From a small fishing village to now a booming tourist center, Playa Tamarindo has become one of the most visited surf towns in the country. Well known for great waves, stunning sunsets and some of the best eats in Costa Rica, Playa Tamarindo is destination popular for backpackers and families alike to experience all what Costa Rica has to offer.
Despite the huge increase of development the past few years, Tamarindo has still preserved the natural beauty and the surrounding wonders. However, one might argue that it deserves the nickname “Tama-Gringo.” Due to the exponential growth of the town, you’ll see many North Americans living in Tamarindo, either permanently or for a few months of the year.
Edging over Playa Jaco as the reputation for “sleazy gringo beach” Tamarindo is working hard to shut those rumors down and keep the allure as a pristine family friendly beach town. To this day despite being extremely touristic, visitors from all over the world fall in love with Tamarindo.
In this guide you’ll read about the beach, where to stay, where to eat, what to do and more.
Click the section to skip to it.
- Location and directions
- Playa Tamarindo beach
- The Town
- What to do
- Where to stay
- Where to eat
- Living in Tamarindo
Location and Directions to Playa Tamarindo
Playa Tamarindo is located about an hour from Liberia International Airport. Located inside a bay and sandwiched between a national park and an estuary, Tamarindo is very close to several important ecological areas.
- By bus: There is a bus from Liberia that leaves from the Mercado Municipal with the Transportes La Pampa company. It departs daily at 7, 8 , 10, 11, 1PM, 2PM, 4PM, 5PM and 6 PM, taking 1.5 hours and costs 1,275 colones ($2.50).
- From San Jose, there is one bus that leaves twice a day from Calle 14, Ave. 5 at 11 and 3:30. This takes around 5.5 to 6 hours and costs 5000 colones ($10)
- By flying: Tamarindo has their own airstrip for domestic flights on Nature Air and Sansa. From San Jose it costs around $70 one way and takes about 30 minutes. See what it’s like in this post about flying Nature Air from Tamarindo to San Jose.
- By shuttle: There are transfer companies that cost $20 per person one way minimum 2 people. Best to book in advance to guarantee a shuttle.
Playa Tamarindo Beach
Tamarindo beach is a long one, stretching 3 and a half kilometers long with blue waters and tan sand. Every day, all year long you will see many people who come here specifically for surfing as it is one of the most popular beaches for catching waves.
Waves are perfect for beginners and it is also the base camp for anyone who wants to try Witch’s Rock or Ollie’s point, two places known for world class surfing. However, due to its popularity, sometimes there are so many surfers out there that it can be difficult for swimmers to find a spot to avoid the oncoming boards.
It’s also one of the best beaches to catch the sunset as you’ll get a full view of the sun going down for the night with a beautiful surrounding of many trees and nature.
With amazing weather with sun shining the majority of the year, there’s never an excuse to go and relax at the beach whether it is sunbathing, reading a book or even kicking a ball around in the sand.
During holiday season and high season, it does get fairly crowded with visitors from all over the world wanting to experience the beauty of Playa Tamarindo. Since it’s so touristic, it’s common for local vendors to be constantly trying to sell visitors items so don’t be surprised if you get approached many times on the beach.
Playa Tamarindo Town
Tamarindo town is actually not that big and the back roads are not paved. The main strip ends at a roundabout and there are many back roads with houses, restaurants, hotels and apartments. You have to go through Tamarindo to get to Playa Langosta.
See what the town looks like in our video!
Playa Tamarindo Things to Do
There is so much to do in Tamarindo including surfing, stand up paddle surfing, kayaking, sunset sailing, fishing, ziplining, mini golf, ATV tours, horseback riding and so much more. Surfing is definitely the most popular activity in town, with surf shops lining the main street.
But if you’re not there to surf, there are plenty of activities. Whether you are looking for land or water activities, eco adventures or thrillers, Tamarindo has something for everyone to enjoy.
Other beaches nearby to enjoy are Playa Conchal, Flamingo or Brasilito. National parks like Rincon de la Vieja or Barra Honda are not too far, perfect for adventure day trips. If you’re coming to surf, there is a shuttle called Avellanas Express that goes between Avellanas and Tamarindo every day and they also have routes to Conchal to go beach hopping. It costs $6 one way and surf boards are free.
You can also join a surf camp. We did one at Iguana Surf and Witch’s Rock also offers surf camps.
For more ideas, check out this post of 11 awesome things to do in Playa Tamarindo.
