Coco Beach
Costa Rica Beaches

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And finally a look at Costa Rica beaches. This is Playa del Coco [Coconut Beach], on the Pacific side. Click the photo for more Beach Pictures.

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Costa Rica has year-round warm water and plenty of broad, deserted beaches on both Pacific and Caribbean coasts - but don't expect them all to be coated in soft, manicured sand, nor gently lapped by azure waters.
For starters many beaches wear hard, black volcanic sand coats which reach magma temperatures in the midday sun.
Next, even beaches bordered by hotels aren't in the habit of clearing up the flotsam on their beach - and if it's near a village locals can be depressingly thoughtless with their trash - so watch where you step.
And finally the waters on both sides of the country can conceal wild rips [currents] and are often rough.

On the plus side the climate is hot, the hotels are often appealing yet low cost, the beaches are bereft of pay-parasols, the surfing is excellent and the waters are not crammed with curl-hoggers. Locals are pleasant, food is reasonable and non-marine activities abundant: jungle walks, horse riding, canopy tours, wildlife safaris to national parks, mountain biking, quad biking, white-water rafting, hot springs, volcano explorations and more...

Surfing:
A world-class surf hotspot, Costa Rica's two coasts both offers terrific point breaks, beach breaks and perfect lefts and rights. The Caribbean side's surf season is short and limited mainly to after-effects of tropical storms between August and December, but swells can be huge. The Pacific side, however, offers more consistent waves with the big stuff appearing April-October and smaller but cleaner waves for the rest of the year.
Costa Rica's top surf beaches are arguably: Hermosa Beach, Playa Grande, Pavones, Witches Rock, Salsa Brava, Dominical, Santa Teresa, Mal Pais, Negra Beach, Junquillal Beach and Avellana Beach.

Surf board transport:
Some domestic airlines do not accept boards as baggage due to weight or size so check beforehand. Many surfers hire cars [tough ones as some roads are in seriously bad shape!] instead but bring their own soft racks and straps as these are not supplied.
Boards are usually rentable in towns adjacent to good surf, though many visitors bring their own.

Here are some of the country's best beaches [playas], north to south, starting with the Pacific side on the Nicoya Peninsula - which starts about 4 hours from San José [*= good surf]:

Playa Grande, North Pacific, big and clean, due to conservationists rather than caring locals as leatherback turtles nest here. Roads are poor in this area so access can be hard work, but there are some interesting wildlife parks around.
Playa del Coco [aka Coco Beach, pictured above] is a bit short of spectacular sand but is relatively easy to get to and has a lively village nearby.
*Tamarindo Beach [pictured next page], North Pacific, one of the best surf and windsurfing spots, with good town facilities.
Flamingo Beach [pictured next page], North Pacific, a big stretch of white sand with good accommodation possibilities nearby and unusually trash-conscious local people.
*Samara Beach [pictured next page], North Pacific, is very pretty, user-friendly and also offers jungle walks, reef snorkelling, horse rentals, sport fishing and flying fox [zipline] canopy tours.
Ostional sports a massive beach where 500,000 turtles lay their eggs from August to November.
*Santa Teresa Beach, one of Costa Rica's top surf spots where swells peak from May to December. Surf can be too big for amateurs but the large white/grey sandy beach is pleasant and varied activities are available, including horse riding, jungle hiking, sport fishing, Spanish classes and canopy tours.
*Mal Pais, on the SE tip of the Nicoya peninsula and 150km west of San José has a pretty, quiet, rock and sand beach, with few visitors some good bars and places to stay as well as plenty of activity possibilities - Sports fishing, scuba and snorkelling, kite surfing, walking, horse riding and biking trails for a start.
Montezuma, on the end of the Nicoya Peninsula, is something of a neo-hippie destination, with attractive beaches [tho' deeply unattractive rips] and lots of partying in the evening among dozens of bars and clubs.
Manuel Antonio [pictured next page], Central Pacific, a convenient mixture of nature reserve and beaches. Not too far from San José.
*Jaco Beach, Central Pacific, overdeveloped but relaxed, with plenty of accommodation, activities, a clean tho' black sand beach 3km long; facilities are excellent and moderate surf is generally up but beware rips [strong currents].
*Playa Hermosa [NOT the other Hermosa Beach in Guancaste!] is 5km south of Jaco and offers superb surfing, but not for amateurs or regular swimmers, with waves up to 4m [best April-November]. August in Playa Hermosa means The Quicksilver International Surf Championship. There is little accommodation in Hermosa so many surfers stay in Jaco.
Golfito, near Corcovado NP is a great base for sport fishing [best November-May, the dry season], Eco Lodges and gateway to less developed, back-packer type paradise beaches in the southwest such as black sand Playa Zancudo [Mosquito Beach!] and Pavones.
*Pavones Beach, South Pacific, black sand, tropical forest and some of the world's longest wave rides [3 minutes on a good day in the best season from April-October!] but a very small community offering basic accommodation, a rocky beach and not much else. Pavones is a long way south, 400kms from san José.
Tortuguero, Caribbean, a major turtle nesting area.
*Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Caribbean, terrific waves near the town but the best beach - Punta Uva - is the furthest away.
Cahuita in the SE Caribbean is famous for its Creole culture, coral reef and fine sandy beaches, with a wildlife park nearby.

Specialists in the best adventure travel in Latin America, Footloose have been organising small group tours of Costa Rica for many years. Tours Search | Brochure | Costa Rica Discovery | Jewels of Costa Rica

Safety: This country is, need we say, undeveloped and will not offer the level of marine control that places like USA and Australia provide, such as lifeguards, boat and ferry load or equipment guidelines, safe swimming areas or current [rip] information, so it will be up to you to assess the dangers of any water you may enter or boat you may board. Foreign visitors have drowned off Matapalo due to the rips and en route from Tortuguero - Puerto Limon due to rough seas and a reckless captain.