From a small fishing village to now a booming tourist center, 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, it’s a 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, the town 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 either permanently or for a few months of the year.
Despite being extremely touristic, visitors from all over the world fall in love with Tamarindo and all that it offers.
In this guide you’ll read about the beach, where to stay, where to eat, what to do and more. This guide has been updated March 2018.
Click the section to skip to it.
- Location and directions
- The beach
- The Town
- Weather
- What to do
- Surf camps
- Where to stay
- Where to eat
- Living
Map
Playa Tamarindo Costa Rica on Google Maps.
Playa Tamarindo is located about an hour from Liberia International Airport inside the Tamarindo bay and between the estuary and Marino Las Baulas National Park.
How to Get to Tamarindo Costa Rica
- 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 costing 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.
- By shuttle: Tamarindo Transfers & Tours has shared shuttles for $20 per person one way minimum 2 people from LIR Airport. For a private transfer, it costs around $90 for 1-4 people. If coming from San Jose or another destination, you can take private or shared shuttles. Please contact us as we have a 10% discount with Interbus, a shared shuttle company.
Driving Directions to Tamarindo from Liberia Airport
Turn right out of the parking lot (only way to go) and you will come to the main road. Turn right onto the main road and you will continue on this road for about 28 kilometers and then turn right into a town called Belen, Route 155. You’ll pass a soccer field and school on your left and after about 5 kilometers, turn left at the small intersection. Continue on this road for another 20 kilometers and then turn left at a town called Huacas. Stay on his road about 15 minutes and turn right at the next main intersection. Keep going 4 kilometers and you will reach town.
Getting Around
The town is not very big so you can easily walk around. You an also rent motorcycles, bikes or golf carts. You can rent electric bikes by Hotel Portofino and there are electric golf carts to rent in the Auto Mercado plaza a bit outside of town.
Playa Tamarindo Beach
The beach stretches 3.5 kilometers with blue waters and tan sand. You will see people surfing every day.
Waves are perfect for beginners with classes going on all day. However, due to its popularity, sometimes there are so many surfers out there that it can get very crowded for swimmers.
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. Rainy season months have particularly intense sunsets when there are more clouds.
With amazing weather and clear sunny days majority of the year, Tamarindo is one of the best beaches in Costa Rica for a relaxing tropical escape.
During holiday season and high season, it does get fairly crowded with visitors from all over the world. During the New Year, Christmas and Easter holiday, the beach gets packed and there are live music performances and parties on the beach.
There are crocodiles in the adjacent estuary so please do not cross the river mouth by foot. Hire a boat if you want to walk across to Playa Grande. There have been crocodile attacks at this area so please be careful!
Town
The 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.
See what the town looks like in our video!
Roads are narrow and parking is tight so keep that in mind when driving. There are parking guards or “watchimen” who will try to charge you a lot of money to park. This is one of the annoying and unfortunate things about this beach town. We usually give them 500 colones or so each time to the parking guard.
Weather
Tamarindo is in the Guanacaste province, one of the hottest areas of Costa Rica. This area experiences the typical tropical dry and rainy season. Dry season is roughly December – end of April and May – November for rainy season. The hottest months are March and April and the rainiest are October and November.
A typical rainy day is sunny in the morning and rainy in the late afternoons and nights. It really doesn’t start raining hard until about August.
Things to Do in Tamarindo
Here are some of our recommended activities.
Surfing
We highly recommend taking a lesson since this is a great beginner surfing beach. There are many surf shops in town that offers classes and they cost about $50 for 2 hours.
Sunset Sailing
Go on a sunset sailing cruise to get beautiful views of the coastline, snorkel and see the sunset from the water. Marlin del Rey is the most popular one and it costs $85 per adult for a sunset tour. They have an open bar, snacks and lunch. Another good one is Blue Dolphin.
Fishing
Go in or off shore fishing to catch snappers, jacks, tuna, wahoo and more.
Black Stallion Zipline, Horseback riding and BBQ
This small adventure park is has a zipline, horseback riding and offers barbecue dinners. Their BBQ is the best we’ve ever had in Costa Rica and their property is beautiful. It’s only a 10 minute drive by car.
Beach hopping
Visiting beaches is a must since you’re close to some of the nicest beaches in Costa Rica like Conchal, Flamingo, Danta, Mina and Brasilito. If you don’t have a car, there is a shuttle called Avellanas Express that goes to Avellanas and Conchal. It costs $6 one way and surf boards are free.
Estuary boat ride
Take a boat ride through the estuary to see monkeys, birds and crocodiles.
Day Trips
You can perfectly use this beach town as your home base in Costa Rica and do day trips from there.
You can visit national parks like Rincon de la Vieja National Park or Barra Honda National Park. For adventure, you can do the Guachipelin combo tour (ziplining, white water tubing, horseback riding, mud baths and hot springs) or head to the Diamante Eco Adventure Park for an ocean view zipline and animal sanctuary.
You can also go boating in Playas del Coco for excellent snorkeling and beach hopping. If you want to see another country, you can also take the Nicaragua one day tour.
To see one of the most beautiful places in Costa Rica, head to Tenorio Volcano National Park to hike Rio Celeste, the sky blue river. You can also take day trips to Arenal and Monteverde.
Or if you’re looking for a splurge, take a scenic helicopter tour! See Guanacaste from the air on a scenic Costa Rica helicopter tour. Get 10% off the helicopter tour in the link and get views of Costa Rica that nobody else does!