Tamarindo Hotels
There is a place to stay in Tamarindo for every budget. There are several beachfront hotels or if you want to stay further away from the busy downtown, there are plenty of hotels/hostels located in the back roads of town.
For long term stays, there are apartments and condos and some hotels will rent out for long term for a week to months at a time. Airbnb (get $40 credit) is a good option if you prefer an apartment.
These are our recommendations for hotels in Playa Tamarindo:
- Hotel Mar Rey (formerly known as Zullymar) is a nice budget hotel right in the middle of town. They have spacious simple rooms with basic amenities like AC and fridge and a really nice pool area. For the location and quality, the price is very reasonable since you’re in the middle of downtown.
- Hotel Luna Llena – located further back in town, Luna Llena has spacious bungalows, a big pool and serves up a free hearty breakfast each morning. If you are an eco-conscious traveler, you’ll want to check this hotel since they are one of three certified sustainable hotels in Tamarindo.
- Hotel In the Shade – only a 5 minute walk to downtown and the beach, this new hotel is chic and quaint. It’s in a quieter part of town so you won’t be bothered by the parties but it’s close enough to join the fun. They offer breakfast at an additional cost.
- Cabinas Marielos – Basic rooms but literally right across the street from the beach. Next to Iguana Surf School. Quiet, clean and it’s nice to sit outside or lay on the hammock. Excellent choice for budget place that’s close to the beach.
- Esplendor – This hilltop hotel has a fantastic view of Tamarindo and an amazing infinity pool. However, the rooms are a bit small since the concept is to have a “city hotel” at the beach with city prices (not crazy beach touristy prices).
For hostels, Coral Reef Surf Hostel is the best. It’s right in town next to restaurants, the owner Jeff is super cool and it’s very clean and comfortable. They have dorms and private rooms so you don’t have to share if you don’t want to. The new Selina Hostel is a top choice as well with a fun party atmosphere and it’s right in town.
For luxury stays, you have to choose the Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort. It’s beach front with 3 gorgeous pools, an on-site restaurant, casino and it’s on the main street in town. For honeymooners or couples, Jardin del Eden is the top pick as it’s adult only and caters towards couples with romantic rooms and in room Jacuzzis.
Restaurants in Tamarindo
Playa Tamarindo has some of the widest variety of food in the country. With over 90 restaurants, you’ll be sure to find something good to eat! From Italian to sushi to Argentinian barbecue, your cravings will be plenty satisfied with the delicious eats around town.
Prices are a bit higher here due to the amount of tourists but you can find some cheap eats in the back parts of town. The fierce competition ensures high quality cuisine and new places are popping up constantly with fresh creative menus. You can say food in Tamarindo is top notch with variety you won’t find in other beach towns.
Here are some restaurants in Playa Tamarindo we like:
- Noguis: They have happy hour from 430 PM – 530 PM where you can get 2 beers for 1500 colones (~$3)! It’s right on Tamarindo beach by the roundabout so it’s an excellent place to enjoy a drink to watch the sunset.
- Breakfast Grinds: The best place for breakfast and has an ocean view. They have free coffee refills and I love their gravy.
- Longboards BBQ: Delicious barbecue sandwiches and you have to try the tama slaw! If you love pulled pork or brisket sandwiches, you must go here. They also have awesome chips and dip with beans and guacamole.
- NOI Bistro: Great place for lunch and dinner. They don’t have a huge menu but some favorites are the veggie burger, both chicken dishes and they have a good wine menu.
- Sno Shack: If you need to cool down from the heat as you’re walking around town, hit up Sno Shack in Plaza Conchal for a shaved ice.
- Venezia Gelati: My favorite place for gelato and cakes. Yum!
- Falafel bar: Great vegetarian/vegan option with hummus, pita wraps and shawarma.
- El Chilito Mexican Grill: Chipotle-esque Mexican grill where you can pick from tacos, burritos and burrito bowls.
Living in Playa Tamarindo
Foreigners choose Playa Tamarindo as their new home due to several factors. Diversity, more business and job opportunities and not to mention the great location, weather and a tight expat community. In fact, that’s exactly why we chose to live in Tamarindo! We’ve been here for almost a year and it’s been great fun. A lot of digital nomads in Costa Rica pick Tamarindo for these reasons as well.
Most of the foreigners who move to Tamarindo are transients, meaning they are here for a few months of the year and not permanent expats. Additionally, there aren’t as many retirees in Tamarindo compared to other expat beach towns, most of the foreigners are young entrepreneurs, families or surfers.
