Beach town · Guanacaste
Tamarindo
Guanacaste's liveliest beach town, with waves for beginners and Costa Rica's first surf school right on the main beach.
1 to 2 hours from LiberiaRead the guide
Guanacaste Beaches
Fifteen beaches on Costa Rica's north Pacific coast, on one map. Most are an hour or two from Liberia airport, in the province with the least rain in the country.
The short answer
Which Guanacaste beach is right for you?
Tamarindo is the one our clients choose most: a real town, with restaurants you can walk to, beginner waves and the sun going down over the Pacific. If you want calm, clear water, Playa Conchal is made of crushed shells rather than sand, so you can snorkel straight off the beach, and Flamingo next door is the quiet end of the coast. Surfers head for Avellanas, Langosta and Junquillal. Further south, on the Nicoya Peninsula, Sámara has a laid-back village feel and Carrillo, next door, is quieter still. Liberia airport is an hour or two from most of them, and the calm bays of Papagayo, with the all-inclusive resorts, have a guide of their own.
The map
Guanacaste beaches map
The fifteen beaches, numbered from the ones our clients visit most.
The Guanacaste beaches
Each one links to our full guide: what the beach is like, how to get there and where to stay.
Beach · Guanacaste
Playa Conchal
A beach of crushed shells instead of sand, so the water stays clear enough to snorkel straight from the shore.
About 1 hour from LiberiaRead the guide
Beach · Guanacaste
Playa Flamingo
The quiet end of the coast: a white sand bay with the Catalina Islands, and their giant mantas, about 20 minutes away by boat.
About 1 hour from LiberiaRead the guide
Beach · Guanacaste
Playa Avellanas
A little town of hotels, cabins and a few restaurants south of Tamarindo, known to surfers for its waves and its sunsets.
Beach · Guanacaste
Playa Langosta
Just south of Tamarindo and much quieter, with some of the best surf on this part of the coast.
Beach · Nicoya Peninsula
Playa Sámara
A colourful village beach, good for a first surf lesson, a horseback ride or a hike in the dry forest.
About 2 hours from LiberiaRead the guide
Beach · Guanacaste
Playa Grande
Across the estuary from Tamarindo, a long protected beach in Las Baulas National Park, where leatherback turtles come to nest.
Bay · Guanacaste
Bahía Salinas
So far north that the top of the bay is in Nicaragua. Nearly constant wind from November to May makes it Costa Rica's place for windsurfing and kitesurfing.
Beach · Nicoya Peninsula
Playa Carrillo
A calm crescent of sand under the palms, 5 km from Sámara. Sundays are lively with Costa Rican families.
Beach · Nicoya Peninsula
Punta Islita
Two small coves divided by towers of volcanic rock, and a village whose murals come from the Islita Art Museum.
Beach · Guanacaste
Playa Junquillal
About an hour south of Tamarindo and one of the most remote beaches in Guanacaste, with strong surf and leatherback turtles nesting.
Beach · Santa Rosa National Park
Playa Naranjo (Witches Rock)
A remote surf beach inside Santa Rosa National Park, for experienced surfers rather than beginners.
Beach · Guanacaste
Playa Negra
Dry forest runs right down to the sand, with howler monkeys and coatis in the trees and a breeze off the land most of the year.
Wildlife refuge · Nicoya Peninsula
Ostional Wildlife Refuge
Thousands of olive ridley turtles come ashore here to nest in the rainy season, 10 km from the Nosara airstrip.
About 2 hours from LiberiaRead the guide
Beach · Guanacaste
Playa Potrero
A former fishing village next to Flamingo, now a quiet town of Costa Ricans and expats with a few shops and restaurants.
Good to know
Guanacaste questions we answer every week
What are the best beaches in Guanacaste?
Tamarindo, Playa Conchal and Playa Flamingo are the three our clients choose most. Tamarindo for a lively town and beginner surf, Conchal for clear water over crushed shells, Flamingo for a quiet white sand bay close to the Catalina Islands.
Which Guanacaste beaches are best for swimming?
Playa Conchal, where the water stays clear and calm enough to snorkel from the shore, and Playa Flamingo. The sheltered bays of the Gulf of Papagayo, a little further north, are calmer still: Playa Panamá feels like a lake.
Where is Guanacaste in Costa Rica?
In the northwest, on the Pacific, up to the border with Nicaragua. Its capital, Liberia, has the international airport (LIR), so you can land and be on the beach in an hour or two.
When is the best time to visit Guanacaste?
December or January to May is the dry season, and January to March is its heart. Guanacaste has the least rain in Costa Rica, so its beaches work all year; May to November is greener, with more rain.
Can I see turtles in Guanacaste?
Yes. Leatherback turtles nest at Playa Grande, across the estuary from Tamarindo, and at Junquillal. At Ostional, thousands of olive ridley turtles come ashore to nest in the rainy season. Ask your Specialist about the season for your dates.
How far are the beaches from Liberia airport?
About an hour to Playa Conchal and Playa Flamingo, between 1 and 2 hours to Tamarindo, and about 2 hours to Sámara and Ostional, by private transfer with a meet and greet at arrivals.
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