Tango Mar Resort
Beachfront rooms on Quizales Beach, where the waves reach the edge of the gardens at high tide, and a nine-hole golf course through grounds full of birds.
4-starView hotel
Tambor
A long, sheltered beach on Bahía Ballena, on the southern Nicoya Peninsula, with its own airstrip about 30 minutes by air from San José.
- Fly into
- SJO
- Then about 30 minutes by air to Tambor
- Best weather
- Dec to Apr
- Dry season
- The bay
- Bahía Ballena
- Sheltered water for swimming
- Region
- Nicoya Peninsula
- Curú, Tortuga Island, Cabo Blanco
- Pairs with
- Monteverde
- Private transfer with the ferry, about 4.5 hours
Why go
A calm bay with a wildlife refuge next door
Tambor is a fishing village on Bahía Ballena, Whale Bay, named for the whales that migrate along this coast. Rocky points to the north and south shelter its long, flat beach from the ocean swell, so the water is good for an easy swim. Walk the 4 km coastal path from the pier to Playa Cocalitos, where the El Chorro waterfall drops straight into the sea, or ride into the hills on horseback. Close by, the Curú Wildlife Refuge protects 1,496 hectares of forest, rivers and mangroves, with scarlet macaws and capuchin, howler and spider monkeys, and the clear water around Tortuga Island is the place to snorkel.
SwimmingA bay sheltered by rocky points
Curú refugeScarlet macaws and monkeys
Tortuga IslandClear water for snorkelling
Hotels we know personally
3-star and above only, chosen by our team in Costa Rica.
When to go
Driest December to April
December to April is the dry season on the southern Nicoya Peninsula, the best months for the beach and for boat trips. From May to November the rainy season brings more rain and fewer visitors.
- 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
A short flight, or road and ferry
By small planeabout 30 minutesDomestic flight from San José to the Tambor airstrip
From San José (SJO)about 4.5 hoursPrivate transfer, with the ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera
From Monteverdeabout 4.5 hoursPrivate transfer, with the ferry included
Where to go next
Where our clients go after Tambor
Good to know
Tambor questions we answer every week
How do I get to Tambor?
Tambor has its own airstrip, about 30 minutes by domestic flight from San José. By road it is about 4.5 hours by private transfer, including the ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera.
Is the sea calm for swimming in Tambor?
Yes. Rocky points to the north and south shelter the beach from the ocean swell, which makes Tambor good for a relaxed swim.
What is there to do in Tambor?
Walk the coastal path to the El Chorro waterfall, look for scarlet macaws and monkeys in the Curú Wildlife Refuge, snorkel at Tortuga Island, go fishing in a traditional panga or play a round of golf.
Where can I stay in Tambor?
One of our team's favourites is Tango Mar Resort, on Quizales Beach near Tambor, with rooms on the sand and its own nine-hole golf course.
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