Photos of Playa Junquillal Costa Rica (Guanacaste) From Our Personal Collection
Last updated on August 16th, 2023 at 09:53 am GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)
Written by Nikki Solano
Nikki is the CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. Together with her Costa Rican husband, Ricky, she operates the Costa Rica Travel Blog, created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversees the brand-new (summer 2023) Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, Nikki wrote the Costa Rica cover feature for Wanderlust Magazine's sustainability-focused Travel Green List issue, showcased Costa Rica destinations and experiences on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel show and podcast/radio show, and served as the Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist, a luxury travel brand. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? Thank Nikki here. ❤️️
Get the Costa Rica info you need by browsing our article's TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- Playa Junquillal photos
- Playa Junquillal fast facts
- Playa Junquillal beach details
- Development at Playa Junquillal
- Playa Junquillal safety
- Playa Junquillal location and road conditions
- Parking at Playa Junquillal
- Best reason(s) to visit Playa Junquillal
- Beach-hopping from Playa Junquillal (or alternative beach options in the region)
Playa Junquillal photos
Playa Junquillal fast facts
- English name: Junquillal Beach
- Distance from San Jose: 260km (approximately 4 hours and 15 minutes)
- Closest Town: Paraiso (small town); Tamarindo (large town)
- Beach Status: Public beach
Playa Junquillal beach details
Sand, shade, scenery, and unique features
Playa Junquillal is a long beach with medium-grey-brown sand that’s light grey in places. Offshore are rows of long, unbroken waves. Free to view at the beach is a turtle hatchery that aims to protect the eggs of leatherback sea turtles, black sea turtles, and olive ridley sea turtles. There’s also a giant turtle sculpture and a small playground for children.
Crowds and noise
On any given day, Playa Junquillal receives only a handful of visitors, mainly guests of the few accommodations and vacation homes found in the region. Fortunately, the two-kilometer-long beach provides plenty of room for spacing out and rarely feels full. Noise is kept to a minimum, save for the sounds of crashing waves and children enjoying the playground.
Cleanliness and Ecological Blue Flag rating
Costa Rica’s Programa Bandera Azul Ecológica (Ecological Blue Flag Program) promotes sustainability and public health. Every year, beaches in Costa Rica strive for top honors, which are bestowed annually according to strict ecological criteria. Beaches that participate in the program and meet 90-100% of the eligibility criteria achieve a 1-star rating. Further efforts invite beaches to earn additional stars (5 stars is the highest rating), including special colored stars. (To learn more about the program and discover what each blue flag rating means, see our related blog post: Award-Winning Blue Flag Beaches In Costa Rica: Photos & Map; Most-Recent Winners.)
Currently, Playa Junquillal is participating in the Programa Bandera Azul Ecológica and holds a 1-star rating. You may see the achievement displayed at Playa Junquillal on a sign that reads Playa Galardonada (Award-Winning Beach).
Development at Playa Junquillal
Hotels, restaurants, tours, bathrooms, etc.
Commercial development is present but not obvious at Playa Junquillal. Accommodations (a few hotels and several vacation homes) are spread out along Junquillal’s section of the coast, tucked away down side roads.
Playa Junquillal safety
Swimming and water safety
Swimming is allowed at Playa Junquillal. However, the beach has a known rip current. As always, exercise caution in and around the water, especially if you plan to visit with children or inexperienced swimmers.
General safety
Never bring items of value with you to the beach and always keep an eye on your belongings. Remember to lock your rental car if you have one. Do not visit the beach before sunrise or after sunset. If possible, visit the beach as part of a group to avoid being at this remote-feeling beach alone.
Playa Junquillal location and road conditions
Access to Playa Junquillal and 4×4 requirement
Playa Junquillal is located on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. It sits along a remote stretch of the coast that falls south of the town of Tamarindo and north of the community of Nosara.
Playa Junquillal is an approximate 35-kilometer, 45-minute drive from Tamarindo or an approximate 50-kilometer, 1.5-hour drive from Nosara. The route via Tamarindo is paved most of the way. The route via Nosara requires travel over a bumpy section of road and sometimes a river crossing. A 4×4 vehicle is recommended to get to Playa Junquillal, particularly if you make the trip from Nosara.
Map of Playa Junquillal Costa Rica
Parking at Playa Junquillal
There is no official parking at Playa Junquillal, but steps from the beach, just off the main road that leads to Playa Junquillal through Paraiso (Road 928), is a makeshift parking lot. There is room for several vehicles. The turtle sculpture, turtle hatchery, and playground are beside the lot.
Best reason(s) to visit Playa Junquillal
Playa Junquillal isn’t worth traveling to purely to experience the beach. However, if you plan to station yourself at a hotel or vacation home in the Junquillal area of Costa Rica, Playa Junquillal is a decent spot where you can stretch out along the coast and relax away from crowds.
Beach-hopping from Playa Junquillal (or alternative beach options in the region)
Recommended day trips from Playa Junquillal include visits to Playa Blanca, Playa Negra, Playa Avellanas, and Playa Tamarindo.
Not sure which Costa Rica beaches are the best to visit? Let the beaches in this article inspire you:
Want to learn about Costa Rica’s ecological blug flag beaches? Don’t miss our related blog post:
Award-Winning Blue Flag Beaches In Costa Rica (Photos & Map; Most-Recent Winners)
QUESTION TO COMMENT ON: Have you been to Playa Junquillal? What did you think?
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