Did you know ?
Playa means beach in Spanish
Swimming safety tips
Costa Rica has miles of gorgeous beaches containing pink, white, and black shells.
Some Costa Rica beaches are dangerous for children and not recommended for your Costa Rica family vacation. These beaches are generally more appropriate for surfing in Costa Rica because of big surf and riptides.
If your interest includes a secluded nature beach or one of Costa Rica beaches with plenty of Ticas and Ticos, read down this page!
Costa Rica beaches - Caribbean
The Costa Rica beaches on the Caribbean provide a Jamaican style vacation with almost everyone you meet able to speak English as well as Spanish. Driving via car takes approximately 3 hours from San Jose or about 4 hours by bus.
This part of the country is typically characterized as less developed, with cheaper real estate, and plenty of young people ready to party hardy! The tropics here also provide excellent Costa Rica family vacation opportunities too. There are miles of deserted, or sparsely populated, areas with thick jungle butting right up to beautiful Costa Rica beaches.
The northern Caribbean coast is for fisherman and hardy explorers mostly. Most of this part of the country is only accessible by boat or airplane. World class snook fishing (and other varieties of fish) can be found here. This is without a doubt the most humid part of the entire country, a remote place for Costa Rica beaches or surfing in Costa Rica.
Tortuguero boasts four varieties of nesting sea turtles which are the green, hawksbill, giant leatherback, and loggerhead. The loggerhead species is rare. Here are some nesting times for each species:
Green turtle (Aug - Sept)
Hawksbill turtle (Aug - Sept)
Giant leatherback (March - mid April)
Loggerhead (Aug - Sept)
The southern Caribbean coast is sparsely populated compared to the Pacific coast but does provide amenities and roads to enable tourists to enjoy the wonderful Jamaican culture and fabulous scenery. This area has its own micro-climate with rain each month of the year but with sunshine mixed into the day, so your Costa Rica family vacation can be planned any month of the year.
The area is great for surfing in Costa Rica, snorkeling, sunbathing, and enjoying reggae music. As is true everywhere else, there are fun places to party (loud and long) and also excellent places to "get away from it all".
Puerto Limon is the first Caribbean city you will encounter driving from San Jose it takes a little less than 3 hours by car, and almost 4 hours by bus. It is a major port on the Caribbean and while not a big city, it is too big for a Costa Rica family vacation. I am sure that others might disagree with my feeling about Limon but hey, its just an opinion.
Cahuita is about 1 hour south ofPuerto Limon Here you will find colorful buildings painted in brilliant contrasts. Black sand and shell beaches and coral reefs are found here, with lighter colored beaches slightly further south.
Cahuita National Park contains tons of wildlife. Congo's (Tico slang for howler monkeys) parrots and many other birds, along with iguana's, butterflies of indescribable colors, and crabs abound. The younger generation can be found here with scanty swim ware, surfboards, parties, and reggae music in vogue. There are some great places in the area for surfing in Costa Rica.
Puerto Viejo (Old Port) is just south of Cahuita. Here you will find miles of beaches providing the opportunity to stroll in secluded splendor or to party hardy with the younger set. Do you like wild horses? The Puerto Viejo area has wild horses grazing and roaming everywhere. Toucans and parrots are plentiful, along with numerous other birds I have no idea how to describe. This is a great place to see natural wildlife including lizards, frogs, iguanas, sloths, and of course butterflies.
Manzanillo, at the end of the coastal road almost to Panama, is a fishing village with calm beaches and fantastic hiking trails in the Manzanillo-Gandoca Nature Reserve. Punta Uva, just north of Manzanillo, is my favorite of Costa Rica beaches on the Caribbean side.
Favorite Caribbean Costa Rica beaches for swimming
Punta Uva, Manzanillo beaches
Costa Rica family vacation safety tip
If you decide to rent a car and drive in Costa Rica do not leave valuables in the car. Petty theft is a problem here. The Caribbean area is more rustic compared to the Pacific side and major cities. This means that less police protection invites thieves to help themselves to your property.Cahuita has formed a security group to aid in prevention of theft to keep tourists property safe and to prevent decline in tourism due to theft.
For some first time visitors, a driver to transport you around the country can enrich your experience. You will find this inexpensive and the right guide can enrich your vacation at any of the Costa Rica beaches or even for surfing in Costa Rica.
If you need a guide for a planned trip use this link - Costa Rica family vacation - to contact us. We can connect you with a reliable, English speaking driver with new 6-8 passenger buses for transportation anywhere in the country.
Pacific Costa Rica beaches
Favorite Costa Rica beaches for swimming
Hermosa, Ocotal, Conchal, and Samara
Nice Costa Rica beaches are
spread throughout the entire coastline from the furthest reaches north to the tip of the Panamanian border.
This area includes the Nicoya peninsula in the North and the Osa peninsula in the south. This side of the country definitely has a European flair.
Northern Pacific Costa Rica beaches
The Nicoya peninsula in Guanacaste province is the driest area of Costa Rica. There is less rainfall here than anywhere else in the country.
