Playas del Coco is one of the more popular beach towns in the country for both locals and tourists. It’s well-known for being a family friendly town and favorite party spot for the holidays.
Although it is one of the smaller and not quite as beautiful beaches in the Guanacaste province, it is full of nightlife and fun activities to do such as scuba diving, sport fishing, and snorkeling. It used to be a small fishing town but in the past decade, it has grown immensely to become the beloved little beach town it is today.
Playas del Coco is a popular place for expatriates or retirees of North America as it offers a relaxed and easy living style with highly agreeable weather year round.
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
- Directions
- The beach
- Weather
- Local People
- Where to eat
- Where to stay
- What to do
- Nightlife
- Health and Security
- Shopping
- Living
Location
Playas del Coco is located on the pacific side of Costa Rica in the Guanacaste region. Guanacaste is the northwestern province of the country bordering Nicaragua.
How to get to Playas del Coco
The closest airport to Playas del Coco is the Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia, about a 25 minute drive. You can get to Coco from the airport a variety of ways.
- By bus: The Pulmitan de Liberia (public bus) runs from Liberia to Coco from 5 AM to 7 PM every hour which costs 550 colones one way (~$1).
- By shuttle: You can book a shuttle which costs $50 for 1-4 people. It’s the most convenient and comfortable way. If you want to book a shuttle and need recommendations, please send us an email on our contact page.
- By taxis: There are many taxis outside the airport that costs around $50-60, just make sure to take the official red ones, not the orange or pirate taxis. I know people who have been charged $65 for this short drive!
- By car: Many people rent a car and pick it up once they land at LIR. The drive to Coco from the airport is very easy and straight forward. If you’re planning on renting a car, take advantage of our 10-25% discount off a car rental and 33% off GPS including a free 2nd driver.
If you’re coming from San Jose, it’s about a 4 hour drive. The cheapest transportation method is to take the bus, which costs around $8 dollars and takes around 5 hours. Read our complete guide to San Jose to Coco.
You can also take a local flight to LIR airport and then shuttle/bus/taxi/drive to Playas del Coco.
Playas del Coco Beach
Coco beach lies within the Gulf of Papagayo and stretches 3 kilometers from point to point. The sands have a dark grey-brown color and the water is not quite as blue one normally sees in other beaches in Guanacaste, it seems more blue-grey than blue-green.
Coco beach isn’t a surfing beach, but does house many different species of fish which makes it an excellent fishing spot. Swimming and bathing are perfectly suitable for Coco waters and the waters are very kid and adult friendly. Some times of the year the waves get big depending on swells.
Three islands can be seen from shore where many divers go to swim with sharks, octopus, turtles and stingrays. Many hills and cliffs surround the horseshoe shaped beach and it is a beautiful view to see with green mountains and hills and striking blue water.
See what Playas del Coco looks like from the sky!
And see what the town looks like!
Weather
In Costa Rica, there are no seasons like fall or winter. Being so close to the equator, the country is classified as tropical and experiences rainy and dry season with sun year round.
Read more about weather in Costa Rica.
In Playas del Coco during dry season, the sun is quite strong and intense. It can consistently stay at 90 – 100 Fahrenheit and above for weeks. Coco is known for being one of the driest and hottest places in all of Costa Rica with a longer dry season. It generally doesn’t start raining constantly until around August with October as the peak rainy month. March and April are the hottest months.
Due to the dryness and shorter rainy season, Coco constantly experiences water shortages and droughts.
Rain in Playas del Coco (May 2013)
Local People
The people from Playas del Coco are very friendly. They are very proud to be Gunacastecos and they call themselves “coqueños” (from Coco). The locals love to hangout at the beach to skateboard, swim, and play basketball or futbol.
Normally on the weekends you can see families enjoying the sun, having lunch on the beach, or walking with their kids. Most of the locals work in the tourism or fishing industry.
Restaurants
If you’re looking for to try traditional Costa Rican food, check out one of these sodas which are local Costa Rican restaurants.
- Soda Los Pelones
- Soda La Teresita
- Soda Mi
- Jardin Tropical
- Soda Local
All these other restaurants sell food other than typical Costa Rican food. Unfortunately there isn’t a huge variety of food in Coco.
- Villa Italia – Italian
- La Caveja – Italian
- Cafe de Playa– International
- Hotel Coco Palms Restaurant – International + sushi
- Claudio y Gloria – International
- Le Coq – Lebanese, another one of our favorites
- Papagayo Seafood and steak – steak and seafood
- Las Olas – seafood and steak
- Luna de Plata – French
- Johann Bisto
- Soda Oasis
- Hard Rock Cafe
- Citron
Our favorites are Le Coq, Hotel Coco Palms Restaurant and Soda Los Pelones. The bars also have good food, our favorite is ZI Lounge for pizzas and burgers.
Lodging
In Coco, there are no big resorts or luxury hotel chains. All the hotels consist of locally owned businesses and ranges from hostels to cabinas, condos and hotels with mostly mid range to high end prices. There are few cheap budget options.
If you’re looking for a resort or all inclusive, the closest is the Hotel Riu which is about a 30 minute drive from Playas del Coco.
Here are our picks:
- Our top pick is Toro Blanco, a beautiful hotel that’s a one minute walk to the park/beach and next to town. Mid range, comes with an equipped kitchenette, swim up bar and nice pool with pretty lights.
