The Spaniards were the first to travel to Costa Rica and they named it "rich coast" which is Costa Rica in Spanish. And it is certainly rich in beautiful beaches known in Spanish as playas. With 1100 miles of coastline, Costa Rica literally has a beach to suit every personality, every taste and every wallet. Whether you're a party animal, an avid surfer, a dedicated fisherman, a nature lover, or a laid back beachcomber, there's a Costa Rica beach vacation for you.

The beaches border two seas, the Caribbean and the Pacific. The Pacific coast offers a sunnier, drier climate during most of the year. The Caribbean coast has beautiful beaches with a multi-cultural mix and Caribbean influence that lends a distinctive atmosphere. However, it is also bombarded with torrential rains during the rainy season.

Surfers have more world-class beaches to choose from in tropical Costa Rica than anywhere else on the planet. Pavones, about 40 kilometers south of Golfito, is famous for the longest left-handbreak in the world. Two to three minute rides are common here.

Playa Hermosa, in North Puntarenas, Costa Rica is also a world-class surfing beach. Located 5 miles south of Jaco, Costa Rica and close to San Jose. Playa Hermosa is famous for thirteen-foot high waves and the most consistent and best breaks worldwide. Playa Hermosa however, is strictly for experts. The Quicksilver Surf Championships are held here every August and attract surfers from around the world. 

Many experienced surfers flock to Dominical, also in North Puntarenas, where the waves top ten feet.

Hard core surfers are also attracted to the golden sands of Salsa Brave beach in Limon on the Caribbean coast.

Tamarindo, Costa Rica could be called the surf capital of the world, as it is located between two world-class breaks, Playa Negra in the south and Witches Rock in the north. Moreover it is surrounded by beaches with breaks suited to all abilities. 

Witches Rock is off the gray sand beach of Playa Naranjuo. It is not only famous as a surfing destination but was the location for thefilming of the surf scenes in the movie Endless Summer II.

Another popular beach south of Tamarindo is Playa Grande,Guanacaste noted for its consistent breaks and swells. With three kilometers ofwhite sands, overlooking azure waters and bordered by tropical foliage, PlayaGrande is also a popular swimming beach.

And surfers don't need to go north or south as Tamarindo Beach is noted for its year-round highwaves making it a popular surfing destination.

Beginning and "wanabe" surfers flock to thebeaches of Nosara, Costa Rica which feature consistentfavorable surfing and have a number of surfing schools and instructors.

In addition to surfing, Tamarindo also offers an eclectic Costa Ricavacation with a variety of activities to accommodate different lifestyles andincomes.

South of Tamarindo are the high-end luxury hotels clusteredaround the fabulous Playa Langosta,

a popular swimming beach.

Just north of Tamarindo is Flamingo beach which is popularwith the yachting crowd due to its full service Marinawhich is rated as the best marina on the Pacific coast south of Acapulco, Mexico.

Also, north of Tamarindo, divers can enjoy their sport onvolcanic rock pinnacles at depths of forty to ninety feet. Here they willencounter a variety of fish and sometimes a sea turtle. Those going down tofifty to sixty feet will see rays and sharks.

CostaRica fishing is among the world's best. Flamingo Beach boasts world-class deep-seaangling with record catches. This is also a popular spot for competitions.Tamarindo and Golfito are other popular Costa Rica fishing beaches.However, Dominical has started to promote sports fishing and may be the Costa Ricafishing destination of the future.

Not surprisingly, Costa Rica is home to one of thetop ten beautiful beaches in the world, Manuel Antonio. The half-mile long,half-moon, pristine white coral sand beach is fringed by dark green mangrovesand palms. It is part of the Manuel Antonio National Park,which has three other beaches all with light sand berms, Espadilla Sur, Escondido, and Playita.

Playa Espadialla Sur is the longest beach in Manuel Antonioand will appeal to sun lovers who just enjoy lounging on the beach, as it isthe least crowded due to the rough surf. Playa Escondido is also secluded but it is rocky.Although this is not official, Playa Playita is rumored to be Costa Rica'sonly nude beach.

The tidal pools at Manuel Antonio and Espadilla Sur arepopular with snorkelers. Manuel Antonio Park also provides many opportunitiesfor scuba diving, sea kayaking, mountain biking and hiking.

Wildlife enthusiasts love Costa Rican beaches. They canvisit the white sand Playa Nancite in Santa Rosa National Park,Guanacaste which is a noted nesting place for ridley turtles. Playa Grande,Guanacaste is known world wide as a nesting spot for giant leatherbacks.

And at Playa Ostional near Nosara one can see hundreds tothousands of Olive Riddley sea turtles deposit their eggs in the black sand.And sometimes one might view baby turtles hatching from the eggs.

Caribbean Costa Rica has miles of beaches on the northerncoast where green sea turtles lay eggs. There are also many nesting sites forleatherbacks and loggerheads.

