Costa Rica’s Pacific and Caribbean coasts are home to some incredible beaches so if you’re planning the ultimate beach vacation, here is our list of the best beaches in Costa Rica for tourists.
Best Beaches in Costa Rica Map
Click here to go to a map of all the beaches in this post.
Manuel Antonio National Park – Manuel Antonio Beach
Any talk of the best beaches in Costa Rica inevitably involves Manuel Antonio National Park. With 4 white sand beaches inside the park and 1 outside, you will be left in awe of its beauty. It’s clear why Manuel Antonio is one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica!
Manuel Antonio beach is the most popular beach inside the national park with clear turquoise waters and white sand. Additionally, you’re nearly guaranteed to see white face monkeys in the surrounding treetops at Manuel Antonio beach!
The other beaches, Puerto Escondido, Gemelas and Espadilla are equally as stunning.Make sure to read our Manuel Antonio National Park post to find out more about the beaches and hiking trails.
Playa Cocles (Limon)
On the Caribbean coast, Puerto Viejo has some of the most beautiful beaches in all of Costa Rica! One of those is Playa Cocles.
Cocles is one of the best beaches in Costa Rica due to its soft sand, palm tree dotted shores and seasonal surfing waves. Plus it’s only 4 kilometers from Puerto Viejo downtown, making it an ideal beach to stay at outside of town.
Sometimes Cocles can get very busy so if you walk to the south end where the river is, you can find a spot all to yourself away from the crowds.
Cahuita (Limon)
Continuing on beautiful beaches on the Caribbean coast are the beaches inside Cahuita National Park, Playa Blanca and Playa Vargas. These beaches have one of the biggest coral reefs in the country and have beautiful white sand and clear waters.
As these beaches are in a rarely crowded national park, you can have them all to themselves. Keep your eyes open because it’s common to see white face monkeys, iguanas and sloths in the trees!
We recommend taking a guided hike of the national park since there is so much wildlife. There’s a nice path that runs parallel to the beach that’s very easy to walk on. You can spend a whole day hiking, swimming and seeing wildlife in Cahuita.
Punta Uva and Playa Arrecife (Limon)
Another amazing beach on the Pacific coast are the beaches of Punta Uva: Playa Punta Uva and Playa Arrecife
With a long line of palm trees, bright turquoise water and soft white sand, it’s perfect for hanging up a hammock. Walk the short trail through the jutting inlet to get breathtaking views of both beaches.
Another amazing thing about Punta Uva is that there is a section called sloth point. As you may have guessed, you can see families of sloth in the palm trees!
Conchal Beach (Guanacaste)
Conchal is a spectacular beach in Guanacaste with one unique characteristic that makes it so attractive: it has shells instead of sand! The shore is made up of millions of little pieces of sparkling white shells, gently kissed by baby blue waters.
The public access to Conchal beach takes a bit of planning but it’s 100% worth it. As soon as you see Conchal beach, you will see why it’s always on the list of best beaches in Costa Rica!
The only two beach front hotels on Playa Conchal with their own access is the Westin Conchal and W Costa Rica.
Flamingo Beach (Guanacaste)
Flamingo is another gorgeous beach in Guanacaste. It is world famous for fishing but the mile long, crescent shaped beach is what truly attracts visitors. Some of the best water activities can be found in Flamingo such as sport fishing, scuba diving and snorkeling.
The residing North American expat community has made Flamingo a luxury beach town so all you’ll find are luxury condos and resorts. If you’re on a budget, keep that in mind. People who want to be near Flamingo but don’t want to stay in a luxury hotel stay in Potrero instead.
Although this isn’t a white sand beach, the lush mountains enveloping the shore are a unique type of beauty. It’s in the national park so you have to pay the entrance fee to visit but it’s well worth it.
Playa Samara (Guanacaste)
Samara is another one of the best beaches in Costa Rica for families. This laid back beach has plenty of land and water activities to enjoy. There is even a nearby island with great snorkeling you can kayak to!
But the thing that we love the most about Playa Samara? The sunsets. Do I have to say more?
Another wonderful beach near Samara is Carrillo. We actually prefer Carrillo more than Samara because there are way less people and has more of a Costa Rican vibe. Samara is very touristic and can get extremely busy during the summer months so to experience a more Tico beach, head to Carrillo.
Hotel Villas Playa Samara and Azura Beach Resort (adult only) are two beachfront resorts on Playa Samara.
Santa Teresa, Playa Carmen and Hermosa Beach
In the Nicoya Peninsula lies a stretch of surfing beaches: Carmen, Hermosa and Santa Teresa beach. Since this area is in a fairly undeveloped part of Costa Rica, the beaches are wild, rugged and untamed, making for a more pristine beach experience.
Although the beaches aren’t great for swimming, the rocky coastlines, whiteish sand and bright blue waters make for beautiful views and sunsets. The surf here is incredible with waves all year round for all levels.
