Tamarindo, Costa Rica: Surf, Parties and Sunsets

Well known for great surfing waves, stunning sunsets and a legendary nightlife, Tamarindo is a popular beach destination in the Guanacaste province, perfect for the ultimate fun in the sun vacation.

Tamarindo beach is less than 2 hour drive from Guanacaste Airport, making it the ideal destination for families, couples and solo travelers looking for gorgeous beaches and fantastic water sports in Costa Rica.

In this guide you’ll learn more about Tamarindo town, Tamarindo beach, how to get to Tamarindo, where to stay, where to eat, what to do and more.

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What to Know Before You Go About Tamarindo

• In the Guanacaste province
• About a 1 hour and 20 minute drive from Guanacaste Airport, 4.5 hours from San Jose International Airport. Find out how to drive from San Jose to Tamarindo.
• Popular surfing beach town
• One of the most expensive destinations in Costa Rica
• Has its own local airport, 5 minutes outside town
• 4×4 not required to get to Tamarindo
• Best things to do: surfing, sunsets, walks on the beach, happy hour, partying, shopping, fishing, sunset sailing, stand up paddle boarding
• Lots of hotels, hostels, boutique B&B’s, beachfront hotels and vacation rentals
• Day time temperatures range from 80°-95° F throughout the year (26° – 35° C). Rainiest month is October. Hottest months are March and April.

Tamarindo Beach

Tamarindo Beach is a beautiful tan sand beach that stretches about 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) from end to end.

The northern part of Tamarindo beach connects to the estuary inside the Las Baulas National Park.

The southern part of the beach reaches the peninsula separating the two communities of Playa Tamarindo and Playa Langosta.

The most popular part of the beach is near the north in front of Witch’s Rock Surf Camp where the main surf spot of Tamarindo beach break is.

Tamarindo beach is completely sandy, perfect for long beach walks. The shore is long and wide, so it’s perfect for swimming, beach volleyball, running and other activities.

You can rent beach chairs and umbrellas on Tamarindo beach. There are many locals who will offer you one.

With year round sunshine, a relaxed atmosphere and fun surfing waves, Tamarindo offers a convenient international tropical escape.

At the parking lot next to Witch’s Rock Surf Camp, there are bathrooms and showers for $1 USD.

There are also beach lockers, credit card only for a daily fee until 6 PM. There is also an accessible path to the beach from Witch’s Rock.

Things to Do in Tamarindo, Costa Rica

The best things to do in Tamarindo, Costa Rica are watching the beautiful sunsets, enjoying happy hour, surfing, stand up paddle boarding and swimming. You can also play beach volleyball with the locals.

Furthermore, there are plenty of day trips and other things to do to enjoy endless days of fun and adventure.

Playa Tamarindo Surfing

Tamarindo’s strong surf culture is well known throughout the country. We highly recommend taking a surf lesson in Tamarindo since this is a great beginner surfing beach.

There are many surf shops in town that offers 2 hour group and private lessons for about $55-75 USD per person. They also offer boogie board, stand up paddle boards and surf board rentals.

There are about 3 different main surf spots on the beach: in front of Witch’s Rock, Pico Pequeño and Capitan Suizo. Classes go to Witch’s Rock and Capitan Suizo.

Furthermore, Playa Tamarindo is only about a 30 minute drive to other fantastic surfing beaches such as Playa Avellanas and Playa Grande. During certain conditions, Playa Langosta is also a great surfing beach.

Generally, the best time to surf at Tamarindo beach is about two hours before the high tide. During rainy season, low tide can have bigger waves but exposes a lot of rocks, so low tide is recommended only for expert surfers.

Scuba Diving

Tamarindo is close to some excellent scuba diving spots such as the Catalinas Islands (30 minute drive).

You don’t have to be certified either as companies offer a discovery scuba dive for those not certified.

Sunset Sailing

Go on a sunset sailing cruise to get beautiful views of the coastline, snorkel to see tropical fish and sea creatures and see the sunset from the water.

Blue Dolphin offers a catamaran sailing tour on a smaller boat and less people.

Fishing

Go in or off shore fishing to catch snappers, jacks, tuna, mahi mahi wahoo and more. Tamarindo is a great place to go fishing in Costa Rica!