Compared to other parts of the world such as Europe or N. America, the cost of living in Costa Rica is lower and the lifestyle is much more relaxed but not as slow as some other towns. With such a huge growth spurt, Tamarindo has become the ideal place for foreigners looking to start over a new life in a new country. And it’s not only US citizens who live here, there are plenty of Canadians and a strong South American community, particularly Argentinians and Venezuelans.
There is always something to do or something going on in Tamarindo so it’s never boring. You’re close to plenty of natural attractions, it’s easy to meet people and it’s a great place for families. For the travelers who don’t mind other tourists and a developed beach scene, Tamarindo is a top choice.
Want to read about more beaches in Costa Rica? Here you go!
Trying to decide between Jaco & Tamarindo for surfing? Read this post comparing the two!
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Hey Sammi,
Thanks for the great article. I’ve done some research and I think you sold me on Tamarindo! I see this was written a few years ago and was wondering if you were still in Costa Rica?
I have been considering CR after living abroad for a few years. I am Peruvian/American and lived in Seoul teaching English for almost 4 years and spent some time in Lima, Peru as well. Both places were fun and I made great memories but I hate the chaos. After all these years would you still say the same about Tamarindo? My main concern about CR in ending up in a place with a bunch of retirees. I am a 30yo single female (with a dog haha) and was looking for a town with other young people. Anyway just wanted to see if you had any updates!
Also, would you recommend any sites for finding an apartment or long-term rental? I’ve been using craigslist but there aren’t many options.
Hi Katie! We are actually living in Tamarindo (well 5 km from Tamarindo) right now and we really like it. It’ll be perfect for you since you don’t want to be somewhere with retirees and Tamarindo attracts younger people and families, that’s actually mainly why we enjoy living there. We used to live in Playas del Coco where it was an oasis for retirees, which is fine but it was extremely hard to make friends our age and everything was centered around retirees there. Tamarindo would be a great place for you since the beach is huge so your dog will love it, there are way more young people there and everyone is very friendly. There are people from all over the world in Tamarindo, including lots of South Americans so there is a good chance you may find some fellow Peruvians.
As for rentals, I would join the Tamarindo Rentals group on Facebook, they post lots of rentals in there for the Tamarindo area.
I am going to Costa Rica for the first time and a friend recommended Tamarindo. I will be arriving in two weeks! Can you let me know which bus to take from the Liberia airport? I am counting the days. All the posted information is very helpful, thank you.
Hi Yvette! If you walk outside the airport onto the main road (turn right from the airport until you hit the main street), there is a bus stop across the road. I am pretty sure the Tamarindo bus passes by and you can get on from there. I don’t know the times however and that’s the kind of tricky part since I know for sure there aren’t buses going constantly like every half an hour.
I was in Thailand this year (actually a few months ago). It’s really interesting that beautiful and paradise-like places are similar across the world. I’m saying that because what I can see on your photos from the post are really like mines from Thailand (Koh Phangan).
You would laugh if you saw me surf. You will need an underwater camera because I’m usually at the bottom of the ocean!
Haha! Don’t worry me too. Most of the time I’m just tumbling around underwater!
How does Tamarindo compare with Playas del Coco as far as size and vibe and things to do?
Tamarindo is a bigger town and the beach is also bigger. It’s also more of a younger scene, in Coco most of the foreigners and tourists are retired North Americans and in Tamarindo, there are more backpackers and young adults. If you’re looking for a lively party scene, night life, more hostels and young backpackers, Tamarindo is where you want to go. If you’re looking for something quieter and more family friendly, you want to go to Coco. Don’t get me wrong, Coco has a few really busy and fun bars but most of the people that go there are of the older generations. Tamarindo has a bit more to do than Coco as well like ziplining, surfing, hiking.
Cool, thanks. My husband and I are early 40s with no kids. We went to Tamarindo last year and really liked it. We also tried Playa Samara and didn’t like it as well. Happy hours and restaurants were much more limited! Beach was nice for walking but not as good for swimming. Feel was more European than North American.
We’d like to try something north of Tamarindo this year and I’m thinking Coco could be it for us! What do you think? Any other beach towns we should consider?
