Playas Del Coco, Costa Rica: The Small Fishing Village in Gulf of Papagayo

Playas del Coco in Costa Rica is a popular beach town for both locals and international visitors thanks to its close proximity to the Guanacaste Airport, other beaches and tons of fun ocean activities.

It’s also a family friendly destination in Costa Rica, offering plenty to do and see for a fantastic beach vacation and winter escape.

Use our guide to visit Playas del Coco and find out where to stay, where to eat, what to do and more to help plan your dream vacation to Costa Rica!

Playas del Coco is also known as Playa del Coco or El Coco.

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Playas del Coco Beach and Town

The dark sand beach of Playas del Coco lies within the Gulf of Papagayo and stretches 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from point to point.

This small coastal village was known for excellent fishing for many decades.

Now it is a top tourist destination in Costa Rica once people discovered that it was a very suitable launch point for tons of other activities like surfing, scuba diving, spotting marine life and snorkeling.

Swimming and bathing are perfectly suitable with nearly year round gentle waves. On some days when there is a swell, waves are perfect for skim boarding.

On those days, you’ll see lots of local kids skim boarding and having fun.

Sunsets at El Coco beach are amazing and when we lived there, we would walk out to watch them almost every day.

Three islands can be seen from the main beach of El Coco where many divers go to swim with sharks, octopus, turtles and stingrays.

Many hills and cliffs surround the horseshoe shaped beach.

The Town

Coco town is very small with one main street (Route 151) going all the way to the main park and beach entrance.

There are many bars, restaurants and shops on the main street of downtown. The small neighborhoods are right outside the center of town.

Location

Playas del Coco is located on the North Pacific side of Costa Rica in the Guanacaste province.

How to Get to Playas del Coco

What airport to fly into for Playas del Coco and the Coco area: Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport or Guanacaste Airport. LIR airport code.

Playas del Coco is 27 kilometers (17 miles) and a 30 minute drive from Guanacaste Airport.

Playas del Coco is 243 kilometers (151 miles) and a minimum ~4.5 hour drive from San Jose.

By bus: The Pulmitan de Liberia (public bus) runs from Liberia to Coco from 5 AM to 7 PM every hour costing ~550 colones one way (~$1 USD). You will need to walk 30 minutes under a hot sun onto the Highway 21 to flag down this bus as it doesn’t normally pass by the airport.

By shuttle: You can pre-book a private shuttle which costs around $85 USD for 1-5 people. Private shuttle drivers will pick you up directly at the airport and drop you off at your hotel.

By taxis: Make sure to take the official taxis from the taxi stand.

By car: Many people rent a car and pick it up once they land at Guanacaste Airport. The drive to Coco from the airport is straight forward and easy to drive. Make reservations beforehand for the best deal and to know what to expect.

If you’re planning on renting a car, take advantage of our Costa Rica car rental discount.

Uber: Don’t count on using Uber from the airport – police look for Uber drivers. This method is unreliable. It’s better to book a private shuttle instead.

From San Jose

If you’re coming from San Jose, it’s about a 5 hour drive to Coco beach.

The cheapest transportation method is to take the bus, which costs around 4500 CRC per person and takes around 5.5 hours.

Read our complete guide to taking the bus from San Jose to Coco.

You can also take a local flight with Sansa Air (~30 minutes) to Guanacaste Airport and then shuttle/bus/taxi/drive to Playas del Coco.

A private shuttle from San Jose to Coco costs around $300 USD total for 1-8 people. In case you’d like to book a private shuttle, please contact us for a quote.

Shared shuttles from San Jose to Coco are available as well.

Get 10% off your Interbus shared shuttle ride!

How to Get Around Coco Beach

Coco is a walkable town. However, it is very hot so make sure you are prepared for the intense sun if you’re out between 10 AM to 3 PM.

There are golf carts, ebikes and escooters for rent.

You can also call Ubers in Coco.

Playas del Coco Weather

Playas del Coco experiences the typical tropical season weather: dry and rainy.

However, it does tend to have a longer dry season than the rest of Costa Rica due to its location and surrounding mountains.