Beach Days to Playa Grande and Playa Langosta and others

Visiting beaches is a must for beach lovers since you’re close to some of popular beaches in the Guanacaste province.

Some of our personal favorite beaches in the area are Avellanas, Grande, Langosta, Conchal, Flamingo, Mina and Brasilito.

This is one of the reasons why Tamarindo is a popular beach town in Costa Rica since you can spend weeks visiting a different beach every day!

Marino Las Baulas National Park Estuary boat ride

Right at the northern end of Playa Tamarindo is an estuary, separating Tamarindo and Playa Grande.

This is part of the Marino Las Baulas National Park where visitors can take a boat ride through the estuary to see two species of monkeys, wading bird species and crocodiles.

Leatherback turtles tour on Playa Grande

Playa Grande is an important beach in Costa Rica due to the leatherback sea turtles that nest from October to May.

Unfortunately the amount of leatherback turtles has decreased drastically and tours are not as commonly run anymore, due to low activity. Wildlife is unpredictable so it is not a guarantee to see animals, although there are possibilities during the season.

Some guides will go to Playa Mina instead for a turtle tour from Tamarindo.

Party

From dancing the night away at Crazy Monkey Bar or Pacifico to listening to live music on the beach, there is a fun party scene in Tamarindo.

On Sundays, you can also join the Beach & Pool crawl for more beach, drinks and pool parties.

Night Market and Farmer’s Market

On Thursday nights, there is a night market in Plaza Palmas from 6-10 PM.

There is a local farmer’s market from 7 AM to 1 PM next to the Green Papaya restaurant on Saturdays.

On Wednesdays, there is an artisans market by Mercadito.

Sunset Happy Hour

With amazing sunsets and lots of beachfront bars, you can’t miss sunset happy hour! Get 2×1 beers and discounts off drinks while watching the sun go down.

Day Trips from Tamarindo

• Rincon de la Vieja National Park: Waterfalls, hiking and boiling mud pots by the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. ~2 hours to Las Pailas sector.
• Barra Honda National Park: Hiking, caves and views of the Nicoya valley. 1.5 hours away.
• Vandara Explore Costa Rica’s Nature Park: Eco adventure park near Rincon de la Vieja with ziplining, watersliding, horseback riding and hot springs. Get our Vandara discount here. 2.5 hours away.
• Guachipelin combo tour: 1 day adventure combo tour to zipline, white water tube, horseback ride and enjoy hot springs. 2 hours and 20 minutes. 2 hours and 15 minutes away.
• Diamante Eco Adventure Park: Has ziplining, a cultural tour, a butterfly garden, animal sanctuary, horseback riding, ATV tours, and buffet lunch. Get 10% off your Diamante Pass here! 1 hour away.
• Hacienda El Viejo: Privately owned farm and reserve with wildlife watching boat tours, a cultural tour, rum tour, birdwatching and beer tour. 1.5 hrs away. Get our Hacienda El Viejo discount here.
• Boating in Playas del Coco: Private beach hopping and snorkeling tour in the Gulf of Papagayo, can also add on fishing or surfing. 1.5 hrs away.
• Scuba diving at Catalinas Islands: One of the best spots for scuba diving to see turtles, rays, fish. 30 minutes away.
• Flamingo snorkeling tour: Private snorkeling tour from Flamingo beach. 30 minutes away.
• Rio Celeste (Tenorio Volcano National Park): National park home to a sky blue river and waterfall in the tropical rain forest. 2.5 hour drive one way.
• Bijagua rainforest tour: Walk through 3 hanging bridges in the rainforest and visit a private reserve, home to wild sloths, birds and monkeys.

Check out our dedicated Tamarindo 5 days itinerary if you plan to stay here as a home base for 1 week. Many of the mentioned day trips above are offered on our Costa Rica deals and discount page.

If you’re visiting with your family, check our Things to Do in Tamarindo with Kids blog post to help you plan your vacation.

Tamarindo, Costa Rica Location

Tamarindo, Costa Rica is 65 kilometers (40 miles) from Guanacaste Airport. This is about a 1 hour and 30 minute drive.

Tamarindo is 257 kilometers (160 miles) and about a 4.5 hour drive from San Jose.

How to Get to Tamarindo, Costa Rica

The best airport to fly into for Tamarindo is the Guanacaste Airport (international). Tamarindo also has its own local air strip, 5 minutes outside town.

