Tamarindo Costa Rica
Playa Tamarindo
Tamarindo is one of Costa Rica’s best known surf spots, and the most developed beach on the Nicoya Peninsula.
The bustling surfer mecca in the Bay of Tamarindo boasts many services and amenities which are hard to come by
in most parts of Costa Rica, and the nearby airport of Liberia makes Tamarindo easily accessible from North
American and European cities.
An assortment of excellent beaches extends to both sides of Tamarindo and makes it a strategic location for exploring Guanacaste’s sun-kissed coastline.
» Surf Spots in the Tamarindo Area
Tamarindo Beaches
Playa Tamarindo
Right in front of the town center is the broad sandy beach of Playa Tamarindo where surfers frolick in the beach break, watched by beach walkers and sun seekers lazing on the sand or beach chairs. A couple of bars and lounges invite for sun-downers with views across the bay to a small islet.
The bay of Tamarindo
The bay of Tamarindo is bisected by the Rio Matapalo. Across the river, to the north of Tamarindo, lies » Playa Grande, a long ribbon of white sand, curling away until the promontory of Cabo Velas, Costa Rica's westernmost point.
Walking south of Tamarindo, around a rocky headland, you get to Playa Langosta, a large swathe of white sand beach which ends at the estuary of the Rio San Francisco.
» Beach Combing in Tamarindo
The estuaries of the Rio Matapalo and Rio San Francisco are filled with large stands of mangroves
which are home to many water birds.
The estuaries and beaches of Playa Langosta and Playa Grande form
part of the » Las Baulas National Park.
The town of Tamarindo
In 1994 the surf-cult-movie "Endless Summer II" starred Tamarindo's surf breaks and stunning beaches, drawing the surfing nomads and nature seekers. A couple of years later, the secret beach spot changed into a lively town.
Tamarindo Center
Today Tamarindo offers a good many of surf, fashion and specialty shops, well-assorted supermarkets,
banks, car rentals, tour operators and spa and health-oriented services. Tamarindo's multi-cultural composition
yields European bakeries and delicatessen, and for dining you can choose from a range of gourmet
restaurants, some of them featuring ethnic and health oriented food.
For lodging you find many hotels in Tamarindo, from posh resorts and boutique hotels, vacation rentals in villas or condominiums to
budget options in backpacker hostels.
» Map of Tamarindo with Hotels
Weather in Tamarindo:
» Seasons on the Nicoya Peninsula