Dry Season

Dry season in Costa Rica is normally December through April with day time temperatures around high 80s° to low 90s° F (3°1-33° C),

The Playas del Coco area looks like a yellow desert because it becomes very dry and arid. March and April are the hottest months.

It can get up to 38-40° C (100-104° F) during the day and 26­°F (80° F) at night.

Rainy Season

As for rainy season in Costa Rica, which is May through November, day and night time temperatures do not vary greatly from the dry season. They only go down a few degrees.

Playas del Coco usually doesn’t start raining consistently until around August. October is the peak rainy month for most of Costa Rica. 

During rainy season, a typical day is cloudy and dry in the morning with off and on showers in late afternoon and nights.

As soon as this area gets a few hard rains, the mountains turn very green.

May is considered a transition month so it may be super cloudy but not rain much at all. June may rain a bit more in the afternoons and nights but still with dry mornings.

In July, it dries up for a few weeks and feels like summer.

By end of August or so, there will be more afternoon and night rains. It is not typical for Coco to rain all day, it is usually off and on showers in the late afternoons and nights.

Rain in Playas del Coco

Here’s a short clip of rain in Playas del Coco in May.

This is a very good representation of a typical rain in the rainy season. It rained very hard like this for about 20 minutes, then stopped and got sunny the next minute.

When it stopped raining, the clouds cleared up and it became very sunny and humid. On and off rains are characteristic of tropical weather.

Something else to know about Playas del Coco is that due to the dryness, shorter rainy season and surrounding resorts, Coco sometimes experiences water shortages.

Playas del Coco Restaurants

Here are some of our favorite places to eat in Coco.

• Soda La Teresita – local food, beachfront, reasonable prices.
• Villa Italia – Italian, decent prices, excellent pasta.
• Le Coq – Yummy wraps, hummus, falafel. In downtown across from Coconutz.
• Soda Mediterranea: A local favorite for typical Costa Rican food
• Johann Bistro – coffee, sandwiches, Costa Rican food, sushi, a bit of everything. Reasonable prices and close to the beach near the park.
• Heladeria El Coco – Amazing gelato. In downtown near Coco Beach Hotel
• Java Coffee: Chill place for coffee and food. Nice breakfast spot.
• Masala: Really good Indian restaurant.
• Tortuga Bar: Beachfront restaurant bar and grill. Will cook your catch for you. We had yummy cold drinks.
• Simbiosis Bistro: Great spot for breakfast/brunch.
• Soda Mar & Tierra Doña Flor: Little soda across the La Puerta del Sol hotel in a small back road. Good traditional food for reasonable prices.
• Cafe Corazon: Nice little cafe near the beach with coffee, breakfasts, waffles.

Playas del Coco Hotels

Coco doesn’t have a ton of hotels. The ones there are, they’re more modest and basic places.

• Toro Blanco: a modest hotel one minute walk to the park,beach and town. Mid range, comes with an equipped kitchenette, swim up bar and pool.
• Hotel Colono: Right in downtown, surrounded by restaurants and across from the Super Compro. 15 minute walk to the beach.
• Hotel La Puerta del Sol: another mid range option close to the beach with a pool. 5 minute walk to the beach. They have a restaurant nearby that is very good called The Garden Bar.
• Hotel Villa del Sol: A clean hotel with lots of gardens and a pool. The property is big with outdoor seating and a barbecue area. 20 minute walk to town or short taxi ride

All Inclusive Resorts

If you’re looking for a resort or all inclusive in the area, there are several within a 30 minute drive of Playas del Coco.

Some are Hotel Riu Guanacaste, Riu Palace, Four Seasons (not all inclusive), Secrets (all inclusive), Planet Hollywood (all inclusive), Occidental Papagayo (all inclusive) and Andaz (boutique resort).

Vacation Rentals

Vacation rentals are very popular in Playas del Coco as there are very few hotels.

There are a couple popular neighborhoods for these short term and long term rentals.