• By bus: The bus from Liberia to Tamarindo leaves from the Mercado Municipal with the Transportes La Pampa company. There is a direct San Jose bus to Tamarindo.
• By flying: Tamarindo has its own domestic airport. From San Jose, it costs around $150 USD one way and takes about 30 minutes with Sansa Air. See what the flight from San Jose to Tamarindo is like.
• Private shuttle: For a private transfer, it costs around $125 USD for 1-5 people from Guanacaste Airport. A private transfer from San Jose to Tamarindo is around $340 USD for 1-5 passengers. Contact us to book your private shuttle!
• Shared shuttle: If you are coming from other destinations such as La Fortuna, Monteverde or San Jose, you can book a shared shuttle. Get a discount off your Interbus shared shuttle!
• Taxi: there are official airport taxis at LIR Airport. Uber is not readily available at Guanacaste Airport as police look for them. There are some Ubers in Tamarindo though.

You can read more about getting to Tamarindo in this post.

4×4 Required to Tamarindo from Guanacaste Airport?

A 4×4 is not required to get to Tamarindo.

You can use Google Maps or Waze as your GPS from Guanacaste Airport.

Some people ask if they can drive to Tamarindo from Guanacaste Airport at night. It is possible to drive to Tamarindo from Liberia at night, since the whole route is on a well paved road.

This is an extremely popular route. Just make sure to use a GPS.

Get our Costa Rica car rental discount here!

How to Get Around Tamarindo

Tamarindo is not a huge town and from downtown Tamarindo, you’re in walking distance of restaurants, the beach and shops.

It is not absolutely necessary to rent a car in Tamarindo but you can rent a golf cart or scooter.

However, if you want to explore outside of Tamarindo, then the best way is to rent a car. A 4wd or high clearance car is highly recommended if you want to explore down the Pacific Coast or to the inland rainforests.

From Tamarindo, you can visit other destinations in Costa Rica such as Nosara, Rincon de la Vieja National Park, Playas del Coco and Bijagua.

Without a car, you will have to book guided tours with roundtrip transportation as public transportation in this area is sorely lacking.

Want to book tours? Get our discount for Tamarindo day tours here!

Uber/Golf Cart Rentals/Scooters

There are a few Ubers in Tamarindo but don’t depend solely on Uber as they may take awhile.

Electric bikes are for rent by Hotel Portofino and there are golf carts to rent in the Auto Mercado plaza and from Earth Gear Golf Carts right in town.

There is also a place that rents scooter and motorcycles by the skate park.

There are scooter rentals (by app) throughout town and at Langosta.

Collectivos (Pirate Taxis)

As there aren’t really “official taxis” in Costa Rica, you may have to take a “collectivo” which is just a local guy who drives people around in his personal car…like a pirate taxi driver. Though not legal drivers, the police don’t stop them.

There are a bunch of them all throughout town so they’re easy to find.

This may be an option to get around Tamarindo to nearby places like Langosta Beach but do know that the majority of them aren’t licensed tourism drivers or have insurance. In case you get in an incident or accident, they will not cover you or be responsible.

If you have to take one, negotiate a fare beforehand. We recommend to pay in local currency, CRC.

Learn more about handling money in Costa Rica here.

Unfortunately, some of these drivers will massively rip off tourists. One of my friends got a 1 kilometer (.6 mile) ride and the driver charged them 10,000 CRC (~$20 USD).

Another driver charged a group of 4 tourists 50,000 CRC (~$100 USD) to drive them to Villarreal, a small town outside of Tamarindo (5 km or 3 miles).

Since a lot of times tourists aren’t familiar with the local currency and are not exactly sure how much they are really paying, so they just pay whatever the driver tells them.

The Town

Roads are mostly paved in Tamarindo. There are some back roads and small alleys where they are not though. The road to Playa Langosta from Tamarindo is paved.

Parking

There are only a handful of “designated parking lots” in Tamarindo. There is one next to Witch’s Rock, the one at Pico Bistro, at Plaza Conchal I and II, one across from Iguana Surf and then by the roundabout near Nogui’s.

Please note these aren’t official parking lots so make sure you roll up windows, lock your doors and DO NOT leave anything valuable in your car.

There are “parking guards” who will approach your car (normally wearing a reflective vest) and charge you for parking in “their” lot. You can give them a small tip like 1000 CRC (~$2 USD) when you leave and it’s better to give them colones, local currency.

