11 Costa Rica Beaches You Dont Wanna Miss

Surfing hotspots, unique tidal pools, hanging palm trees, and white sand, Costa Rica ticks all the boxes when it comes to beaches. Whether you’re an advanced surfer looking for the best swell or a wildlife enthusiast looking to relax, swim, and observe nature, there’s a beach for every kind of traveler. This Costa Rica beaches guide includes those that are remote and closer to the main towns (plus information on the best time of year to visit). Grab your coconut and enjoy all the best beaches in Costa Rica! It can be hard to choose which beach or beaches to visit. Keep reading and you can decide!

Planning your trip to Costa Rica’s Pacific coast? Whether you want to relax on the beach, snorkel, dive, or catch some epic waves, these are the best Pacific beaches in Costa Rica

Playa Hermosa

A beach that is truly befitting its name, Playa Hermosa, or “beautiful beach” in English, it's furthest north. With cool beachfront restaurants along its light-coloured sand, this is a great beach for spending the day lounging.

Recognized for its high environmental standards with a “Bandera Azul” (Blue Flag) rating, this beach is appreciated for its cleanliness and lush surroundings. Thanks to its crystal-clear waters, it’s also a popular beach for snorkelling and scuba diving. You can also rent jet skis, kayaks, or spend the day out on the water or just to relax.

This hot spot is just under a 30-minute drive from the Guanacaste International Airport in Liberia (LIR), this beautiful beach is easily accessible. There are taxis or private shuttles you can take from the airport to reach your accommodations in Hermosa or take public transit, which has a bus stop along the highway in front of the airport.

Playa Flamingo

backed by quiet mangroves. Your condo or vacation rental sits perched on a rocky point nearby. A beach umbrella flutters with the sea breeze. This, essentially, is what to expect in Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica. Famous for its small sandy cove, this highly developed beach town provides travellers with high-end amenities and stunning sea views.

Located an hour away from the Guanacaste International Airport, the roads to this small beach town are fairly smooth and developed, making it easy to get to by car. Playa Flamingo is set between Potrero to the north, which is a popular landing spot for expats, and Brasilito to the south, which has a more local feel.

Playa Conchal

On the south end of Brasilito is the pristine and secluded Conchal Beach, with the easiest access being through the Westin, W Costa Rica, or Reserva Conchal. There is still access to the beach without staying at one of these luxury accommodations, but it will mean parking your car at Brasilito Beach and walking for 20 minutes. It’s definitely worth it! The water here is very clear and the sand is made up of tiny seashells.

There are many vendors here offering drinks, massages, and chair and canopy rentals. You can also rent snorkelling gear to check out the crystal shoreline or even take a jet ski for a cruise. Just bring cash, preferably colones.

Playa Grande

Part of Las Baulas National Park, Playa Grande is a protected ecosystem for nesting sea turtles. However, the biggest draw to this beach is surfing. But unlike the well-known surfing town just to its south, Grande is known for its big, fast waves. This beach is for surfers with some experience.

The small town is comprised of mainly upscale homes and rentals for those seeking a peaceful beach vacation. There are several dining options to enjoy and Grande is a great spot for long walks on the beach at sunset.

The easiest way to get to Grande is to fly into Liberia where you can catch a bus to nearby Tamarindo and take a taxi to Grande, or rent a private shuttle or car. The drive will take you about 1.5 hours from the airport.

Tamarindo Beach

Tamarindo Beach is big for tourists who want to experience Pura Vida with Costa Rica’s best stretch of sand, great restaurants, beachfront bars, and excellent fishing in the Guanacaste province. 

This is where all the action is, and it’s tucked into a cove on the Pacific coast with gentle wave action that makes an ideal spot for learning to surf. You’ll find lots of surf camps set up along the beach if you want to try! 

The closest airport to Tamarindo is LIR, where you can get on a bus that drives directly to town. There is also a public bus for those who fly into San Jose (SJO), which will take about 6 hours, and roughly four hours by rental car.

