Playa San Juanillo: A Stunning White Sand Gem in Guanacaste

Although there are beautiful beaches everywhere in Costa Rica, there is one particularly beach in Guanacaste that is extremely popular, Playa San Juanillo. This dreamy beach has white sand, clear turquoise water and an amazing view point. Additionally, it’s a less touristic beach in a very small town in a rural area so it’s perfect to see a more local area of Guanacaste.

So if you’re a beach lover who isn’t quite into beach bumming with large crowds and want to experience a Costa Rica less populated, here is one beach you have to put on your list, Playa San Juanillo. It’s one of our favorite local beaches!

Map

Playa San Juanillo map

San Juanillo beach is in the Guanacaste province, a 2 hour drive from Liberia Airport. It is 97 kilometers (61 miles) from Liberia Airport.

Getting to San Juanillo Beach

It took us 1.5 hours driving from Tamarindo. We recommend to use Waze as your GPS to get to San Juanillo beach. The best route is through Route 152 and Route 160 from Tamarindo. Route 160 is not a fully paved road.

4×4 required?

It is highly recommended to have a high car to get to San Juanillo beach. There is a long part of Route 160 where it is unpaved, a bit hilly and has big pot holes. It will be much more comfortable and safe in a high car or 4wd/4×4, especially in rainy season.

San Juanillo Beach Parking

There isn’t really a designated parking lot. You can park anywhere at the beach. However, because the parking area is in the sand, be careful. We had to pull someone out who got stuck and the sand wasn’t even that deep. There is no parking fee, just make sure not to leave valuables visible in your car and always roll up windows and lock your doors.

Facilities

There are no public bathrooms, showers or washrooms. In the past, sometimes we would see a local selling cold coconut water and snacks like chips and crackers at the beach.

If you plan to spend a few hours at this beach, we recommend to bring your own food and drinks.

Playa San Juanillo Beach

You’ll drive through a very small town and end up at what looks like the road to nowhere. But instead, you end up at a gorgeous beach! This beach isn’t huge but it’s absolutely lovely. And the reason for that is that there are actually two beaches that come together as one!

As you can see, there are some boats on the left side. San Juanillo is a tiny, sleepy fishing village and the locals are determined to keep it that way. You’ll see graffiti saying “No Marina” and signs about keeping the beach clean. The locals know that they have a special gem and want to make sure it stays as pristine and pure as possible.

There aren’t any facilities like bathrooms or changing rooms but there are plenty of trees to hang up a hammock or have a picnic. We saw a good mix of locals and foreigners when we visited and there were barely 10 people!

Swimmable?

The waves are not too strong so you can swim and the water is crystal clear. However, it is very rocky so be careful when swimming. Keep in mind that because of the rocks, you can’t really swim in low tide. High tide is the best time.

Mirador (Viewpoint)

There is a little hill at the end of where the beaches meet and there is a short path to walk up for stunning view. On Google Maps, it is called “Mirador Playa San Juanillo.” There isn’t a sign or clear cut path but it’s very short, just follow the clearing through the trees up the small hill. From the parking lot, it’s about a 10 minute walk to the top and most of it is on the beach. You do need to walk on some rocks and tree roots on the hill but it is not difficult. However, it is not recommended for seniors with ankle, knee or walking problems.

For the best view of the two beaches, you must go in high tide. The first time we visited this beach was in low tide and though it was still beautiful, it’s way more incredible at high tide when you can see the water of both beaches coming up. Otherwise, all you see are rocks.

As you can see, it looks like there’s nobody on the beach! And when it came sunset time, there was only one other family and one couple enjoying it with us.

Popular Beach During Holidays

This beach is quite popular with locals so if you visit during holidays like Christmas, New Years or Easter, it is really crowded. We visited once in March during Holy Week and it was so packed, we had to leave and come back later to find parking! Locals like to camp on this beach and blast their reggaeton so it may not be as tranquil if you visit during those times.

Videos

We also have an aerial video for you to enjoy!

Things to Know About Visiting Playa San Juanillo

• No bathrooms or changing rooms.
• Please pick up your garbage, there aren’t too many trash cans around.
• Be careful with your valuables, there aren’t any parking guards so don’t leave your stuff in your car.
• It’s a small beach. Camping not recommended but you can.
• There are a couple of local restaurants in town.
• How to visit: We visited San Juanillo beach during the day and then visited the Ostional Wildlife Refuge to see turtles after sunset. If you’re staying in Ostional or Nosara, you can make a day trip to Playa San Juanillo.
• High tide is best to visit to see the white sand shores of both beaches.

Read about other beaches in Costa Rica!

Best beaches in Guanacaste

Esterillos Oeste: Small surfing beach town south of Jaco

Barrigona: Beautiful beach by Samara

Rajada: Gorgeous, white sand beach up in La Cruz/Salinas Bay.

Coyote: Dark sand beach in northern Nicoya Peninsula

Pelada: White sand beach in Nosara

Marbella: Surfing beach north of Nosara

Junquillal: Surfing beach in Southern Guanacaste