Costa Rica Beaches

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.

Blue Flag Beaches - The best Blue Flag beach awards - Blue Flag beaches have been given this prestigious award as they qualify as having the best beach standards in Costa Rica. Blue Flag beaches have the best qualities in water, safety, environmental management and facilities. If you have booked a vacation with a Blue Flag beach then you are heading to one of Costa Rica's best beaches.

View Costa Rica Blue Flag Beaches in a larger map

Costa Rica Pacific Beaches

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, in central 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 oft Central America, 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. 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.

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

Witches Rock is off the gray sand beach of Playa Naranjo. 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.

South of Tamarindo are the high-end luxury hotels clusteredaround the fabulous Playa Langosta, a popular swimming beach.

Beginning and "wanabe" surfers flock to the beaches of Nosara, Costa Rica which feature consistent favorable surfing and have a number of surfing schools and instructors.

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

Also, north of Tamarindo, divers can enjoy their sport on volcanic rock pinnacles at depths of forty to ninety feet. Here they will encounter a variety of fish and  sea turtles. Those going down to fifty to sixty feet will see rays and sharks.

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

Not surprisingly, Costa Rica is home to one of the top ten beautiful beaches in the world, Manuel Antonio. The half-mile long,half-moon, pristine white coral sand beach is fringed by dark green mangroves and 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 Antonio and will appeal to sun lovers who just enjoy lounging on the beach, as it is the 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's only nude beach.

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

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

And at Playa Ostional near Nosara one can see hundreds to thousands of Olive Riddley sea turtles deposit their eggs in the black sand.

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

The tropical forest adjacent to Playa Nosara in Guanacasteis one of Costa Rica's most diverse ecological environments due to the tremendous variety of birds and animals.

Beach loving golfers will enjoy Playa Paradisus Conchal where 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 Costa Ricans, ex-pats and tourists flock here on the weekends.

Families with young children will appreciate Playa Tambor  on 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 a natural rock jetty intercepts the large waves, ensuring that they never reach the shore. Playa Manzanillo is unique as it is a 'traditional' Costa Rica beach with no Western influence. It also hosts Costa Rica's annual sand castle competition.

Playa Samara is another Costa Rican destination that appeals to families. It is located on he west coast of the Nicoya Peninsula in Guanacaste. The beach fronts on to a crescent shaped bay and is surrounded by palms and old fig trees. A coral reef protects the shallow waters and the surf is 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 probably one of the most remote beaches in Costa Rica. It is a two-hour hike from Montezuma Beach and once there, you may find yourself sole person lounging on the sparkling white sand or swimming in the azure waters. If you arrive early enough in the morning you may discover jungle animals also enjoying the beach. Many adventure travelers rate the trip to Playa Cocolito as their best adventure in Costa Rica.

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

Another snorkeling spot near Montezuma is Cabo Blanco Cove in Malpais. The cove, which is shielded 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. The trail to the beach begins at the end of the Mal Pais road.

The waters near the beach on Cabuya Island are home to many varieties of fish as it is close to the protected Marine Zone in Cabo Blanco National Park.

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

A snorkeling spot in Tamarindo is Playa Conchal, a beautiful beach 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 is a world-renowned Yoga Education Center that specializes in delivering professional development to Yoga teachers and practitioners.

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

Costa Rica Caribbean Beaches

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

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

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

Cahuita, Costa Rica is a partying beach town for young backpackers and an adventure travel destination for escapists who eschew luxuries.

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

Puerto Viejo offers another adventure vacation on the Caribbean Costa Rican coast. Like Cahuita, Puerto Viejo attracts surfers, backpackers, and the counter culture crowd. Puerto Viejo is the place to party on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica truly has something for everyone. It is easy to visit Costa Rica as there are many available flights from around the world. Self catering and  All inclusive vacations await. Book a Costa Rica vacation rental today!