Tamarindo

North America · Costa Rica

Tamarindo, Costa Rica

A surf town on the Pacific

Plan this trip

Getting there

By air

Liberia (LIR), ~1 h by road

Best time to visit

December to April — dry season

Don't miss

Tamarindo beach

Playa Grande

The Las Baulas marine park

Playa Conchal

Things to do

Surf lessons

Sunset sails

Estuary tours

Where to eat

Beachside fish tacos

Sources: Photo: Tamarindowiki · CC BY-SA 3.0

What to pack

Surf gear, sunscreen

A quieter corner

Playa Avellanas

Questions travellers ask

When's a good time to go to Tamarindo?

December to April, the dry season. Bring surf gear and sunscreen.

How do I reach Tamarindo?

Fly into Liberia (LIR), about 1 h by road.

What can I do in Tamarindo?

Take a surf lesson, join a sunset sail or an estuary tour, and see Tamarindo beach, Playa Grande, Playa Conchal and the Las Baulas marine park.

What's a hidden gem near Tamarindo?

Playa Avellanas. Finish the day with beachside fish tacos.

About Tamarindo

Coastal

Where it is

Tamarindo is a beach town on the Nicoya Peninsula in Guanacaste province, north-western Costa Rica, on a wide Pacific bay with a mangrove-lined river estuary at its northern end.

History

Tamarindo was a small fishing village until surfers began to arrive, and the 1994 film The Endless Summer II, which opens with scenes shot here, is credited with launching its tourism boom. It has grown fast in the 21st century, and Las Baulas National Marine Park protects the nearby beaches where leatherback turtles nest.

People

Tamarindo mixes Guanacastecan families with surfers, digital nomads and settlers from North America and Europe, and Spanish and English are heard everywhere. Guanacaste has its own traditions, from sabanero cowboys and bull-riding fiestas to the marimba and the punto guanacasteco, Costa Rica's national dance.

Known for

Surfing and surf schools
Sunsets over the Pacific
Leatherback turtles at Playa Grande
Estuary boat trips for crocodiles and birds
Beaches such as Avellanas and Conchal

Did you know?

Playa Grande, across the estuary, is one of the most important nesting beaches on the Pacific coast of the Americas for leatherbacks, the largest living turtles, which can weigh 500 kg or more.