Want to visit Santa Teresa: You can read our 2 week Costa Rica itinerary to see how we visited this coastal town.
Montezuma Beach
When it comes to fascinating coastal landscapes, Montezuma beach definitely earns that reputation. Montezuma is a small beach town in the Nicoya Peninsula and has some of the wildest, most striking coastlines in the country.
The beaches in Montezuma are not the best for swimming because stretches of rocks weave in and out of the coast. However, in low tide you can lay in the tide pools! The beaches stretch for miles and the further south you go, the less humans you’ll see and more monkeys you’ll encounter.
You can also see the release of baby turtles on Playa Montezuma during certain months of the year. When we visited in February, they released baby turtles every day at 4 PM.
For a beautiful beachfront resort, check out Ylang Ylang Resort.
Tamarindo Beach (Guanacaste)
Though Tamarindo is more touristic, it is a lovely beach with excellent surfing waves and sunsets, making it to our list of best beaches in Costa Rica.
There are a few hotels on the beach such as the Tamarindo Diria and Villa Amarilla but the ocean views hotels are our favorite such as Esplendor and Jardin del Eden. Tamarindo is a touristic beach town but has a lot of fun activities and is a great place for backpackers, surfers and families alike.
Another beautiful beach near Tamarindo is Langosta. It has whiter sand, great surfing waves and way less people!
Uvita Beach (Puntarenas)
Located in Marino Ballena National Park, Playa Uvita is part of the famous Whale’s Tail in Costa Rica. At low tide, the rocky shore forms the shape of a whale’s tail! It is appropriately named since this area is the best in Costa Rica to see humpback whales.
As such, Playa Uvita is also the launching point for whale watching tours as humpback whales are greatly abundant in this area. If you’re lucky, you may be able to see them from shore!
Another amazing beach in Uvita is Playa Hermosa. Since this one is outside the town center, you can very well have it all to yourself!
Tortuga Island
Tortuga Island is an island in the Nicoya Peninsula, only accessible by boat. The beach on the island is a stunning white sand beach with incredibly clear turquoise water and excellent snorkeling.
The most popular way to visit is to take the Tortuga Island one day cruise (get $10 off the tour in the link). Sail through the Gulf of Nicoya, spend 5 hours on the beach and cruise back under sunset. It’s one of the best day trips from San Jose and Jaco as well!
Playa San Juanillo (Guanacaste)
Playa San Juanilo is one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica in our opinion. Two white sand beaches come together and you can walk up to the point where they meet for absolutely jaw dropping views.
Waves are soft for swimming and the water is a clear blue. It’s not a very big beach but it’s perfect for a picnic, laying out or swimming.
San Juanillo is a tiny local fishing town in a non-touristy area of Guanacaste, perfect for a day trip visiting a hidden gem in Costa Rica. Make sure to go during high tide so that you can see the two white sand shores. Otherwise it is extremely rocky. And make sure to rent a 4×4!
Read about the best beaches in Guanacaste here!
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Laurie says
What would be good beaches for young children that are very calm in Feb.-March? We went to Playa Hermosa this year in Guanacaste and loved it. It was so calm compared to the nearby beaches with much larger waves. We are mostly looking for calm water for swimming, nice soft sand (if possible) and some amenities like washrooms or restaurants nearby. Not sure if we will venture to the Caribbean side if the crime is higher there, and we’d prefer not to go to the same area in Guanacaste. Thanks!
Sammi says
I know families love Samara, Costa Rica but it is a surfing beach so not quite as calm as Hermosa. Ocotal and Panama are two other good options but that’s the same area so not sure if you want to stay in the same area.
Lea says
I just love your site. Thank you for all the concise info. My husband has a really bad knee and can’t hike long distances. We love a really, really quiet beach without crowds but with excellent snorkeling. Do you have a recommendation that’s accessible?
Sammi says
Costa Rica doesn’t have the most amazing snorkeling, but here are some beaches with decent snorkeling: Playa Cuevas, Mal Pais, Cahuita National Park (most go on a tour and you have to get to the snorkel place by boat) and Ocotal, Costa Rica
Susie says
Looking to retire in Costa Rica. Want a small quaint beach town with a walkable downtown area with shops and restaurants preferably in Guanacaste region due to proximity of health care. Any suggestions
Sammi says
I would check out Playas del Coco guide , it’s a popular North American retirement town in Guanacaste at the beach. Lots of retirees there who move there for exactly what you’re looking for.
Igor says
I’ve read somewhere about crocodiles spotted around flamingo beach, is it right?
What other beaches have that problem? 🙂
Thanks
Sammi says
Tamarindo, Jaco sometimes!
