FOR YOU, FOR FREE: 17 years' worth of firsthand Costa Rica trip planning and travel advice compiled into hundreds of articles, plus exclusive discounts. Created by a Costa Rican and a four-time published Costa Rica guidebook author. Welcome, amigos, and as we say in Costa Rica, pura vida!
Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn everything you need to know about beaches found along the central Pacific coast.
We explain Costa Rica’s ecological blue flag program, describe 25 exemplary beaches, and list 40 notable others so you can select the eco-friendly beach that’s best for you!
Watch Nikki Solano cover 10 of the most sought-after Costa Rica destinations (and standout experiences at each) on Rick Steves’ Monday Night Travel Show.
See our master list of Costa Rica destinations for photos of 70+ places to consider when narrowing down where to go in Costa Rica.
We provide photos of Playa Herradura Costa Rica (Central Pacific), plus info about beach features, safety, location, parking, and more!
We provide photos of Playa Blanca Costa Rica (Central Pacific), plus info about beach features, safety, location, parking, and more!
We provide photos of Playa Uvita Costa Rica (Central Pacific), plus info about beach features, safety, location, parking, and more!
We provide photos of Playa Mantas Costa Rica (Central Pacific), plus info about beach features, safety, location, parking, and more!
We provide photos of Playa Ventanas Costa Rica (Central Pacific), plus info about beach features, safety, location, parking, and more!
We provide photos of Playa Dominical Costa Rica (Central Pacific), plus info about beach features, safety, location, parking, and more!
See our master list of Costa Rica beaches for photos of 80+ beaches in Costa Rica to help you decide which one(s) to visit!
Our Costa Rica guidebook, Moon Costa Rica, is full of tips, recommendations, photos, maps, and itineraries. Learn more!
Plan to travel to Costa Rica with kids? We outline the best things to do and provide child and student discounts!
We provide photos of Playa Jaco Costa Rica (Central Pacific), plus info about beach features, safety, location, parking, and more!
We provide photos of Playa Manuel Antonio Costa Rica (Central Pacific), plus info about beach features, safety, location, parking, and more!
Over two decades, we’ve visited the Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica several times. In this article, we explain what keeps us going back.
Want to visit one of the Central Pacific beaches in Costa Rica? Don’t miss these noteworthy beaches!
Use our Costa Rica Destination Tool to filter 66 Costa Rica destination recommendations according to nearly 150 different criteria. Learn more!
We describe (with photos!) when and where you might encounter crowds or groups in Costa Rica, all while answering the question: Is Costa Rica busy?
✓ We choose not to display ads, sponsored content, or affiliate marketing on our blog. Because we prioritize your privacy, we don't earn money when you visit us, when you sign up for our e-course, or when you click on our links, which means the time and work we put into this blog is entirely voluntary.
✓ Ricky is a born-and-raised Costa Rican and Nikki (married to Ricky) has explored Costa Rica since the mid-2000s.
✓ We've operated our Costa Rica-based business, Pura Vida! eh? Inc., for 16 years (and counting!).
✓ Our Costa Rica guidebooks are published by the prestigious Moon Travel Guides brand.
✓ We only ever write about experiences we know firsthand, and we never stuff our blog with general information about Costa Rica that is widely available elsewhere.
✓ We never copy or plagiarize other writers' content. How we wish other writers would show us the same respect!
✓ Unless stated otherwise, every photo displayed on our blog was taken by us, and with our own two hands. (Unlike some other bloggers, who rely on drones to travel and conduct research for them, we actually visit and explore the places we write about.)👍🏽
✓ We're active in promoting Costa Rica around the world. We've written about Costa Rica for Wanderlust Magazine (UK), presented Costa Rica on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel Show and podcast/radio show (US), and served as a Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist (Spain).
✓ Our work is backed by hundreds of positive reviews and testimonials (read some here)
✓ We are not overly active on social media. Instead of fixating on our own popularity, we spend the majority of our time exploring and researching Costa Rica, updating our various Costa Rica resources, and working with travelers one-on-one. We're focused on the quality of your travel experience, not the quantity of our followers. ❤️
