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. ❤️️

Playa Puerto Viejo (Guanacaste) photos

Note: The Playa Puerto Viejo referred to in this article is the Playa Puerto Viejo that is located along Costa Rica’s northern Pacific coast, immediately west of Brasilito and Playa Conchal. We cite the beach name as Playa Puerto Viejo (Guanacaste) to distinguish it from Playa Puerto Viejo (Caribbean), a similarly named beach located along Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast.

Playa Puerto Viejo (Guanacaste) fast facts

• English name: Puerto Viejo Beach
• Distance from San Jose: 275km (approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes)
• Closest Town: Brasilito (small town), Tamarindo (large town)
• Beach Status: Public beach

Playa Puerto Viejo (Guanacaste) beach details

Sand, shade, scenery, and unique features

Playa Puerto Viejo is blessed with soft, shimmery, pink-hued, light-brown sand that ripples in shallow water. It is supple enough for you to dig your toes into. Bright-blue water sparkles offshore between vegetation-covered headlands that appear bright green and lush for much of the year (typically between May and December). Playa Puerto Viejo is one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful beaches.

Crowds and noise

Playa Puerto Viejo is one of Costa Rica’s best-kept secrets. It receives only a handful of visitors each day (if any) because only a few locals reside in the area and the region’s visitors tend to gravitate toward more popular beaches nearby, such as Playa Conchal. Noise is generally kept to a minimum, save for when ATV tour groups make a pitstop at Olga’s Restaurant/El Encanto, a snack bar by the beach.

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.)

Playa Puerto Viejo is not currently participating in the Programa Bandera Azul Ecológica. Therefore, it does not have a star rating.

Development at Playa Puerto Viejo (Guanacaste)

Hotels, restaurants, tours, bathrooms, etc.

There is no commercial development at Playa Puerto Viejo, apart from a small snack bar (Olga’s Restaurant/El Encanto) at the back of the beach, which is only open on occasion. Horseback riding tours run in the region sometimes visit this beach.

Playa Puerto Viejo (Guanacaste) safety

Swimming and water safety

Swimming is allowed at Playa Puerto Viejo and is calm in the shallow water. Further out, there is a 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 Puerto Viejo (Guanacaste) location and road conditions

Access to Playa Puerto Viejo (Guanacaste) and 4×4 requirement

Playa Puerto Viejo is located on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. It sits southwest of the community of Brasilito and occupies the westernmost end of Playa Conchal.

Playa Puerto Viejo is an approximate 14-kilometer, 25-minute drive south, west, then north from Brasilito via the hamlets of Huacas and Matapalo. The drive between Matapalo and the beach is unpaved and quite bumpy. A high-clearance vehicle (i.e., not a sedan) is recommended to reach Playa Puerto Viejo.

Map of Playa Puerto Viejo Costa Rica

Parking at Playa Puerto Viejo (Guanacaste)

There is no official parking at Playa Puerto Viejo, though there is a makeshift parking lot at the end of the road that leads to the beach (the unnamed road that departs from Matapalo to the north). There is room for several vehicles. Locals stationed at the lot offer to keep watch over parked cars for tips. (For tipping advice, don’t miss our related blog post: What To Know About Tipping In Costa Rica.) Once you park in the lot, you’ll need to follow a short path over a small hill to reach the beach.

Best reason(s) to visit Playa Puerto Viejo (Guanacaste)

Offering solitude and some of the prettiest sand along the northern Pacific coast, Playa Puerto Viejo is worth visiting purely to experience the beach. One of our favorite Costa Rican vacation homes, Villas La Paz, is located within walking distance of Playa Puerto Viejo, but even if you don’t plan to stay at that property, the beach can easily be enjoyed during a day trip taken from whichever destination you station yourself at along the northern Pacific coast.

Beach-hopping from Playa Puerto Viejo (Guanacaste) (or alternative beach options in the region)

Recommended day trips from Playa Puerto Viejo include visits to Playa Conchal, Playa Brasilito, Playa Flamingo, Playa Real, Playa Grande, or Playa Tamarindo.

Not sure which Costa Rica beaches are the best to visit? Let the beaches in this article inspire you:

80+ Costa Rica Beaches (In Photos) And Where To Find Them

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 Puerto Viejo? What did you think?

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