Jen says
Some of my favorite beaches were in Puerto Viejo a short bus ride from Cahuita. My all-time favorite Beach was Playa Negra in Puerto Viejo. It had such unique fine black sand, calm waters for swimming, stunning sunsets, and a super cool shipwreck that you can jump off of. I definitely recommend renting a bike in Puerto Viejo. I rented a bike for under $5 a day and went Beach hopping. The furthest beach biked to was over an hour away but there were still lots in a shorter distance.
Rob says
Stayed at the riu guancaste last year in costa rica…definitely wasn’t calm on the water …blew about 25 or 30 mph ….resort wasn’t bad but not a place for snorkeling
john cross says
I have not seen them all. I keep going back to Manual Antonio. Great sunset.
John Cross, Atlanta USA
Sammi says
Manuel Antonio has some beautiful beaches, it’s a gorgeous area!
pri says
You missed Playa Manzanillo and Montezuma. 🙂
Pura vida!!!!
Sammi says
pura vida!
Emat says
I agree! Montezuma has so many great beaches las Manchas and Playa Grande, and Manzanillo on both coasts are great spots!
Karen Lundgard says
Playa Grande just north of Tamarindo is far less crowded and longer and nicer than the beach at a Tamarindo.
Playa Ventanas has great caves although they are dangerous unless the tide is low.
Sammi says
Grande is great for surfing! Definitely less crowded
yeison says
Hello Michele,
Thanks for reading our blog, in regards to your questions a 4×4 its always better for Montezuma but if you come on the dry season you might not need it
Michelle says
We are planning our second trip to Costa Rica for Jan 2017. Our plan is to fly to SJO, rent a car and take the ferry to Montezuma. We are staying in Montezuma for 3 nights then travelling to Tambor for 6 nights. After reading many reviews about returning a rental car and airport departures, we have decided to book accomodations closer to SJO to cut down on travel on our last day – so we have booked in Orotina/Santa Rita. We are planning on leaving Tambor early to travel to Orotina. Do we need a 4×4 or 4×2 or will a standard vehicle suffice? So based on our travel plans, what are some must sees – beaches (maybe ones off the beaten path), wildlife, ziplining, waterfalls or other? Any other recommendations?
Thanks Michelle
Dale Williams says
Hi Guys,
Long time no see since we were neighbors in Ocotal. A great article with some very nice beaches we have yet to see.
Pura Vida
Dale & Diane
Sammi says
Hi guys! Thank you very much and great to hear from you! Hope you guys get to visit some of the beaches one day 🙂
Karla says
What a great list of fabulous beaches in Tiquicia!
I LOVED Playa Espadilla North which is where we stopped after going on a guided tour of Manuel Antonio which is stunning and I know understand why Forbes magazine included it in their Top 10 Most beautiful National Parks in the world!
There’s another beach i absolutely loved and it’s called Playa Blanca in Punta Leona, Puntarenas…The sand is so white, you’d never believe it’s in Costa Rica.
You sure made me want to go back to the rich coast with all the other photos and there’s so much to discover and enjoy. The sunsets must be legendary!
Until next time.
Pura Vida 🙂
K
Carl says
Wow, this makes me want a holiday badly!!
I have never visited Costa Rica, but Playa Uvita looks incredible!
Thanks for the great post guys!
Sammi says
Hi Carl, thanks for reading. Hope you get to visit one day 🙂
Sammi says
Thanks Adbel! You can read about the best time to visit Costa Rica here: Best time to visit Costa Rica We personally love the shoulder months and rainy season like November and May
john says
I’ve been to Costa Rica a few times and agree they have the best beaches ever. I haven’t been to all of them yet but
we are working on that. We will be going back in 2017 and plan on visiting Playa Platanares and Playa Uvita if we get the chance. Great pictures!
Sammi says
Thanks John! The beaches here are just lovely. Hope you get to visit Platanares and Uvita, gorgeous beaches in the South!
Gusto Travels says
Playa Flamingo (Guanacaste) sounds great with white sandy beach. I love fishing.
Sammi says
It is a gorgeous beach! Excellent fishing too so that one would be a beach you should visit 🙂
Abdel says
Great Post. I love to spend time on beaches. Planning to visit this year, what is best time to visit Costa Rica?
Katie says
Love a good beach post round-up! The only beach I visited on this list was in Cahuita. I Really liked beach is in the national park and the jungle. I went from walking along the jungle paths spotting monkeys and snakes to laying on the beach. It was quiet and empty, exactly what I like. It was also the perfect beach for someone like me who cannot sit still because there was good opportunities for snorkeling, walking and exploring! Lots more Costa Rica beaches to check out whenever I return!
Sammi says
I haven’t been to Cahuita (properly, I walked past it when I was there) but I always hear amazing things about it and your description sounds exactly as amazing as everyone elses. I need to go back! There are soo many beautiful beaches here, always fun to make a beach round up post but hard to narrow it down. If I could, I’d do a post of the 100 best beaches haha cause they’re so many!