During busy days, holidays and high tourism season (December through April), they may say that is is *mandatory* to pay to park. We have seen them charge “mandatory” rates during Christmas, New Years and Easter weekend.

If they charge “mandatory” rates, it can be around 5000 CRC (~$10 USD) or even higher depending on how busy it is.

Please pay them only in local currency. USD is accepted, but the best currency is colones.

Tamarindo, Costa Rica Weather

Tamarindo has typical tropical dry and rainy seasons. Dry season is roughly December – end of April and May – November for rainy season. The hottest months are March and April with average day time temperatures around 95° F (35° C).

The hottest days are usually end of March/beginning of April and day time temperatures can go up to 104° F (40° C).

The rainiest month is generally October. Average day time temperatures in rainy season do not really vary greatly from dry season. They do go down to about 85° F (29° C) during the day and 75° F (24­° C).

A typical rainy season day in Tamarindo is sunny in the morning and rainy in the late afternoons and nights.

Tamarindo Hotels

Here are some recommended places to stay. You can find tons of Airbnbs and vacation rentals too.

• Hotel Mar Rey: budget to mid range hotel right in the middle of town. Has AC, pool and parking. Rooms are furnished minimally, but the location is excellent.
• Hotel Luna Llena: located further back in town with spacious bungalows and a big pool. Mid range prices.
• Tamarindo Diria: An upscale beachfront resort with 3 pools (one adult only), one beachfront restaurant and beach and garden view rooms. Also has adult only section.
• Wyndham Tamarindo: This hilltop hotel has a fantastic view of the beach and an amazing infinity pool. About a 15 walk to town.
• The Coast Beachfront Hotel: Small beach front, boutique hotel with a pool, rooms with a patio and breakfast. Towards Langosta side.
• The Beach Bungalows: Cute bungalows in the back part of town but just a 10 minute walk to downtown and 15 minutes to the beach. Lush gardens and is gated. Adults only.
• For honeymooners or couples, Jardin del Eden is adult only with romantic rooms and in room Jacuzzis.
• Capitan Suizo: Beachfront hotel with spacious rooms and suites. Great restaurant. About a 15 minute walk to the town center.
• If you want a resort, check out the JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa (30 minutes away) or the all inclusive Occidental Tamarindo, just a 5 minute drive from Tamarindo.
• There is a vegan hotel in Tamarindo called Mother Earth Vegan Hotel.

Tamarindo Restaurants

• Noguis: Beachfront with Costa Rican and international dishes. Yummy pie. $$
• Pikatas: Amazing ceviche and big portions. Near the beach by the roundabout.
• Longboards BBQ: Delicious barbecue sandwiches. $$
• Hidden Garden: Fine dining, good mix of vegetarian, seafood and meat $$$
• Pangas: Fine dining, delicious seafood. Nice place for a romantic dinner, beachfront. $$$
• Green Papaya: Awesome taco bar with handmade tortilla and chips. Cash only. $$
• NOI Bistro: Great place for breakfast or lunch. Favorites are the veggie burger. $$
• Masa Madre: Bakery with sandwiches, pastries, paninis, pizza, croissants, coffee, vegan/vegetarian options. $
• Cha Cafe: Smoothies, coffee, toasts, bowls, burritos, all healthy food. They also have delicious cookies, breads, etc. $$
• Santa Rita Coffee shop: Nice place for coffee and breakfast. $
• Pan del Mundo: European style bakery with sweet pastries, breads, baguettes and sandwiches. $
• Surf shack: Great burgers and they have a veggie options. $$
• Mercadito: Food court with burgers, seafood, arepas, poke bowls, waffles, crepes, tacos, Pops ice cream and more $-$$
• Red Door: A more fine dining beachfront spot with food and yummy drinks/cocktails $$$
• El Santuario: Cute outdoor Italian place with pizza, pasta and barbecue
• Venezia Gelati: Yummy gelato. $
• Brisa Mar (formerly Matapalo Beachfront): the public restaurant of Tamarindo diria. Beachfront, mix of Costa Rican. $$
• Cata Agave Bar: Beachfront, second floor bar, perfect if you love tequila. They do awesome cocktails and drinks.
• Falafel bar: Great hummus, pita wraps and shawarma. $$
• Dragonfly: Delicious curry and other dishes. $$
• Agua Salada: Nice place for more fine dining. Very cute decor and atmosphere. Beachfront. $$$
• La Pachanga: Excellent pizza and pasta place. $$
• Soda El Estero: A good local restaurant near the entrance of town. $

Shopping

If you’re looking for some new beach wear, Tamarindo has everything. Here are my favorite places to shop in downtown.

