Some Guanacaste Beaches

source: Tierra Verde

Beaches Guanacaste & Nicoya Peninsula - North to South

Playa Hermosa
Small, protected bay about 7 km north of Coco - relatively clean and good for swimming. Playa Hermosa features various restaurants directly at the beach as well as dive shops and equipment rentals (snorkeling equipment, sea kayaks, etc.) Playa Hermosa is also home to one of Costa Rica's most famous scuba diving companies - "Bill Beards Diving Safaris".

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Playa del Coco / Ocotal

The small, well protected bay of Ocotal is partly sandy and partly rocky. There is no village. The neighboring beaches/villages of Playa de Coco and Playa Hermosa can be reached in 10 or 20 minutes car ride. Activities: swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, surfing.

Playa Tamarindo
The long bay of Tamarindo with its light colored sand beaches is an ideal place for swimming and extended beach walks. Activities: golf, boat trips, horseback riding, sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing and surfing. The small town of Tamarindo offers quite some restaurants and bars to enjoy nightlife.

Playa Avellanas
Located a few kilometers north of Nosara and south of Tamarindo, Playa Avellanas hardly has any infrastructure. It is well known for its long running waves and good surfing.

Playa Junquillal
Playa Junquillal is one of the country’s most secluded beaches - the village itself consists only of a few houses; The dark Grey sand beach with high waves is the ideal place for surfing, long walks, horseback riding and scuba diving.

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Playa Nosara
Playa Nosara actually consists of 2 beaches: Playa Pelada and Playa Guiones. Both are light colored sand beaches, have excellent waves and are ideal for surfing and swimming. Other activities: horseback riding, snorkeling, turtle watching on the neighboring Playa Ostional (depending on the season).
Playa Samara
Playa Sámara is one of the nicest beaches on the Nicoya Peninsula. Not only is it a wide and beautiful, sandy beach but it is also very safe for swimming as there is a coral reef protecting the coast from waves and currents. Snorkeling, windsurfing and diving are some of the popular water sport activities available in this area. The vacation homes of many wealthy Costa Ricans dot the landscape. Even though Sámara is somewhat secluded, you can find and buy anything you might need during your stay. There are restaurants and a few shops as well as a number of tour options.

Playa Islita
Located on the northwest coast of the Nicoya Peninsula. This is where the 5-star hotel Punta Islita is located. All rooms are built upon a gentle knoll nestled up against the mountains with a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean.

Playa Tambor
This long beach with a fine light gray sand, located 18 km southwest of Paquera, is protected by the wide Bahía Ballena which makes it suitable for swimming. Frequented mostly by locals on weekends, it is almost empty on most days which makes it ideal for long walks along the shore.