Playa Marbella, Costa Rica (Playa Frijolar)

By 6 Comments

Although it may seem like Guanacaste beaches are very touristy, there a plethora of beautiful under the tourist radar beaches to discover.

One of those beaches is Playa Marbella, about one hour south of Tamarindo and 30 minutes north of Nosara.

It’s a great surfing beach and for anyone looking for a off the beaten path beach to visit for a day.

Although locally known as Playa Marbella, the other name of this beach is Playa Frijolar.

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Map

Playa Marbella is 88 kilometers (54 miles) from Guanacaste Airport, around a 2 hour drive.

How to get to Playa Marbella

Driving is the best way to get to Playa Marbella since it’s in a rural area. You will need a car to get around to everything. You can find Frijolar and Marbella on Waze or Google Maps.

There is one bus that goes from Santa Cruz to Nosara at 4 AM, 12:30 PM and 4 PM every day and only 1230 PM on Sundays that stops at Marbella.

4×4 required?

Not absolutely necessary in dry season but highly recommended.

In rainy season, it will be better to have a 4wd/4×4 because the road to Marbella is unpaved once you turn from Santa Cruz.

The road gets a little hilly with big pot holes during rainy season so a high car is highly advised.

If you visit during the drier months like January through April, you can go slow in 2wd high clearance SUV.

Get our Costa Rica car rental discount here to save some $$!

Parking

There isn’t really a dedicated parking lot for the beach but you can park on the streets in the small town.

Remember not to leave valuables visible, do not leave belongings in your car and always lock your doors.

Marbella Beach and Surf Breaks

This pretty beach has dark sand, rocks and bright blue waters. As the beach is separated from the main road by the small town, it feels like you’ve stumbled upon your own hidden beach.

Unlike the touristy beach towns of Flamingo or Tamarindo, you’ll see pods of pelicans soaring over the water, hear the sound of crashing waves and smell the fresh ocean air.

No reggaeton music, no hoards of people, no hawkers.

Just you and the ocean.

Marbella Beach

Whenever we visit Marbella, it’s usually empty. It has gotten a bit more popular among surfers, but even then, we can perfectly have the beach to ourselves during the week.

We’ve also camped there before, barbecuing on the beach and watching the sunset go down.

At night, all we heard were the sounds of the waves. It was the perfect beach escape!

Swimming

Playa Marbella is not the nicest for swimming since there are a lot of rocks. If you want to swim or bathe, be careful. You can dip your toes or play in the shallow waves.

Playa marbella beach
The beach

This beach has two excellent surf spots. One to the north, which offers big breaks and hollow waves.

There is another surf spot to the south, which is a left point break that goes for up to 150 meters. The south spot is where most of the locals go.

playa marbella sunset
Sunset

Hotels, The Town, Restaurant

Although there isn’t really anything at Marbella, that’s one of the best things about this beach.

The town is tiny but there is an up and coming luxury development in the works, aimed towards foreigners. I hope it does not change the vibe of Marbella.

There is a restaurant called Tiki hut on the north end and there are a few small inns and cabinas such as Casa Alice Surf Lodge and Marbella Surf Inn. There is a small supermarket.

Visitors staying in Marbella should expect basic amenities and services but they will be able to experience a more local part of Costa Rica.

Read about other similar beaches!

Playa Coyote: North of Santa Teresa, in the Nicoya Peninsula. Not developed beach, only a small town and few hotels

Cabuyal: In Gulf of Papagayo. White sand beach, no facilities, local beach

Iguanita: Northern Guanacaste in Gulf of Papagayo. 4×4 required, dark sand beach, local favorite

Playa Cuevas: In Mal Pais, near Santa Teresa. White sand beach with great snorkeling

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6 responses

  1. Kaden Wren

    Is there anywhere in this area to rent kayaks?

    Reply
    1. Sammi

      I don’t believe so, I hadn’t seen any or ever seen anyone kayaking out there. Maybe try Playa San Juanillo instead, a little further south

      Reply
  2. Merry

    Hello! Thanks for all of the great recs and insight! Wondering if you had any good tips for renting a car aside from the airport? Or is that the best option? We are coming for 10 days- staying near Avellanas, then Guiones for 4 days, then Marbella for the last 3 days 🙂

    Reply
    1. Sammi

      Hi Merry, we’ve sent you an email but an option is arrange transportation from the airport to your place in Avellanas, and then get your car delivered to your place. Our partner, Adobe, can deliver cars to Playa Avellanas – they don’t have offices in Nosara or Marbella so my recommendation if you don’t want the car from the airport, is to get the car delivered to Avellanas. If you’re interested, you can reply back to our email with your details to help you arrange it.

      Reply
  3. David Eaton

    Hi Sami:

    My family and I spent a week in Marbella in January. It is still pretty sleepy and that’s a wonderful thing. We had a 4×4 from Adobe (thank you) and needed the ground clearance, but not the 4WD. It would be mandatory in the wet season, I’d wager. The road isn’t bad. Mostly unpaved just beyond Santa Cruz. Liberia to Marbella was 2.5 hours with no stops and not much traffic. We stayed at at one of the few homes in Costa Brava, the development just south of “downtown Marbella.” They’ve sold 70+ lots but we counted fewer than a dozen homes or homes under construction. No sign of the promised beach club. Two mini-supers in town, one will have what you need. Soda Victoria is worth a stop. Tasty Casado. Lunch for 5 was was 22,500 CRC. The Tiki Hut is a great place for Fettuccini Alfredo and expensive cocktails, if that’s your thing. Not ours. The beach is long and beautiful and empty, just as you described.

    San Juanillo — 15 minutes down the road — is a hidden gem. Very similar to Marbella with its own version of the Whale’s Tail.

    One question: Is there a place similar to what I just described in a part of Costa Rica with less humidity? My wife hates humidity.

    Thank you.

    Reply
    1. Sammi

      Hi David, I’m glad you had a great time at Marbella. Unfortunately the only places without humidity will be up in the mountains. The beach and coasts will always have some humidity and Marbella is actually in the dry tropical forest, which is less humid than the rainforest areas such as the South Pacific and Caribbean beaches. It’s way more humid if you go there.

      Reply
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