• Suspiro Esmerelda Bikinis: She designs her own bikinis and is great for anyone who likes prints and fun styles. By the roundabout across from Noguis.
• Seaholic: A cute store with beachwear and accessories
• 2 Aves: Right next to Suspiro and they have cute beach towels and accessories.
• De’lohana Bikinis: Second floor of Tamarindo Inn a little outside town. Super cute bikini, super soft, made with biodegradable materials.
• Morena Beachwear: Has a wide collection of bikinis and one pieces, many for surf. In Centro Commercial El Punto in town.
• Bambamboo: Clothing store with everything made from organic cotton, bamboo, banana or hemp. Super comfortable clothes that last a long time.
• Tamarindo night market: The weekly Thursday Moonlight night market is a great place to shop for trinkets like jewelry. In the plaza where Tamarindo Fitness Center is.
• Buena Nena: Cute clothing stores with jewelry, bags, hats and other cute things.

Nightlife

You will always find a place to party and partake in some epic nightlife in Tamarindo. There’s often live music at the restaurants like Mercadito, Chiringuito, Langosta Surf Club, Lizard Lounge, Longboards and The Ocean.

Pacifico Bar, Rumours, Sharkys, Crazy Monkey Bar and Lizard Lounge are popular places for drinking, dancing and partying.

Living in Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Foreigners choose Tamarindo as their new home due to several factors: diversity, more business and job opportunities, weather, surfing and a tightly knit expat/immigrant community.

This area is very popular among families as there are private and international schools nearby.

As for the demographic, there aren’t as many retirees compared to other beach towns like Playas del Coco. Most of the foreigners are young entrepreneurs, digital nomads, families, backpackers or surfers.

Although Tamarindo’s nickname is “Tama-gringo”, it’s not only US citizens who live here. There are plenty of people from Canada, Australia, Argentina, Italy, Switzerland, Brazil and Chile.

However, something to note about Tamarindo is that it’s expensive. You will find mostly American/Canadian prices. Due to displacement, you won’t see any local Guanacastecos living in Tamarindo either.

Rent and home prices are very high, catering more towards European/American/Canadian immigrants and expats and international tourists.

The Guanacastecos live outside in neighboring villages and towns like Villarreal, Huacas, 27 de Abril or Santa Cruz.

Tamarindo is not a cheap destination in Costa Rica, despite Costa Rica already being an expensive country in general.

You can travel on a budget in Tamarindo but it will still be more expensive than other destinations in Costa Rica.

Other than that, Tamarindo is fun. There is always something to do or something going on! You’re close to plenty of natural attractions, the surfing is awesome and it’s easy to meet people!

Safety

Is Tamarindo safe? Tamarindo is both a family friendly and party town. It attracts many young backpackers, solo travelers and surfers looking for a fun and wild night on the beach. Therefore, it is not difficult to find a variety of tools to help one have that type of time in Costa Rica.

However, many families, seniors and couples visit Tamarindo and it is completely safe for them.

It advised to avoid the small alleys and the street with all the bars late at night, especially Thursday – Sunday nights if you have children or want to avoid that scene.

Specifically avoid the alley next to Rumors/Sharky’s that goes to Surf Shack late at night.

Theft and pick pocketing are the main crimes so always be aware of your surroundings and keep your belongings safe with you.

During holidays such as Christmas, New Years and Easter, be especially aware of your belongings. NEVER leave your belongings unattended. Never leave anything valuable in your car.

Another thing to note about Tamarindo Beach is the crocodiles. Due to the nearby estuary, crocodiles sighting haves been reported on Tamarindo Beach.

If you are near the estuary, do not cross it by foot and be aware of your surroundings.

Want to read about more beach towns in Costa Rica? Here you go!

Playas del Coco, Costa Rica

Mal Pais Costa Rica

Jaco, Costa Rica

Samara, Costa Rica

Dominical, Costa Rica

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