The name “Costa Rica” can bring a lot of things to mind: amazing rainforest, spectacular wildlife, and impressive volcanoes. One of its most well-known and important features, however, is the country’s gorgeous beaches. Here, we break down the country’s sandy shores by region, and give advice on the best way to access them!
Nicoya Peninsula and Guanacaste
An area of the country famous for its beautiful beaches, the Nicoya Peninsula and Guanacaste is also one of the country’s most accessible vacation spots. With an impressive amount of pristine coastline, your biggest difficulty will be deciding which beach to pick!
Well-established tourist towns, such as Tamarindo and Nosara, provide ample options for lodging, dining, and activities (such as surfing and other water/terrestrial sports). Outside of these towns, various resorts dot the shores of the Nicoya and Guanacaste. While Costa Rica is not generally known for its all-inclusives, your best bet for finding one will be here. As the beaches are its biggest draw, Guanacaste and Nicoya will also have the highest frequency of beachfront hotels to choose from.
How to get here:
Located in Liberia, the area’s largest city, Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport serves as its principal gateway. Depending on where you ultimately end up deciding to stay, expect anywhere from 1-4 hours of driving time. Several of the Nicoya Peninsula’s main towns, such as Tamarindo and Nosara, are also accessible via regional airline from San José and other parts of the country.
The Caribbean Coast
Over on the other side of the country, you’ll find Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. While not as developed for tourism as some areas of the Pacific, the Caribbean offers a unique beauty and culture that sets it apart from the rest of the country.
To the south you’ll find Cahuita and Puerto Viejo, small beach towns with big personality. Cahuita National Park, the only donation-based national park in Costa Rica, is home to reefs that can easily be snorkeled during certain times of the year. Considered one of the best surfing destinations in Costa Rica, Puerto Viejo exemplifies the surf-town vibe with big waves to ride during the day, and lots of nightlife to entertain at night.
At the northern end of the Caribbean is Tortuguero, one of the most remote and diverse areas of the country. Famous for its national park, which is comprised of a series of canals through the jungle, one of the biggest highlights at Tortuguero is its beach, a very important turtle nesting site. During certain times of the year, you can take a guided night tour (unguided nighttime beach going is not permitted) down to the sand, where it is possible to see up to hundreds of turtles emerging from the water to lay their eggs in the sand under the cover of darkness.
How to get here:
Cahuita and Puerto Viejo can be reached by two different methods. Either fly from San Jose to Puerto Limón via regional airline, and drive south for an hour, or drive directly from San Jose. If you choose to drive, plan spend at least 4 ½-5 hours on the road. To reach Tortuguero, you will either need to drive from San Jose to one of several designated boat terminals, park your vehicle in the terminal’s parking lot, and take an hour-long boat ride, or fly in from San Jose on a regional airline.
The Osa Peninsula and Golfito
In Costa Rica’s Southern Pacific region, you’ll find the Osa Peninsula and Golfito area. One of the more remote parts of the country, this region also houses some of its most unique and pristine beaches. On the west side of the Peninsula, you’ll find the town of Drake Bay. While the main draw here is the town’s access to Corcovado National Park and Isla de Caño, the beach is worth a visit of its own. Take an early morning hike and look for wildlife coming down to the ocean, or take a nighttime bioluminescence tour.
Across the peninsula you’ll find the town of Puerto Jiménez, which lies on the shores of the Golfo Dulce, one of only four (and the biggest/deepest) tropical fjords in the world. While the ocean there can feel more like a lake, it’s certainly not lacking in activity. For those visiting in July-October, a wait on the shore may be rewarded with humpback whale sightings, and other porpoises/marine life can be spotted year round.
Across the Golfo Dulce, you will also find the town of Golfito and surrounding areas. While not particularly renowned for its beaches, it does offer many of the same views of the Osa Peninsula as Puerto Jimenez. It can also be used as a jumping off point to go to Pavones, a small town at the southern tip of the country highly regarded as one of the best surfing beaches in the country.
How to get here:
Drake Bay, Puerto Jiménez, and Golfito can all be accessed by regional airline, with flights from San José. For those wanting to drive, all areas are accessible by car; however, due to its more remote nature, certain areas are less advisable to drive to than others (Drake Bay, for example, requires a 4×4 vehicle, and involves two river crossings that can become impossible in times of heavy rain). If driving from San José, plan anywhere from 5 ½-9 hours of transportation time (not accounting for any stops).
The Central Pacific
Much like Guanacaste and the Nicoya, one of the Central Pacific’s biggest claim to fame is its beautiful beaches. Located about 1 ½ hours’ drive from San José, Jacó is a beach town known for its nightlife and good surfing. This town is often a favorite among those wanting to visit Costa Rica on a short schedule, or group trips such as bachelor and bachelorette parties. For those looking for a slightly quieter vibe, Playa Herradura, home to the famous Los Sueños Marina, to the north, and Playa Hermosa, a laidback surfing beach town, to the south, are good alternatives whose close proximity still allows visitors to take in all of Jacó’s conveniences.
An hour south of Jacó you’ll find Manuel Antonio, a national park that has had the distinction of containing one of the top 25 traveler-voted beaches in the world. Spend the morning hiking the park’s wildlife-laden trails, and take a soak in its protected bay in the afternoon. The public beach outside of the park is also a great place to spend the afternoon, and is in close proximity to lots of restaurants and shops.
An hour south of Manuel Antonio you’ll find Dominical and Uvita. These popular surfing destinations are also home to Marino Ballena National Park, a mixture of rainforest and marine preserves that houses pristine, often uncrowded beaches perfect for a picnic or quiet day enjoying the sunshine.
How to get here:
Manuel Antonio can all be accessed by regional airline, with flights from San José to Quepos (the major town connected to Manuel Antonio). For those wanting to drive, all areas are accessible by car, with drive times from San José, the closest international airport, ranging from 1 ½-3 ½ hours. Conveniently located in the mountains near Manuel Antonio, Casa Danta is also within driving distance of all of the mentioned areas, and is a perfect jumping off point for a day trip to any of the Central Pacific’s beaches!