From the backyard to the sea
From Casa Buda to the sea
Costa Rica has countless beaches; this is just a list of our favorites.
Near Liberia (25-45 min)
Playa CabuyalHouse favorite
A long light-sand beach between hills, quiet and rarely crowded.
Playas del Coco
A lively beach town with restaurants and a departure point for boat trips to other beaches.
Playa HermosaHouse favorite
A calm-water bay, perfect for swimming and watching the sunset.
Playa Panamá
A serene volcanic-sand cove inside the Gulf of Papagayo.
Calzón de PobreHouse favorite
A white-sand cove with clear water at Punta Cacique, perfect for swimming and snorkeling.
Playa Penca
A small cove with calm water, next to Calzón de Pobre.
Guanacaste favorites
Playa ConchalHouse favorite
Famous for its crushed-shell sand and turquoise water.
Playa FlamingoHouse favorite
White sand and a yacht marina, on Guanacaste's "Gold Coast".
TamarindoGood for surfing
The liveliest surf town in the area: restaurants, shops and waves for everyone.
Playa GrandeGood for surfing
A vast, powerful beach; leatherback turtles nest here in Las Baulas National Marine Park.
Playa LangostaHouse favoriteGood for surfing
A surf break south of Tamarindo, quieter and more residential.
Playa OstionalTurtle nesting beach
A refuge where thousands of olive ridley turtles nest in the arribadas, almost every month of the year.
Playa Prieta
A calm cove inside Papagayo Peninsula.
Playa BarrigonaHouse favoriteGood for surfing
A remote surf beach reached by a gravel road.
San Juanillo
White-sand coves with crystal-clear water south of Nosara.
Playa Minas
A hidden cove between the rocks, near Las Catalinas.
Guiones SurGood for surfing
Nosara's surf beach, with a yoga spirit and beautiful sunsets.
Playa PeladaHouse favorite
The wildest beach of the Ostional refuge, between Guiones and Nosara.
Costa Rica favorites
Manuel Antonio
A national park with rainforest, monkeys and light-sand beaches on the Central Pacific.
Santa Teresa — Mal PaísHouse favoriteGood for surfing
Surf beaches with a bohemian vibe at the tip of the Pacific.
Uvita — Bahía Ballena
Its sand draws the "whale tail" of Marino Ballena National Park.
Puerto Viejo de TalamancaHouse favorite
Caribbean: dark-sand beaches, cacao and Caribbean rhythm next to Cahuita.
Costa Rica has countless beaches; this is just a list of our favorites. Those marked with are the ones we love most, are good for surfing, and Ostional is a nesting beach for olive ridley turtles (arribadas).