Tamarindo Surf Camps
If you really want to learn and immerse yourself in surfing, we recommend joining a surf camp. We did one a surf vacation with Iguana Surf which was a lot of fun. Witch’s Rock also offers surf camps. They will put together a package for you with lodging, lessons, transportation and activities. Tamarindo Surf Experience is another great one.
Surf camps are usually one week long but you can see if you can customize it or stay longer.
Tamarindo Hotels
You can find all sorts of hotels in town for every budget.
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.
Recommended Hotels in 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.
- 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.
- Hotel Inn 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.
- Cabinas Marielos – Basic rooms literally right across the street from the beach. Excellent choice for budget place that’s close to the beach.
- Esplendor – This hilltop hotel has a fantastic view of the beach 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.
For hostels, Coral Reef Surf Hostel and the Selina Hostel is a top choice with a fun party atmosphere in town.
For luxury stays, there is the Diria Beach Resort. It’s beach front with 3 pools, an on-site restaurant and casino. For honeymooners or couples, Jardin del Eden is the top pick as it’s adult only with romantic rooms and in room Jacuzzis.
If you want an all-inclusive resort, check out the JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa or the Occidental Langosta.
Restaurants in Tamarindo
This town 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.
Our Recommended Restaurants:
- Noguis: They have happy hour from 430 PM – 530 PM where you can get 2 beers for 1500 colones (~$3).
- Longboards BBQ: Delicious barbecue sandwiches and you have to try the tama slaw! I
- NOI Bistro: Great place for lunch and dinner. Favorites are the veggie burger and both chicken dishes .
- Sharky’s: Sports bar with good bar food like burgers, wings, etc.
- Surf shack: Great burgers and they have a veggie burger option.
- Mercadito: This new food court has burgers, vegan food, arepas, poke bowls, Argentinian grill, Pops ice cream, a bar and sushi.
- Venezia Gelati: My favorite place for gelato and cakes.
- 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.
- Tony’s Pizza: When you need a slice of New York style pizza, Tony’s is where to go.
- Dragonfly: Has the best curry I’ve ever eaten in Costa Rica. They also have seafood and steak. Best fine-dining option.
- La Pachanga: Excellent pizza and pasta place, they make their own noodles.
Living
Foreigners choose Tamarindo as their new home due to several factors: diversity, more business and job opportunities, weather and a tightly knit expat community. It is very popular for families as there are some private and international schools nearby.
There aren’t as many retirees compared to other expat beach towns like Coco and Nosara either. Most of the foreigners are young entrepreneurs, digital nomads, families or surfers. And it’s not only US citizens who live here, there are plenty of Canadians, Italians and a strong South American community.
There is always something to do or something going on so it’s never boring. You’re close to plenty of natural attractions and it’s easy to meet people. For the travelers who don’t mind other tourists and a developed beach scene, Tamarindo is a top choice.
We have lived in the area for over 2 years and we love it. We’re close to some gorgeous beaches, we surf almost every day and the local community is wonderful.
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Christy says
Is the bus schedule still accurate from Liberia? Do you have a return schedule as well?
thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Christy, it should still be! Last time I updated the post and bus schedules was summer 2017. But as always we recommend showing up half an hour early at least since buses tend to run late/early, that’s very normal in Costa Rica!
Katie says
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.
Sammi says
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.
Yvette says
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.
Sammi says
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.
Vitaliy Kolos says
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).
Happier Than A Billionaire says
You would laugh if you saw me surf. You will need an underwater camera because I’m usually at the bottom of the ocean!
Sammi says
Haha! Don’t worry me too. Most of the time I’m just tumbling around underwater!
Cindy says
How does Tamarindo compare with Playas del Coco as far as size and vibe and things to do?
Sammi says
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.
Cindy says
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?
Sammi says
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!
Cindy says
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?
Sammi says
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.
Syd says
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.
Sammi says
haha that’s a good idea 🙂
A Southern Gypsy says
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?? 😀
Sammi says
haha anytime you want to come, doors open!! 🙂
Jempi & Nina says
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
Sammi says
Actually we would love to as we both have never been to Europe! 🙂
Constance - Foreign Sanctuary says
The aerial view of the place is beautiful! It sounds like this place has something for everyone – an awesome vibe with breathtaking sunsets!
Sammi says
I know you would love the sunsets there! They’re beautiful
Bob R says
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?
Sammi says
No apologies needed. It’s around 2 hours driving – 2.5 to be safe!
Bob R says
Thanks. Noted. 🙂
Jess says
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!
Sammi says
Yikes! I keep hearing about places covered in snow and can’t imagine how cold it must be. Perhaps beach during your next winter? 🙂
Mrs. Chasing the Donkey says
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?
Sammi says
hahahaha of course !!
Sharon @ Wheres Sharon says
Oh wow, that looks so amazing!! I really wish Costa Rica wasn’t so far from Australia. It looks like such an amazing place!
Sammi says
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 🙂
A Brit and A Southerner says
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!
Sammi says
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!
Globalmouse says
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!! 🙂
Sammi says
horse back riding on the beach is quite lovely! I’ll be sending you sunny thoughts from here 🙂
Kira Maixner says
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.
Sammi says
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!
Renuka says
Amazing it sounds! Costa Rica is so holiday-like. I love the sunset shot. 🙂
Sammi says
Me too! Playa Tamarindo has beautiful sunsets !