I think you’d really like Coco! It has a much smaller beach town vibe than Tamarindo which I like. I haven’t been to Samara so I can’t say but I think you’d enjoy the small town feel of Coco. There are a lot of N. Americans in Coco so you’ll see English everywhere and it’s easy to meet other N. Americans. The beach is great for swimming but there aren’t as many options in Coco for food as Tamarindo. Hmm as for other beach towns in the north, Coco is really the only beach town in the Papagayo area. Hermosa, Panama and Ocotal don’t have a downtown or central like Coco so everyone comes to Coco when they want to go out to bars and such. You can check out Flamingo, there is more of a town and a large N. American expat community there or Brasilito but Brasilito is very small, it’s a tiny town. Coco is your best bet!
Thanks! We definitely will check out Coco. I just read your post about Coco being one of three of the most expensive places in Costa Rica. What are the other two? How does Tamarindo compare to this?
Tamarindo is about the same but there are way more choices there than Coco. Coco is really small and there isn’t as much competition. There’s not a lot of choices when it comes to hotels and restaurants, there isn’t much variety of food. In Tamarindo, you can find cheap sodas (much cheaper than Coco), Argentinian grill, sushi, Italian, etc. In terms of groceries and things like that, prices are about the same between the two.
omg you should have referral links to some airline in your post because every time I read your blog I find myself seconds away from booking a ticket I can’t afford to costa rica. Ridiculous.
haha that’s a good idea 🙂
Love this-Playa Tamarindo looks amazing. I love the sunset shot, but the one taken during the day looks equally gorgeous. I have to go back to TN in 2 days and it’s supposed to be a high of like 15. Can I just come stay with y’all?? 😀
haha anytime you want to come, doors open!! 🙂
Amazing! We really wanna visit Costa Rica as soon as possible. Don’t you want to trade for a while with Belgium? We can work out a deal… 😉 Cheers, jempi & Nina
Actually we would love to as we both have never been to Europe! 🙂
The aerial view of the place is beautiful! It sounds like this place has something for everyone – an awesome vibe with breathtaking sunsets!
I know you would love the sunsets there! They’re beautiful
Off-topic and I apologize for that, but I’m curious how far –as in drive or bus ride time– Santa Rosa National Park is from Tamarindo?
No apologies needed. It’s around 2 hours driving – 2.5 to be safe!
Thanks. Noted. 🙂
I think I would go there just for that sunset – though the blue sky during the day also looks fabulous!
. . . meanwhile, I haven’t left the house in 5 days because of snow. I think it’s definitely time to plan my next trip!
Yikes! I keep hearing about places covered in snow and can’t imagine how cold it must be. Perhaps beach during your next winter? 🙂
Wild all nighters… did I read that correctly? So If I come to visit, will you take my baby donkey so I can PART-AYYYY all night long?
hahahaha of course !!
Oh wow, that looks so amazing!! I really wish Costa Rica wasn’t so far from Australia. It looks like such an amazing place!
I have the exact same thought as well – I’m dying to go to Australia but it’s so far from here! One day we can switch 🙂
I have to admit that before I read this post I was not familiar with this part of Costa Rica at all (Apologies in advance for my ignorance!). However, this really is a great, appealing post that would encourage me to visit here when we travel to Costa Rica at some point. I enjoyed how you included some amazing pictures and that sunshine is certainly appealing when you are currently watching the rain and wind in England (plus a forecast of snow to look forward to on our return to Memphis, USA tomorrow!).
A really insightful post that I am sure will encourage many to go there and check it out for themselves!
Not ignorance! Especially for someone fairly far away haha, I never heard of it until I came here either so no worries. It’s a really fun beach and a must for anyone visiting the Guanacaste area!
Oh wow, that beach is gorgeous!! I love the idea of going horse-riding along it, that must be a great way to see it. Thank you so much for this post…as I look out on rainy England I am definitely dreaming of some of that Cost Rica sunshine!! 🙂
horse back riding on the beach is quite lovely! I’ll be sending you sunny thoughts from here 🙂
Wow, that looks like an amazing place to visit and a lucky place to live! Do you know much about the boating culture and communities there? We have a couple of boats listed in Costa Rica (hoping to grow our inventory too) and you should check them out. It would be a great opportunity to learn more about boating too.
Tamarindo is actually one of my favorite beach towns after we spent more time there, so many things to do! We would love to know more about the boating community, we just went on a catamaran tour but haven’t been more exposed other than that. That sounds awesome!
Amazing it sounds! Costa Rica is so holiday-like. I love the sunset shot. 🙂
Me too! Playa Tamarindo has beautiful sunsets !