Considering its name literally meaning rich coast, it is no surprise that Costa Rica is home to dozens of breathtaking beaches. Every year millions of tourists flock to enjoy the warm crystal clear waters, pink sands, and magical hidden coves that this island has to offer. Thanks to the beach-side Costa Rica vacation homes located all throughout the island, planning your visit is made that much easier. With gorgeous properties located throughout the island and along the beachfront, your retreat will be that much more luxurious.
While Costa Rica is literally lined with hundreds of beautiful beaches, it can be a difficult task choosing which ones to visit first. Thankfully, here is a helpful list of some of the best places to soak up the sun and have some ocean fun during your stay.
- La Mancha Beach
Located near the popular beach town of Manuel Antonio, Playa La Mancha, or La Mancha Beach is one of the more calm and peaceful beaches to visit. Nestled within one of Costa Rica’s many national park, the beach is never short of amazing views. Surrounded by sparkling blue waters and ivory white sands, the shore is dotted with tiny islands in swimming distance. However, in order to make your way to the beach a bit of a hike is required. While the hard to spot trail leading to the beach is somewhat difficult to climb, the payoff for the work is more than worth it. Known for its lack of crowds (due to how out of the way it is), this spot is great if you’re looking to simply lay back, relax, and peacefully enjoy the sun. Bring out a lawn chair, a beach towel, and make sure to lather on the sunscreen.
- Costa Ballena
Translating in English to “Whale Coast”, this spot is located on the South Pacific coast of Marino Ballena National Park. The coastline is open to a number of water activities including kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, and you guessed it, whale watching! Named for its whale-like shape when being viewed from above, the beach is also conveniently the breaching place for humpback whales that return twice a year. Whale watching serves are provided as well as snorkeling services. Also know for it’s lush biodiversity, this beach is also home to sea turtles, a large coral reef and several different species of tropical birds. Great for bird watchers and all animal lovers alike, the adjacent rainforests are the site of a number of tours and enchanting trails.
- Tamarindo Beach
Are you looking to catch a couple of waves and hang ten? Well if so, Tamarindo Beach is the place for you! Notorious for it’s stretched out coast and amazing waves, this beach is a surfer’s paradise. In fact, it is also home to several annual surfing competitions. Don’t know how to surf yet? Don’t worry! There are plenty of surfing classing that are regularly taught along the beachside throughout the day. Along with this, there are a number of other watersports and activities taking place here so everyone is welcome. If you are more in the mood for something low profile, take a canoeing trip through the local estuaries and tropical habitats that weave around the beach. And when the sun goes down and the stars come out, you can enjoy an exciting nightlife at the number of discos and bars at Tamarindo.
- Hermosa Beach
Situated between two gorgeous mountains, this beautiful beach is known for its unique and scenic gray colored sands and relaxed, breezy atmosphere. There are actually two Hermosa beaches separated by Playa del Coco and Playa Panama. Most visitors coming to either of these beaches bring along a blanket and lay back on the shore to soak up the sun. The waters at this beach are usually very calm and ideal for swimming and shallow wading. The dark sand is lined with plenty of shady palms and fronds so if you decide you’re done soaking up the sun, you have plenty of options to sit back at cool off. In addition, several national parks are located within hiking distance from the beach.
- Avellana Beach
Here is another beach known for its big 20 foot waves and amazing surf. Nicknamed “Little Hawaii”, surfers from across the globe rush here to experience all that this beach has to offer. Covered in pristine white sands located on Guanacaste’s Golden Coast only a few miles away from Tamarindo. The remote beach is also the site of a couple of bars so you can always settle down and enjoy a drink after riding a few waves. The town of Tamarindo that is a short distance from the beach is also the location of interesting nightlife and Latin clubs. Also located near this beach is Marino Las Baulas National Park and protected nesting sites for endangered species of sea turtles. And if you’re lucky you’ll meet Lola, a pot-bellied pig that spends her days relaxing on the beach.
Overall, Costa Rica is a country saturated with exciting culture and beautiful nature for you to enjoy. With its illustrious beaches with their aquamarine waters and sandy shores, watersports, nature trails and more, there is something on the island for anyone and everyone. Hopefully this list is a step forward in helping you narrow down your search for which beaches you’ll travel to first on your trip to this magical island.