Best Beaches in Costa Rica

Looking for an unique beach? Try Conchal Beach with its cover of white shells instead of sand. It’s quite a tourist destination and can be especially crowded on the weekends. With the luxurious Westin Resort situated directly on the beach, you can step from your room onto the sea shell beach and then into the war, azure water of the Pacific. Take note, however, that the waves are not calm in this area, so children and non-swimmers should beware. If you are especially looking for shells, walk to the northern end of the beach, but don’t take the shells away from the beach.

After you have seen enough shell, venture to the part of the beach named Puerto Viejo and enter into the small estuary, Reserva Conchal. You might also enjoy snorkeling on the north end, jet skiing, horseback riding, scuba diving, and deep sea fishing. For the most spectacular views of Conchal Beach and the surrounding area, take a sailing tour. However, Conchal Beach has obligatory surf schools with lessons from beginners to the more advanced. Conchal Beach will certainly leave you with many special memories to take home.

With over 300 beautiful beaches in Costa Rica, it’s difficult to determine which beaches deserve superlatives such as “prettiest” and “best waves” and “most beautiful sunsets,” but Samara Beach on the western shore of the Nicoya Peninsula is certainly one of them. It’s widely considered one of the prettiest and safest beaches in Costa Rica. The sparkling, calm, blue water, the dazzling white beach that’s lined with swaying palm trees, the thriving tropical plants, and living coral along a three-mile long Pacific coastline combine to make Samara Beach a very special place.

You might want to plan your trip to Samara Beach to coincide with its famous rodeo, a great experience for both locals and tourists. Another option is to plan some birding and wildlife expeditions or to do some howler monkeys watching. A very popular activity is to walk the horse-shoe shaped beach from end to end, and with so many palm trees, you’ll find the perfect place to spread out your beach towel or hang your hammock. No matter when your plans are at Samara Beach, you are certain to have a fabulous time.

Dominical Beach, or Playa Dominical, is a true Costa Rican beauty, with tropical jungle lining the golden sand, and turquoise waters crashing on the shore. This beach is a surfing mecca, with some of the most consistent waves in the country. The waves stand as high as ten feet tall, giving advanced surfers the thrill that they came for. Surf. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. This is the mentality of many surfers that flock to the waters, and it's common for them to camp out on the sand for the night. Swimmers should exercise caution, as riptides are strong throughout much of the beach.

An excursion to the nearby Caño Island offers stunning coral reefs, sea turtles, stingrays, and more. This engaging location is a scuba-diving hotspot, with colorful, underwater attractions at every turn. Because the island is a part of a biological reserve, the number of divers is limited per day, so be sure to reserve a spot before you go. Kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding are also great ways to explore the marine life as you slice through the nature-filled waters. The lush, forest greenery beside the beach is home to as many species as the sea is, with hundreds of bird species scaling the trees.

The scenic hike to Nauyaca Waterfalls is one of the best day trips in the area, with a natural swimming hole at the bottom of the stunning, 61-meter falls. Haciends Baru is another one of Mother Nature's gems and has forests, mangroves, and grasslands within its boundaries. There are a few nearby hotels and accommodations, including Plaza Suites, MAVI Surf Hotel, and Roca Verde. Dominical Beach is clearly the quintessential destination for nature enthusiasts, avid surfers, and beachside relaxers. Set foot on the sands of this beach, and you'll want to call Dominical Beach "home" forever.

The beach at the small town of Montezuma in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica was only a remote fishing village until the 1980s when budget-minded visitors discovered its beauty. Still a relatively quiet village on the southern tip of the famous Nicoya Peninsula, Montezuma and the nearby Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve draw backpackers and eco-tourists to its rivers, beaches, and waterfalls and is considered somewhat bohemian with its funky international guests and open-minded locals. The beach here is especially well-suited for snorkeling because in the dry season the water is very transparent and the rock formations are teeming with fish, Moray eels, sea turtles, and octopi.

Costa Rica has gained international prominence as a surfing destination, and Montezuma boasts exceptionally important surf spots such as Playa Grande, Los Cedros, and Rio Lajas. Anamaya Surf Camp is a luxury retreat center, and La Escula del Sol Surf School is an all-inclusive school that teaches surfing, fire dancing, yoga, and the Spanish language. The beach town has an active nightlife, numerous diverse restaurants, and a plethora of arts and crafts galleries as well as artists selling their goods along the streets.

