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beachgoers on Playa Tamarindo at sunsetsunset; Playa TamarindoRicky and Nikki; Playa TamarindoPlaya TamarindoPlaya TamarindoPlaya TamarindoPlaya TamarindoPlaya Tamarindo
Playa Tamarindo fast facts
English name: Tamarindo Beach
Distance from San Jose: 260km (approximately 4 hours)
Closest Town: Villareal (small town), Santa Cruz (large town)
Beach Status: Public beach
Playa Tamarindo beach details
Sand, shade, scenery, and unique features
Playa Tamarindo is a long beach with light-brown sand. The beach is loved for the stellar waves that break offshore which provide prime opportunities for surfing, stand-up paddling, and surf paddling.
Crowds and noise
Playa Tamarindo regularly entertains groups of beachgoers because it fronts the town of Tamarindo, which serves a high volume of residents and visitors. Due to the town’s popularity, social vibe, and abundance of establishments built right on the beach, crowds and noise can be an issue.
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 Tamarindo is not currently participating in the Programa Bandera Azul Ecológica. Therefore, it does not have a star rating.
Development at Playa Tamarindo
Hotels, restaurants, tours, bathrooms, etc.
The town of Tamarindo provides a range of establishments, including hotels, restaurants, tour offices, surf schools, and shops. Most line both sides of the town’s main drag, Calle Central, or are spread out along Avenida Central, a street that connects with and runs perpendicular to Calle Central. The majority of establishments are within walking distance of Playa Tamarindo, and several, mainly restaurants and bars, are located directly on the beach.
Playa Tamarindo safety
Swimming and water safety
Swimming is allowed at Playa Tamarindo. However, as a well-known surf destination, the water can be wavy and rough. As always, exercise caution in and around the water, especially if you plan to visit with children or inexperienced swimmers.
Do not swim at the north end of the beach near the estuary that separates Tamarindo from Playa Grande and the Las Baulas National Marine Park. Crocodiles reside in this area.
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.
Playa Tamarindo location and road conditions
Access to Playa Tamarindo and 4×4 requirement
Playa Tamarindo is located on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. It is the principal beach of Tamarindo, a popular beach town sandwiched between the beach communities of Playa Grande and Playa Langosta. More specifically, it sits due west of where Road 152 and Road 155 meet in the village of Villareal.
Playa Tamarindo falls on the west side of Calle Central, the main street that runs the length of Tamarindo center. Outside of Tamarindo center, Calle Central is called Avenida de las Palmas and provides a direct route to Villareal. A 4×4 vehicle is not required to reach Playa Tamarindo.
Map of Playa Tamarindo Costa Rica
Parking at Playa Tamarindo
There are a few small parking lots around Tamarindo, including a handful along the beach. You’ll need to pay a fee to park in them. Alternatively, locals park randomly along the sides of Calle Central, Avenida Central, and other side streets to save a buck. Several of Tamarindo’s many commercial centers provide parking spaces to shoppers, which aren’t meant to be used by visitors who wish to enjoy Playa Tamarindo for a few hours.
Best reason(s) to visit Playa Tamarindo
Playa Tamarindo isn’t worth traveling to purely to experience the beach. However, if you plan to station yourself in the Tamarindo area for a different reason, such as to surf, to stay at one of the town’s revered hotels, to shop, or to kick back at one of many great bars, Playa Tamarindo is a comfortable, albeit busy, beach that’s worth enjoying while taking in everything else that the Tamarindo area has to offer.
Beach-hopping from Playa Tamarindo (or alternative beach options in the region)
Recommended day trips from Playa Tamarindo include visits to Playa Grande, Playa Real, Playa Puerto Viejo, Playa Conchal, or Playa Flamingo, all to the north of Tamarindo, or Playa Langosta, Playa Avellanas, Playa Negra, Playa Blanca, or Playa Junquillal, all to the south of Tamarindo.
Not sure which Costa Rica beaches are the best to visit? Let the beaches in this article inspire you:
Do you have questions about Playa Tamarindo, want to know more about the area surrounding the beach, or need help incorporating a visit to the beach into your vacation? No problem! When you’re ready, make an appointment here to communicate with me (Nikki) privately and we can discuss these and other topics to get your questions answered fast and your Costa Rica trip poised for success. Pura vida, amigos! 🙂
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Photos of Playa Tamarindo Costa Rica (Guanacaste) From Our Personal Collection
Description
We provide photos of Playa Tamarindo Costa Rica (Northern Pacific coast), plus info about beach features, safety, location, parking, and more!
