JW Marriott Resort & Spa
Right on the sand at Playa Mansita inside Hacienda Pinilla, a quiet estate with a golf course and trails, and suites with their own plunge pools for a honeymoon or anniversary.
5-starView hotel
Playa Avellanas
Little Hawaii: a surfers' beach south of Tamarindo with more than eight breaks, long walks on the sand and sunsets over the Pacific. Most of our clients spend 3 nights here.
- Fly into
- LIR
- Liberia about 1.5 hours
- Stay
- 3 nights
- What most of our clients choose
- Best weather
- Dec to Mar
- Dry season
- Region
- Guanacaste
- Surf breaks, Hacienda Pinilla, sunsets
- Pairs with
- Arenal
- Private transfer, about 4.5 hours
Why go
Little Hawaii, for surfers and for quiet
Playa Avellanas is a small place of hotels, cabins, a few restaurants and villas on the Guanacaste coast south of Tamarindo. Its more than eight surf breaks are best at high tide, when the waves form tubes, and they are not for novices, so beginners usually learn first in Tamarindo. Everyone else comes for long walks on the beach, horseback rides and the sunsets, with howler monkeys and birds in the trees behind the sand. Just to the north, the JW Marriott sits on Playa Mansita inside Hacienda Pinilla, with its golf course and trails.
SurfingMore than eight breaks, best at high tide
Horseback ridingLong rides along the beach
Sunsets and wildlifeHowler monkeys and birds behind the sand
The map
Every hotel we book in Playa Avellanas
2 hotels, our favourites numbered.
Hotels we know personally
3-star and above only, chosen by our team in Costa Rica.
When to go
Dry and sunny December to March
December to March is the dry season and the time for long, sunny days, so do not forget the sunscreen. Guanacaste gets the least rain in Costa Rica. For turtles at Las Baulas, at Playa Grande, ask your Specialist about the nesting season for your dates.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Dry seasonGreen season, more rainSemana Santa, 21 to 28 March 2027: plan early
About 1.5 hours from Liberia
From Liberia (LIR)about 1.5 hoursPrivate transfer, with a meet and greet at arrivals
From Arenalabout 4.5 hoursPrivate transfer, our most planned route here
On to Monteverdeabout 4 hoursPrivate transfer up to the cloud forest
Where to go next
Where our clients go after Playa Avellanas
Good to know
Playa Avellanas questions we answer every week
Is Playa Avellanas good for beginner surfers?
Not really. Its more than eight breaks are best at high tide and are not a place for novices. Beginners usually take lessons in Tamarindo, a short drive up the coast.
How many nights do I need at Playa Avellanas?
3 nights is what most of our clients choose: time to surf, ride along the beach and watch the sun go down over the Pacific.
How far is Playa Avellanas from Liberia airport?
About 1.5 hours by private transfer. Your Specialist times it around your flight.
Can I swim at Playa Avellanas?
Yes, with care: there are strong currents. It is safest near the rocks, where you will sometimes find rock pools.
Your Costa Rica, planned by people who live here
Tell us what you love. A Costa Rica Specialist builds a custom itinerary around it, with private transfers, hotels we know and our team on call 24/7 while you travel.
Since 2004 in Costa RicaOver 25,000 clients1,200+ five-star reviewsICT licensed, Declaratoria Turística