Playa Guiones 

Located along the Nicoya Peninsula, Playa Guiones is a sleepy surf town that tends to draw in the more serious surfers, who came to wake up at dawn and get on their board, as opposed to dance the night away like vacationers in Tamarindo. This beach is also a better option if the glory of nature is higher on your list than, say, vast restaurant options.

Playa Guiones is a bit off the beaten path. If you are coming from San Jose, head to Samara via the town of Nicoya, then north on the coastal road just past Garza. If you are coming from Liberia, make your way to Nosara via Santa Cruz and then head south until you reach Playa Guiones.

Playa Samara

Rated one of the best beaches in Costa Rica for its authenticity, scenic beauty, and excellent Costa Rican food. You’ll feel like a local as you head to the food carts for chilled coconut, go for a swim, and snorkel around the tidal pools. 

Leaning palm trees grace the golden-sand shoreline with views of green mountains and rainforest surrounding you in this taste of the real Costa Rica. The surf here is gentle, making it an ideal swimming spot or a great place to take surfing lessons.

You’ll find the entire Samara town is easily walkable and locals are friendly. What you won’t find? Chain restaurants, hotels, or tourist traps. This place is raw and real — and totally relaxing.

Santa Teresa

Far from airports and city lights on the southern point of the Nicoya Peninsula is Santa Teresa. And while this beach is remote, it is becoming a trendy spot to visit away from the crowds. The towns of Santa Teresa and Playa Carmen are built up with hip restaurants and bars, but it has a quaint feel, with many people using ATVs and bicycles to get around town.

Rough waves and rip currents can make swimming at Playa Santa Teresa difficult, but the palm-lined beach was made for surfing and sunbathing, not to mention serving as a gathering point for watching that perfect sunset on the ocean. Not too long ago, the dirt roads to Santa Teresa were very rough, but new pavement has made the journey much easier.

Those flying into LIR can plan on a 5 hour drive. Those traveling from SJO will need 5.5 hours to reach Santa Teresa, which includes a 70 min ferry ride across the Gulf of Nicoya.

Playa Montezuma

Definitely off the beaten path, Playa Montezuma is located on the eastern and inner side of the peninsula, across from Santa Teresa on the southern tip. While small and remote, the community of Montezuma offers a variety of unique dining options and accommodations.

Travellers here are typically backpackers looking for something out of the ordinary and Montezuma does not disappoint!

This beach is great for exploring the hidden coves and secluded beaches nearby. There is even an island you can walk to during low tide that contains an old graveyard with gravestones decorated with seashells. Nearby, many visitors head to the Montezuma Waterfalls, where people go to swim, picnic, and relax.

If you’re coming from Liberia Airport, you will find a mix of paved and gravel roads on your four-hour drive. If you’re traveling from San Jose Airport, which is roughly a 5 hour journey, you can speed up the trip by taking a ferry from Puntarenas across the gulf and then continuing by car from Paquera. Either way, it is best to rent a 4×4 vehicle. You can take a public bus from San Jose as well, which will take about 6 hours.

Manuel Antonio National Park

The beaches in Manuel Antonio National Park are considered among the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world. This huge refuge protects 12 islands, a lagoon, a mangrove, and 4 beaches: Manuel Antonio, Espadilla Sur, Punta Catedral, and Puerto Escondido.

Of these Manuel Antonio Beach is the most visited and popular destination for snorkelling, sunbathing, and parasailing. The park itself is known for its abundance of flora and fauna, including spider monkeys, which are endemic to the area. Both daytime and nighttime tours are the highlights of many who come to this natural reserve.

The town of Quepos has many shops and unique restaurants, some integrating old cargo planes into the decor. The popular tourist destination also has a vibrant nightlife.

Being a popular destination, you will find public transportation or shared shuttles to Quepos from either of the international airports. From Liberia, the drive takes about four to 5 hours and about 3 hours from San Jose. As always, traveling by bus will take longer.

Dominical

Heading even further south along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica is Dominical. This hidden gem is one of the top surf destinations in Costa Rica and is known for big, consistent waves along its dark sand and 4km beach. This beach is for serious surfers and you can see them lining the beach road with hammocks and camper vans, all hoping to catch the wave of their dreams.