby Corcovado National Park, we find great accommodation options, like Copa de Arbol, a luxury beach front Eco-Resort set among 70 acres of pristine rainforest reserve, and upscale La Paloma Lodge, one of the most stylish Lodges in Costa Rica, with polished hardwoods and hammocks, floor to ceiling windows and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.
Twelve nautical miles offshore from the Osa Peninsula at Drake Bay, Caño Island is an amazing marine biological reserve in Costa Rica. The waters surrounding the 740-acre island teem with wildlife, including sea turtles, dolphins and even whales during the migratory seasons July through October, and December through March.
Playa San Josecito can be accessed by boat or via the even more remote village of Rincon de San Josecito.
2. PLAYA MANUEL ANTONIO
Beautiful beach, wildlife packed jungle, a great little town in the vicinity, Quepos, full of great restaurants, beautiful small intimate hotels, and more activities and adventures than you can do during a week’s visit… both terrestrial and aquatic! A set of world-class horse shoe beaches nestled in between monkey and sloth filled jungles, and an ocean with year-round warm waters.
The surrounding area provides an amazing plethora of activates and adventures including; zip lines, river rafting, horseback riding, mountain biking, ATV tours, deep sea fishing, diving and snorkeling, surfing, swimming and kayaking in both the warm Pacific Ocean and the nearby mangrove of Isla Damas. Our favorite places to stay here are the romantic beachfront rooms at Arenas del Mar, while if traveling with family we recommend the Buena Vista Villas and their private jungle lined cove, or the El Parador Resort for its easy access to the not-so-well known Playa Biezans. It is very easy to access Manuel Antonio from San Jose; just a two-hour drive and you have reached this natural playground! Note that visitation is limited to 600 people per day, so we’ll plan on arriving early!
3. PLAYA TAMARINDO
Tamarindo is the most developed beach on Costa Rica’s North Pacific Nicoya Peninsula and one of the country’s best-known surf spots. This town has a funky bohemian vibe and offers a great nightlife scene, top-notch hotels and international quality restaurants. Our hotel pick for this area is the privileged Tamarindo Diria Resort, an iconic beach resort that sits along a stretch of sugar-white sand beach surrounded by lush green hills and national parks.
Tamarindo is adjacent to a lovely 1500-acre estuary, a salt water river lined with mangroves that are home to an abundance of wildlife within the Marine National Park Las Baulas, where one can see the large leatherback turtles nesting from October to March. The ocean offshore Tamarindo is a pristine fishery providing anglers (who practice catch and release) the opportunity to fish for possible world record Marlin, Sailfish, Wahoo, and Dorado. Also, all levels of scuba divers, snorkelers, and surfers will love it here! Tamarindo Beach, is the most accessible location along the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, with paved roads leading in 1-hour drive to Liberia’s International Airport.
4. MONTEZUMA BEACH
Montezuma is a picturesque small beach village in Costa Rica, located at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula and known for its bohemian atmosphere and the stunning natural beauty of its tropical beaches, jungle covered hills with small rivers forming scenic waterfalls and pools – perfect spot for any beach lover and eco-tourist seeking something a bit different.
Playa Montezuma is a large sandy beach a few steps north of the village, great for sun bathing and swimming backed by the Montezuma Biological Reserve. Further north, lies Playa Grande, with a long expanse of white-sand beach, one of the area’s best surf spots. Still further along the coast is Playa Cocalitos and the El Chorro waterfall where fresh water cascades off an escarpment into lava rock swimming pools and then into the ocean, well worth the visit, especially if done on horseback from Montezuma. Choose low tide to walk around the rocky headlands south of Montezuma where tide pools provide natural bathing tubs. The area beaches are not the only draw to the region, the nearby jungle waterfalls, boating to the nearby Tortuga Islands for snorkeling in crystal-clear water, or visiting Cabo Blanco, Costa Rica’s oldest Nature Reserve, bring visitors to this secluded part of Costa Rica. Various other adventures await intrepid visitors including horseback riding, surfing, paddle boarding and kayaking, deep sea fishing, hiking, zip-lining, and of course a little yoga in paradise!
5. PLAYA POTRERO
Potrero Beach is located within the string of beautiful beaches stretching along the northwest Pacific coast of Costa Rica in the province of Guanacaste. This wonderfully tranquil beach is the perfect place for bathing in the sun while reading in the shade of palm trees, and ending your eco vacation with a golden tropical sun tan. On the beach’s north end, the small fishing village of Potrero looks to Playa Potrero and its bay. Toward the southern end, sits the chic beach community of Playa Flamingo.
This beach area presents lots of options for active visitors including snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, kayaking, deep sea fishing, hiking, horseback-riding, ATVs, and a nearby adventure park. For a change of pace from sea, sand, and mud visitors can tour on a day-trip from Playa Potrero to dozens of nearby national parks and wildlife refuges throughout Guanacaste including the tropical forests of Santa Rosa National Park and Palo Verde Natural Reserve. At the heart of Costa Rica’s Gold Coast, Playa Potrero is an ideal beach for those seeking a tranquil getaway from life, to dig their toes into the sand and throw caution to the wind. Fly to Liberia airport and drive for 90 minutes to reach this beach.