Looking for the place where the surf is always up? Try the quintessential surf village of Santa Teresa, a small beach town where the sun is bright, the sands is sparkling, and the water is crystal clear. And while your initial lure might be the beach, you’ll be surprised by the fishing, the kite-surfing, the yoga and spas, and the gorgeous sunsets. Even though Santa Teresa has recently boomed in popularity, it has managed to resist the high-rises and still has a pristine coastline with sandy white beaches bordered by a broad strip of forests and jungle covered hills that separate the beach from the town.

Santa Teresa is a great place for novice surfers with its easy-going breaks and many surf schools and camps, but Santa Teresa is about more than surfing. Try one of the long hikes along the scenic coastline, swim and investigate interesting sea life in the tidal pools, go snorkeling or fishing, or read a book while enjoying the amazing views from any direction.

Visitors often mention the memorable sunsets at the beach where the entire town seems to gather. Watching surfers show their talents, chatting with the Ticos, enjoying the bonfires, and planning for the rest of the evening all combine to make visitors feel welcome. Don’t be surprised if the beauty and atmosphere of Santa Teresa make you think about joining the many others who have settled at Santa Teresa permanently!

Covering the coast of Costa Rica from Dominical south to Ojochal, the Coast Ballena, or Whale Coast, offers vast stretches of rugged shoreline and unspoiled beaches. This part of the southern Pacific region of the country has a unique character thanks to its incredible biodiversity and sporting options of surfing, snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving, sport fishing, canopy tours, and tree-climbing escapades, and most importantly, as the name suggests, whale watching.

With a wide diversity in accommodations, everyone will find lodging that fits their budget and wishes. Several cities dot the shore along the Whale Coast including Buenos Aires, Coronado, Playa Bahia Ballena, and Playa Tortuga. With pristine beaches, rolling green mountains, exotic wildlife, and a laid-back atmosphere, the towns of Costa Ballena has much to offer visitors.

Although there aren’t any actual flamingos here, what you’ll see at Flamingo Beach, located on Guanacaste’s Gold Coast, is pristine white sand and more water sports offerings than you could possibly imagine. Add to the water sports the fact that Flamingo has world-class golfing at the award-winning Garra de Leon golf course, and you have the perfect vacation spot for many families. Snorkeling, diving, swimming, sunset cruising, and surfing are popular activities, and the sport fishing adventures departing from Flamingo Beach are among the best on the entire Pacific coast. Regarding the popular surfing in Costa Rica, Flamingo’s Potrero Grande surf break is highly ranked and is less crowded than Tamarindo Beach.

Flamingo Beach is the perfect location for a family getaway. On this Costa Rican oasis, you are sure to find unique fish that belong to multiple endangered species. Nearby, you can visit the Las Baulas National Marine Park, which serves as a home to leatherback turtles. Come in the months of October to February, and you will likely see these turtles give birth to their offspring. If you’re up for a more exhilarating adventure, scuba diving is available at the nearby Catalina Islands.

Flamingo Beach is a bit unique in that it incredibly remains relatively undeveloped and has only one resort directly on the beach. All other accommodations are on a hillside overlooking the beach and creating spectacular vistas. End your day with a superb dinner at Angelina’s, a beautiful restaurant located at the nearby Flamingo Resort.

Located in the city of Hermosa Beach in the South Bay region of Los Angeles, Hermosa Beach – also known as Hermosa City Beach – is a popular two-mile-long beach that has light brown sand and a pier named Hermosa Beach Pier.  This beach is spread over 94 acres and it has been listed by the Travel Channel as one of the “Top 10 Beaches in the United States.” It has also been listed as one of the best beaches in Los Angeles County by many online and print publications including Thrillist and LA Weekly.

Hermosa Beach is usually open between 6 am and midnight.

On the Papagayo Peninsula, off the beaten path and a short drive from Liberia, Playa Nacascolo is the perfect beach for families with young children. Activities here include splashing in the warm, clear, and calm water, seeing white-faced monkeys, enjoying the peace of uncrowded beaches, and opportunities for birding and for whale and dolphin watching.

At the ranger station at Nacascolo Beach, you’ll have free parking, drinking fountains, picnic tables, restrooms, and outdoor showers. From there you’ll catch a free shuttle to the area next to the beach, and then a boardwalk leads to the beach itself. Bring everything you’ll possibly need for the day because there are no vendors. The beach is long with little shade, so you should bring a sun umbrella, plenty of sunscreen, and plenty of fresh water.

Nacascolo Beach is the place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the world and to commune with family, friends, animals, and all of nature.