The tropical forest adjacent to Playa Nosara in Guanacasteis one of Costa Rica'smost diverse ecological environments due to the tremendous variety of birds andanimals.

Beach loving golfers will enjoy Playa Paradisus Conchaiwhere they can loaf on the white sands after a vigorous game on the Garra deLeon Course designed by Robert Trent Jones II.

Party animals head for Jaco. Jaco is rated as one of Costa Rica's top ten beaches and is also Costa Rica'swildest partying beach. It is probably one of CostaRica's most crowded beaches due to its proximity to San Jose. Native CostaRicans, ex-pats and tourists flock here on the weekends.

Families with young children will appreciate Tambor Beachon the Southern Nicoya Peninsula. Nestled inside an almost circular bay, Tamboris a pristine sandy beach with no rip tides and rather small waves.

Playa Manzanillo is also a safe beach for families as anatural rock jetty intercepts the large waves, ensuring that they never reachthe shore. Playa Manzanillo is unique as it is a 'traditional' Costa Ricabeach with no Western influence. It also hosts Costa Rica's annual sandcastlecompetition.

Samara beach is another Costa Rican destination that appealsto families. It is located on he west coast of the Nicoya Peninsulain Guanacaste. The beach fronts onto a crescent shaped bay and is surrounded bypalms and old fig trees. A coral reef protects the shallow waters and the surfis mild. Low tide deposits a huge amount of sand that provides fun for kids.The sunsets at Samara are spectacular

For those who love seclusion above all, Playa Cocolito is probablyone of the most remote beaches in Costa Rica. It is a two-hour hikefrom Montezuma Beach and once there, you may findyourself sole person lounging on the sparkling white sand or swimming in theazure waters. If you arrive early enough in the morning you may discover jungleanimals also enjoying the beach. Many adventure travelers rate the trip toPlaya Cocolito as their best adventure in Costa Rica.

Snorkelers will find many beaches from which to indulgetheir passion but one of the best is Playa Las Manchas near Montezuma. A one totwo hundred meter swim to the right of the beach leads to a long underwatercanyon teeming with more than 30 species of tropical fish.

Another snorkeling spot near Montezuma is Cabo Blanco Covein Malpais, Costa Rica. The cove, which isshielded by a rock reef, is home to a plethora of tropical fish. It is also agreat swimming area and you may find yourself the sole adventurer there. Thetrail to the beach begins at the end of the Malpais road.

The waters near the beach on CabuyaIsland are home to many varieties offish as it is close to the protected Marine Zone in Cabo BlancoNational Park.

All of the beaches in Nosara,Costa Rica withtheir tide pools and offshore reefs are popular with snorkelers. Next to PlayaGuiones is one of the world's few pink sand beaches and a snorkeler's paradise.

A snorkeling spot in Tamarindo is Playa Conchal, a beautifulbeach with warm, shallow water.

Nosara will also appeal to New Age enthusiasts. It featuresa Feldenkrais Wellness Center,energy healing and balancing sessions, three types of massage: Swedish,Hawaiian Lomi Lomi and Shiatsu.

And Nosara is famous for Yoga. The Nosara Yoga Institute isa world-renowned YogaEducation Centerthat specializes in delivering professional development to Yoga teachers andpractitioners.

The Nosara Yoga Institute is ideally located with views ofthe beaches and encircled by a national wildlife preserve.

Caribbean Costa Rica offers totally different Costa Ricanvacations. Here you can experience the Afro-Caribbean culture, lounge on goldenand black sand beaches, and listen to reggae. This area attracts a youngBohemian crowd including surfers, backpackers and counter culturists.

Caribbean Costa Rica beaches are all bordered by dense tropicalvegetation that flourishes due to the abundant rainfall. The northern Caribbeancoast features miles of undeveloped beaches all the way from Limon to Nicaragua.However, these beaches are not safe for swimming due to the strong currents.

The southern beaches are more hospitable to swimmers. Theyrun the gamut from the blackest of black sand to pristine white. Off thesouthern shores lie many living coral reefs.

Cahuita,Costa Rica is apartying beach town for young backpackers and an adventure travel destinationfor escapists who eschew luxuries.

Cahuita has two famous beaches. Playa Negra, a black sandbeach, extends several miles north of Cahuita. Playa Blanca, a golden sandbeach, runs south from Cahuita. However, a pale-sand beach beyond Punta Cahuitafeatures calmer waters protected by a coral reef and offers safer swimming.

Puerto Viejo offers another adventure vacation on theCaribbean Costa Rican coast. Like Cahuita, Puerto Viejo attracts surfers,backpackers, and the counterculture crowd. Puerto Viejo is the place to partyon Caribbean Costa Rica.

CostaRica truly has something for everyone. It iseasy to visit Costa Rica asthere are many available CostaRica flights. All inclusive vacations, Costa Rica vacation packages, and Costa Rica toursare all easy to book. The major problem is making a choice.