The comment section of this article has moved! If you have a question or comment about our article above or Costa Rica travel in general, please post it in our Questions and Answers Forum on DIY Costa Rica, our sister website, where you can also access our private Costa Rica recommendations, our Costa Rica Destination Tool, and our Costa Rica Recommendations Map. See you there, amigos! 🙂
Just curious as to how wet and rainy the rainy season actually is? Specifically the end of August through the first week of September. And is there a difference in the amount of rain between the Carribean side vs the Pacific side? Any insight would be much appreciated!
Great question! Are you asking about Tamarindo in particular or all of Costa Rica? It does rain quite a bit during the rainy season, but Tamarindo is part of Guanacaste, Costa Rica’s driest province, which delivers plenty of dry, sunny days throughout the season. There is a difference in the amount of rain received on the Caribbean coast versus the Pacific coast at different times of the year. September, October, and November tend to be the wettest months on the Pacific coast but also tend to provide more favorable weather on the Caribbean side of the country. If you plan to travel during the end of August and the beginning of September and dry conditions are your priority, it would be best to visit destinations in Guanacaste or the southern Caribbean to best minimize the number of days you’ll encounter rain. If you’re interested in learning more about Costa Rica’s travel seasons, don’t miss our related blog post: When To Go To Costa Rica According To Cost, Weather, Wildlife, And More!
You’re in luck! Most Tamarindo hotels have easy access to Playa Tamarindo because the long beach fronts much of the town. A few hotels line Tamarindo’s main drag, which runs parallel to the beach. The most well-known are Tamarindo Diria (a resort-style property) and Jardin del Eden (an adults-only property). But even other great hotels that are located in backroad areas (like Hotel Pasatiempo and the Tamarindo Bay Boutique Hotel) are only a short walk from the water, so as long as you choose an in-town accommodation, you shouldn’t find the beach difficult to access. 🙂
Thanks for all the info in your blog. There is a lot of very useful tips. I was wondering where you can mail a letter in Tamarindo? I don’t think there is a Post Office in the town.
Thanks for your help,
Peggy
Thank you so much for your kind comment! 🙂 The closest post office I’m aware of is in Villareal, a small community on the outskirts of Tamarindo. It’s about a 5-minute drive from Tamarindo center.
I am from the States and went to Tamarindo and found it quite fun for surfing. I went further south towards Suzio hotel and had a blast. I saw more advanced surfers by the river mouth and hear Langosta was pretty good for more advanced. I liked how everyone was very friendly and helpful and there were different parts of the beach to hang at depending on your mood. More chill down by Chiringuitos and more people down by WRSC.
Where is Playa Real and Blanco? I am here for a few more weeks and would love to know more! Thank you and great article!
Great observations! Many Tamarindo visitors stick to the main drag and don’t travel south of the roundabout (just north of Chiringuito), but we’re glad to hear that you did and that you had a blast doing so. 🙂
Playa Real is a fabulous beach that’s off the beaten path; it sits along an area of the Pacific coast where there is little development, and it usually only entertains a handful of locals at a time. It’s about a 40-minute drive north of Tamarindo. To get there you’ll pass through (and turn left at) the community of Villareal and continue on to the village of Huacas. At Huacas, you’ll turn left and drive toward the hamlet of Matapalo. In Matapalo, you’ll zigzag north and west (around the futbol field), then take the bumpy road on your right as far north as Villas La Paz/Condor Lodge. At Villas La Paz/Condor Lodge, take the side road that leads west; it leads directly to Playa Real where you’ll find a small makeshift parking lot. Beware of the giant Manchineel trees (signed as “manzanillo” trees) that tower over the parking lot; they have a toxic sap that burns skin. The sap is more likely to drop from the tree when it’s raining, but it can happen at any time.
As for Blanco, we’re not familiar with this beach, unless you meant Playa Blanca, by chance? If so, would you happen to know which Playa Blanca you’re looking for? Costa Rica (rather frustratingly) has several beaches named Playa Blanca, so our advice here will depend on which one you plan to visit.
Thank you!!! Playa Blanca yes. You recommended it as a great day trip for beach hopping and was curious to where that is. Thank you for the detailed response!
Got it! If you’re interested in the Playa Blanca that’s nearest to Playa Tamarindo, that’s the Playa Blanca that sits south down the coast from Tamarindo. It’s sandwiched between Playa Negra and Playa Junquillal, both south of Playa Avellanas. It’s about a 45-minute-drive from Tamarindo if you go during the dry season and don’t encounter a lot of traffic along the way.
Pura vida! 🙂
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Tagged: beach, beaches, costa rica, costa rica beaches, playa tamarindo, tamarindo, tamarindo beach, tamarindo costa rica