6. PLAYA SAMARA
This beach offers approximately 1.8 miles or 6km of wonderful white sand that contrasts with aquamarine water, the perfect setting for a long peaceful walk. Located on the Nicoya Peninsula’s western shore, Samara is known as one of the prettiest and safest beaches in Costa Rica – inviting calm waters and warm temperature – and is considered a great destination for sport fishing, kayaking, scuba diving and snorkeling around the coral environments, especially in the hamlet of Matapalo. Located off the coast, we find Chora Island, a birdwatcher’s paradise where avian fauna can be easily spotted from a kayak. The whole Nicoya Peninsula allows for rest and relaxation while offering a variety of services like restaurants, bars, hotels and stores.
A laid-back vibe allows for rest and relaxation, an almost universal characteristic of the Nicoya Peninsula. Its village offers a number of services: stores, restaurants, hotels, and a small selection of bars. Transportation to Samara has improved with the new road 150, which runs south from Nicoya and air travel is available to a small airstrip just outside of town. From San Jose or Liberia, planes will fly to Nosara and then to Samara.
7. PLAYA GUIONES
Guiones, also known as Nosara beach, is a quiet and seclude community, where North American retirees have created a stylish and small extension of the United States. Considered by many as one of the country’s best surfing destinations, Nosara is also a great beach for swimming or moments of relaxation and sunbathing. Hotels in Guiones cater to those travelers in search of luxury and relaxation, such as the Harmony Hotel with a beautiful healing center and open-air yoga studio and Hotel L’acquaviva, which hosts the Pacific Sea Turtle Expedition Project at the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge, one of the few privileged areas in Costa Rica where sea turtles lay their eggs.
Flights to Nosara are offered from San Jose and Liberia. After Nosara, these planes continue south to Samara.
8. NACASCOLO BEACH
Located in the Gulf of Papagayo in Guanacaste and accessed from a wooden boardwalk, Nacascolo beach offers a natural feel with soft white sand, turquoise calm waters, and refreshing shade from tropical trees – in one word: paradise. Just east of Playa Nacascolo, you’ll find the recently opened Papagayo Andaz Hyatt featuring 153 deluxe rooms with a vibrant yet stylish design inspired in seashells and cocoons, two gorgeous cascading outdoor pools and nine spa treatment rooms surrounded by lush natural vegetation.
Overlooking two golden sand beaches, we find the nearby Four Seasons Resort at Peninsula Papagayo, the only 2016 Forbes Travel Guide New Five-Star Award Winner resort in Central and South America. This exclusive resort offers luxurious guest experiences by combining eco-adventure and water sports with delicious culinary offerings, and tranquilizing spa treatments.
This beach can only be accessed by boat from a local marina or by taking a private vehicle at the Four Seasons Hotel that will take you to the beach entrance.
9. HERMOSA BEACH
The beautiful Playa Hermosa located in Guanacaste is just 20 minutes from the Liberia’s Daniel Oduber international Airport and has won prizes for its high environmental standards and excellent safety facilities. With crystal clear blue waters and gorgeous scenery, this two-kilometer long grey sand beach is surrounded by tropical forests and ridges of volcanic rock, making it a great family destination for all to enjoy. Its warm water temperatures and ideal weather conditions year round, make Playa Hermosa a perfect spot for swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving – one of the best in the country.
The beach is relaxed, rarely crowded and offers convenient accommodations like Bosque del Mar Hotel – a unique beach front property with a high-end Eco boutique – great restaurants that line the beach shore, and rental shops for kayaking, windsurfing, jet skiing and other water sports.
10. PUNTA ISLITA BEACH
Located in Guanacaste’s Nicoya Peninsula looking north you see a perfect horseshoe bay which is tipped by the rocky cliff of Punta Islita. The protected bay of Islita offers good swimming and is home to the remote luxury resort of Hotel Punta Islita, a secluded property interweaving spectacular beach scenery, wild tropical forest, and colorful communities. This resort offers a full menu of complimentary eco-adventures like horseback riding and zip-lining, wildlife discoveries and cultural activities, ideal for couples or families who enjoy off-the-beaten-path travel. The small village surrounding the hotel features houses and murals with colorful paintings and mosaics, and there is a souvenir shop with locally produced artwork.
Extending from the beach of Islita Beach, we find the Camaronal Wildlife Refuge, whose grounds nest three types of endangered sea turtles: Leatherbacks, Olive Ridley and Hawksbill turtles. This area is a conservation that has brought back nesting turtles to the area after a fifteen-year absence. Punta Islita is a great place for a rainforest adventure, kayaking trips and perhaps a fishing experience led by local fishermen whose families have fished these waters for generations.
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Photo credits:Playa Manuel Antonio: Hotel Parador
San Josecito Beach: Luis Felipa
Playa Tamarindo: Tamarindo Diria Hotel
Playa Potrero: Wikimedia
Playa Guiones: L’acqua Viva Hotel
Nacascolo Beach: Four Seasons
Hermosa Beach: Bosque Del Mar Hotel