Playa Samara Costa Rica beach
Playa Carrillo beaches in Costa Rica

Playa Samara is a popular offbeat budget destination in the central portion of the Nicoya peninsula. One of the attractive things about Samara is that the entire trip is on paved road. The horseshoe shaped bay with light gray sand beach is about 3km from tip to tip.

Samara is a popular Tico destination on weekends and holidays. The beach is great for swimming due to its protected waters. There are many cheap cabinas and hostels in the area. Hey, there's a sidewalk now. I guess old habits are hard for locals to break! Wheeling and dealing on the sidewalk.

About 6km south of Playa Samara is a beautiful place. Playa Carrillo is a white sand beach, accented with palm trees and beautiful wooded headlands to the south. When I visit Samara I always spend my time in Carrillo.