One of those is Las Palmas which is a 2 minute walk to the beach. This neighborhood has 1 or 2 bedrooms apartment in a 10-12 unit community.

Pacifico/Breeze Private Residence (luxury, 2-3 floors, gated, 20 minute walk to the beach) is a more upscale condo complex.

However, there are many other condos and neighborhoods for rentals on VRBO and Airbnb.

If you stay at the Pacifico Residencies, you have access to their exclusive beach club with restaurants, bars, a poolside bar, jacuzzis and cabanas.

Here is a review of one of the more local Airbnbs in Coco.

Things to do in Coco Beach

There are a ton of fun things to do in Playas del Coco and the area.

Thanks to its excellent location on the coast, there is a plethora of ocean and land activities to enjoy for day trips.

Scuba diving

Playas del Coco is one of the best spots in Costa Rica for scuba diving since you’re close to several excellent islands like Monkey Head, Bat Islands and Catalinas Islands.

If you aren’t certified, it’s ok! Scuba dive shops will offer a discovery dive which include an hour of practical instruction before the two tank dive.

Surfing

Although you can’t surf at Coco beach, you can take a 50 minute boat ride to Witch’s Rock in Santa Rosa National Park, one of Costa Rica’s premiere surf spots.

This is for intermediate and expert surfers. If you are a beginner or first timer, it is best to go to Tamarindo beach for surf lessons.

Sport Fishing/ Inshore Fishing

Since Coco was a former fishing village and for the most part, still is, the fishing is one of the best in Costa Rica. You can go in shore or off shore fishing to catch red snapper, mahi mahi, tuna, sailfish and more.

Go inshore fishing in the Gulf of Papagayo or go offshore sport fishing out in the Pacific Ocean.

Other Activities

Other activities to do in the Coco area are kayaking, sunset sailing, watching the sunset on the beach, happy hour and hanging out at the local park.

If you are here on a Sunday, check out the local market on Sundays from 9 AM – 2 PM near Hotel Puerta del Sol (called Pamela’s Coco Sunday Market).

You can also visit other popular beaches in the area (accessible by car) such as Playa Ocotal, Playa Hermosa Guanacaste and Playa Panama. You can get to Playa Ocotal by bike, golf cart or car.

Our favorite activity – beach hopping and snorkeling in Gulf of Papagayo

Our favorite activity? Boating around the Gulf of Papagayo.

This is the best way to experience all the wonders of this part of Costa Rica such as hidden white sand beaches, caves, amazing snorkel spots and marine wildlife like sea turtles and dolphins.

Coco beach is not that pretty but right around the corner are some beautiful beaches with clear waters.

Likewise, you can’t snorkel at Coco beach but you can at boat access only snorkel spots just a short ride away!

We always go with our local friend who owns a boating company and takes us on private tours.

This is the best way to explore nearby beaches, see the coastlines, spot dolphins, rays, whales and sea turtles and go snorkeling!

Day Trips

When tourists come to Coco, they usually enjoy the beach/town for a couple days and the rest of the time, go on tours.

Coco’s location makes it an excellent home base to explore national parks like Rincon de la Vieja and the Rio Celeste river in Tenorio Volcano National Park!

You can also learn about Costa Rican culture and see wildlife at Hacienda El Viejo (get 7% off), zipline at Diamante Eco adventure Park (get our 10% promo code), go ziplining/horseback riding/hot springs/mud baths at Vandara (get 7% off in the link) or walk the rainforest hanging bridges and see sloths on a Bijagua rainforest tour.

Find out what the best day trips from Coco are here. You can contact us in case you are interested in booking any day tours like Rincon de la Vieja National Park, Rio Celeste, white water rafting, horseback riding and more!

Sample Playas del Coco Itineraries

As we lived in El Coco for 4 years, we’ve had many friends and family visit us. Here are some ideas of itineraries.