The International airport in Liberia is very close (airport code - LIR) and is serviced by Delta, American, and Continental. See our Costa Rica facts page for a list of nonstop flights to Liberia.
Costa Rica beaches with five star resorts are plentiful here. Inexpensive beach accommodations are available in surrounding areas for a fun Costa Rica family vacation or surfing in Costa Rica.
While there are truly too many beaches to describe, here are some that guarantee fun.
Pacific Costa Rica beaches
Playas del Coco (playas means beaches) also includes Playa Hermosa, Playa Panama, and Playa Ocotal. Playa Hermosa (hermosa means beautiful) is a great place for a Costa Rica family vacation because it is protected from dangerous riptides and the surf is gentle.There is less development in this area compared to say Playa del Coco. Playa del Coco is much more lively with bars, nightlife, discos, and restaurants.
Playa Ocotal is a little further south and is also quiet compared to the Playa del Coco area although it does have the Ocotal Beach Resort.
Flamingo Beach - Playa Flamingo, Conchal, and Playa Tamarindo are the hot spots just south of Playas del Coco. This is a pretty area. It is trendy, and the resorts and hotels here are more expensive compared to elsewhere. Here you can also find Costa Rica rentals of private homes as well as resort options. Tamarindo is a popular place for surfing in Costa Rica. On the other side of the cove further south is Playa Brasilito with less expensive rentals and a quieter environment.
Playa Flamingo pictorial
Playa Tamarindo and Playa Grande are great places to see nesting turtles mostly in the October - March time period. At times they come by the thousands. This is called arribadas which literally means "arrived". Playa Grande is quite isolated compared to Tamarindo. The turtle nesting areas are protected by law.
Playa Grande pictorial
Playa Ventanas pictorial
Playa Langosta pictorial
Playa Nosara pictorial
Playa Samara pictorial
A conservation program designed to protect the nesting areas enlist Tico's to guide tourists through nesting grounds to ensure they are not destroyed or tampered with. Some turtles have been spotted that were 10 feet wide and weighed over 1000 pounds!
Central Pacific Costa Rica beaches
Playa Jaco is the most popular beach location for Tico's living in San Jose and maybe elsewhere for that matter. It is the most convenient beach to reach from San Jose and provides excellent fishing, surfing, turtle watching, and just general beach enjoyment for tourists and locals alike.I personally prefer the Manuel Antonio area a little further south of Playa Jaco. The city of Jaco is the largest on the Pacific coast and provides casino's, restaurants, disco's and the like. The Marriott's Los Suenos resort north of Jaco in Herradura has an 18 hole golf course open to the public. Here you will find clean air and more amenities than in the smaller coastal towns. The surf in Jaco is pretty rough by my standards.
Playa Manuel Antonio is a fantastic area near Quepos south of Jaco. Here you can find rough surf and little peninsula's that protect swimmers substantially. Manuel Antonio has some of the most beautiful of Costa Rica beaches.
White faced monkeys abound here. This area is highly developed and is not the place to be if you want seclusion. The Manuel Antonio park is one of the premier national parks in Costa Rica. It is a must do activity if you travel in this area. It is not open on Monday's. This is one area that has retained its beauty and excellent ambiance while development has taken place.
The road between Quepos and Dominical is rough going but south of Dominical the Costera Sur highway is much better. Playa Uvita, Ballena Marine Park, and Playa Tortuga are Costa Rica beaches on the way to the Osa peninsula that should not be missed. Each area has its own charm. Few Costa Rica beaches provide great snorkeling but Uvita and the Ballena park area does. These areas are excellent for nature and much less crowded than Manuel Antonio to the north.
Southern Pacific Costa Rica beaches
Golfito, Pavones, and Zancudo are special places to many travelers and locals as well. These Costa Rica beaches are located near the Osa Peninsula. This area is one of the most remote locations to drive to in the country from San Jose Bus trips from San Jose take about 7 hours. If you are the patient type, the scenery all the way is beautiful. SANSA and Nature Air provide air travel to Golfito for a quicker trip.Many fishermen believe this to be the best location for world class offshore fishing to be found anywhere. Golfito Dulce and Playa Zancudo are protected by the Osa peninsula and as a result the water is calm and safe for a Costa Rica family vacation.
Playa Pavones, one of the famous Costa Rica beaches for surfing is found here. I have been told that Pavones is Costa Rica surfing at its best.
Most of the lodging here is "basic" stuff. While there are some nicer accommodations, this is not Flamingo beach with the accompanying night life and those type of amenities. A water taxi is available to Playa Zancudo from Golfito. The roads along the beach can require a four wheel drive vehicle and are not paved.
Costa Rica beaches safety tip
Riptides claim the life of swimmers around the world each year. This is totally unnecessary! Teach your children that if they ever feel themselves being pulled away from shore to swim parallel to the beach for a short distance. Riptides are narrow in width. Ocean water is easy to float in! Don't freak out. When you no longer feel the current then return to shore.
We hope you enjoy your vacation on one of Costa Rica beaches, surfing in Costa Rica, or just relaxing in the wonderful climate.
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