Tamarindo – Guanacaste Region of Costa Rica
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Once a quite fishing hamlet, Tamarindo has evolved to be the area’s most developed and accessible tourist town. Located on the central west coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, Tamarindo offers visitors of every budget a chance to
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experience the region’s unspoiled beaches and incredible biodiversity in a range of accommodations. Despite the town’s recent and ongoing development, it still retains that laidback vibe so characteristic of the region
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Seperated from Tamarindo by the Río Matapalo is Playa Grande, an uninspiring crop of pebble-rock seashore with the exception of numerous tide pools that are exposed at low tides. However, surfing along Playa Grande is ideal—regardless of skill level. The town hosts several international surf competitions, a testament to the quality of surf available. Visitors seeking luxurious accommodations can do so south of Playa Grande at Playa Langosta, a pristine white-sand beach near the Río San Francisco.
As a regional hub, Tamarindo offers a wide-range of extensive services to visitors including sport fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, and horseback riding. The Tamarindo airport offers visitors in the San José area a seamless method of travel to the area, and Liberia is a close 50 kilometers (31 mi) for visitors already bound on international flights to Nicoya.
Perhaps Tamarindo’s greatest appeal is its proximity to the Tamarindo National Wildlife Refuge, which comprises 1,000 acres (400 ha) of dazzling protected forest, including abundant mangroves and estuaries. Tours of the fascinating plant and animal life can be arranged from Tamarindo, including canoe tours of costal habitats. Just north of town is the Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas, which offers visitors an opportunity to see the world’s largest reptile, the leatherback turtle, come ashore to lay eggs. Also close by is the Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Ostional and Parque Nacional Barra Honda.
Tamarindo’s extensive development has imbued elements of affluent foreign culture from modernist cafés to chic restaurants into the fundamentally Tico culture, making for an appealing combination of both worlds. North Americans and Europeans in particular will enjoy the many elements of their own culture offered in Tamarindo along with the authenticity of local culture.
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As a regional hub, Tamarindo offers a wide-range of extensive services to visitors including sport fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, and horseback riding. The Tamarindo airport offers visitors in the San José area a seamless method of travel to the area, and Liberia is a close 50 kilometers (31 mi) for visitors already bound on international flights to Nicoya.
Perhaps Tamarindo’s greatest appeal is its proximity to the Tamarindo National Wildlife Refuge, which comprises 1,000 acres (400 ha) of dazzling protected forest, including abundant mangroves and estuaries. Tours of the fascinating plant and animal life can be arranged from Tamarindo, including canoe tours of costal habitats. Just north of town is the Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas, which offers visitors an opportunity to see the world’s largest reptile, the leatherback turtle, come ashore to lay eggs. Also close by is the Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Ostional and Parque Nacional Barra Honda.
Tamarindo’s extensive development has imbued elements of affluent foreign culture from modernist cafés to chic restaurants into the fundamentally Tico culture, making for an appealing combination of both worlds. North Americans and Europeans in particular will enjoy the many elements of their own culture offered in Tamarindo along with the authenticity of local culture.
Comments
"Tamarindo felt very safe. Yes it was touristy but I was craving that because the rest of CR in the area is so remote. The locals were very friendly and my overall experience in Tamarindo was good."
Mar 2013
"Tamarindo was great, small touristy zone but not over done, lots of english speaking people working in the shops and tours to tlak with, best beach in the area is right in town. Restuarants were excellent and night life was over the top with bars right on the street elvel and people moving about. There was enough supervision fromsecurity and police you did not feel unsafe anywhere. "
Feb 2013
"We found a little place called the "Falafel Bar" which had excellent Middle-Eastern food with very reasonable prices. Very touristy, but we expected that. Great for surfer types. "
Feb 2013
"Nice beach town. Sunny and hot, great public beach with great surfing. Ocean is warm and clean. Town is pretty busy and trafic is heavy. But overall we loved it here. A real surfer town."
Feb 2013
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"Quiet beach with some fun shopping near by. We did feel safe and loved the non crowded beach! The girls took surf lessons and truely enjoyed that experience. All the locals were pleasant and this area is so relaxing!"
Mar 2013