4 days (car not necessary)

• Day 1: land at Guanacaste Airport, rest, watch sunset on beach, have dinner at Zi Lounge.
• Day 2: Full day beach hop, snorkel and fishing in Gulf of Papagayo. Do a 10 AM to 6 PM tour to see the sunset from the boat.
• Day 3: Rest, sleep in, do some shopping, walk around town. Food recommendations: El Coq, Soda Teresita or Papagayo Seafood.
• Day 4: 1 day adventure tour at Hacienda Guachipelin for ziplining, horseback riding, hot springs, mud baths and white water tubing. Or Diamante Eco Adventure Park for ziplining, animal sanctuary and cultural experience.

1 week: using Coco as a homebase and renting a car. Lots of adventure!

• Day 1: Land at airport, rest, etc.
• Day 2: Full day beach hop, snorkel and fishing. Rest, shower, get dinner at one of the bars in town.
• Day 3: Rio Celeste hike. This is a full day activity with around 4.5 hours driving total. Alternative option is the easy hike at Rincon de la Vieja around the boiling mud pots, hot springs and mud baths.
• Day 4: Diamante ziplining. Go in the morning for best weather. Relax and rest the rest of the afternoon.
• Day 5: Visit Tamarindo beach town. 1 hour and 15 minute drive one way. Take a surf lesson.
• Day 6: Rest, shop. You can drive around to explore some more beaches if you like. Check out Playa Hermosa, Ocotal or Panama. If you want to explore, head down south to Playa Conchal (1 hour one way) to see a unique white shell beach.
• Day 7: Fly out

Playas del Coco Nightlife

Even though Coco may look like a small quiet town during the day, it all changes at night.

The biggest bars are El Ancla, Bambu, Coconutz and Zi Lounge. Coconutz is a sports bar with multiple TV’s everywhere and they always have some big game on.

Zi Lounge has live music on the weekends and is a more chill atmosphere.

All the bars are open with counter seating along the perimeter so you can have a drink, eat, and people watch to your heart’s content.

During weekends and holidays, music blasts from all the bars and there’s always a party going on. Sometimes they’ll have live music and you can dance the night away.

If you’re in Coco during Christmas and New Years, you’ll get to experience one of the biggest parties in Costa Rica!

Additionally, there is a small park called Parque Amor de Temporada with a nice boardwalk where one can sit and watch the sunset, listen to live music or people watch. You can also enjoy a nice fresh coconut water (pipa fria) or a shaved ice treat (copo).

Health

Playas del Coco has a public clinic run by the government called Ebais. There are also private clinics like Coco Medical Center and Costa Doc.

Shopping

There are several souvenir stores in Playas del Coco. The souvenir shops line the main street of Coco with lots of wood-carved sculptures, jewelry, handbags, clothes, hammocks and trinkets.

Though the souvenir shops have lots of items, I like Sussy Souvenirs which is near the park at the main entrance of the beach.

The Pacifico Village Shops also has some cute stores with nicer trinkets, jewelry and gifts.

As for supermarkets, there are several options in town. The Auto Mercado is the more high end market with more international products, and then there is also the Maxi Pali, Mega Super and Super Compro.

There is also a Coco Sunday Market for organic produce, food, trinkets and treats (Sundays, 10 AM to 2 PM, small).

Living in Playas del Coco

Playas del Coco is a popular place for Canadian, American and European expatriates, immigrants and retirees as it offers a relaxed and easy pura vida lifestyle with highly agreeable weather year round.

This is what many people are looking for when searching for their new home in Costa Rica and they find it in Coco.

These are just some reasons why so many people move to Playas del Coco as a retiree as it is perfect for someone looking for a relaxed and slower pace of life.

It’s an attractive place to get away from the cold or for someone who needs to leave their stresses of life behind.

We lived there for 4 years and have many family and friends who are still there. Although we don’t live there anymore, we enjoyed our time in Coco and love visiting!

Read more beach town guides below!

Samara, Costa Rica: Family friendly beach town in South Guanacaste with surfing and a chill atmosphere
Flamingo, Costa Rica: Small upscale beach community in North Guanacaste with a white sand beach and marina
Jaco, Costa Rica: The most developed beach town and the surfing mecca of Costa Rica in the Central Pacific
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica: Small party beach town on the South Caribbean coast

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