- Room with a view: Hotel Chantel. Located up in the hills, this boutique hotel has great ocean views and a rooftop restaurant. Prices run on the higher end, starting at $90. Apartments range from $100-200
- Budget close to the beach: Laura’s House Bed and breakfast. Small B&B, two minute walk to the beach and five to town.
- Hostel: Hotel M&M. They are right on the beach and has a great hostel atmosphere but rooms don’t have AC. Prices aren’t cheap either, doubles are about $60. The next best option are the cabinas next to Toro Blanco. You can get a bed for as low as $10 a night in rainy season.
For more in depth tips and advice on where to stay, check our accommodation options in Coco post.
If you’re looking for other options besides hotels, Airbnb (get $20 credit here) has quite a few listings for a really great price. My friend got a two bedroom, two bathroom condo with a private pool, internet, cable, parking lot and security guard in one of the most popular neighborhoods for just $50 a night.
Activities
There are a ton of fun things to do in Playas del Coco.
Scuba diving: Playas del Coco is one of the best spots in Costa Rica for scuba diving since you’re close to several excellent islands like Monkey Head, Bat Islands and Catalinas.
Fishing: Since Coco is a fishing village, the fishing here is among the best. You can go in shore or off shore fishing to catch marlins, mahi mahi, sailfish and more.
Other activities are kayaking, sailing and SUP (stand up paddle boarding). You can rent kayaks, take a SUP lesson and go on a morning or sunset sailing trip. There is also a booze cruise.
When tourists come to Coco, they usually enjoy the beach/town for a day and the rest of the time, go on tours. Coco’s location makes it an excellent home base to explore national parks like Rincon de la Vieja, go beach hopping, take a day trip to Nicaragua and to discover Guanacaste.
Find out what the best day trips from Coco are here.
Our favorite activity? Boating around the Gulf of Papagayo. This is the best way to experience all the wonders of this part of Costa Rica such as hidden white sand beaches, caves, amazing snorkel spots and marine wildlife. We always go with our Tico friend who owns a boating company and takes us on private tours. Read more about it here.
Nightlife
Even though Coco may look like a small quiet town during the day, it all changes at night. The three biggest bars are located on the main street of El Coco: Lizard Lounge, Coconutz and Zi Lounge.
All the bars are open with counter seating along the perimeter so you can have a drink, eat, and people watch to your heart’s content. Bars on the beach are La Vida Loca, Tiki Coco and Ancla.
During weekends and holidays, music blasts from all the bars and there’s always a party going on. Sometimes they’ll have live music and you can dance the night away. If you’re in Coco during New Years, you’ll get to experience one of the biggest parties in Costa Rica!
The nightlife in Coco is limited to the main street as it is where the majority of the restaurants and bars are. There is a small park and boardwalk by the beach where one can sit and watch the stars, listen to live music or the crashing waves and enjoy a drink.
Health & Security
Playas del Coco has a public clinic run by the government called Ebais that anyone can go to. There is also a private clinic in town called Coco Medical Center.
There is one main veterinarian clinic in town in Pueblito Norte of Las Palmas, Veterinaria Dr.Sharine Alice, by appointment only. There is a police station right in front of the beach by the park which is where you will report to in case of emergency.
Shopping
Shopping in Playas del Coco consists mainly of small businesses but there are plenty of souvenir shops if you’re looking for gifts to bring back home. Souvenir shops line the main street of Coco and near the entrance of the beach and boast a huge stock of handmade wood-carved sculptures, jewelry, handbags, clothes, hammocks, and a plethora of trinkets.
You can find traditional coffee makers and clothing, Pura Vida signs and all sorts of animal statues. Though the souvenir shops have lots of items, I prefer Sussy Souvenirs which is near the park at the main entrance of the beach.
Note that you can use dollars here and don’t be afraid to bargain!
Living in Playas del Coco
Costa Rica is known for its laid back living style and that is certainly proven in Playas del Coco. Living at the beach, one has to have an easy going attitude about life and leave the stress behind.
However, life is not necessarily easy in Coco, jobs are limited and cost of living is high compared to the rest of the country. Prices are very similar, if not more, to the states.
Are you considering moving to Playas del Coco? Read more about if it’s the right town for you here.
Many foreigners come to Coco with the intention of opening a business such as a bar or hotel, but they find that business is very difficult in a small tourist town and many places close soon after they open. This is the reason why Coco is popular with digital nomads instead.
But there is a reason why so many people move down here post-retirement, as it is perfect for someone looking for a relaxed and slower pace of life. It’s an attractive place to get away from the cold or for someone who needs to leave their stresses of life behind.
If you want to know even more about this beach town, you can check out these articles:
How to travel in Coco for $50 a day
Guide to the supermarkets in Coco
Guide to fruit and vegetable stands in Coco
What you should know about Coco before you go
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Hello,
I am coming from Liberia airport to the Flor de Itabo hotel on April 10th. Could you give me the shuttle details and how much would it cost for 2 people?
Thank you!
Hi Akvile, I just sent you an email.
Hi Yeison and Sammi,
Thanks for this great blog on Playas del Coco! It’s very informative and gives us an idea of what to expect. We will be staying there April 10-13 and my husband just recently heard from a client, who was there a week or two ago, that something is going on with the water at the beach? To the point that they are advising people not to get in the water! The client stated the locals told them it had to do with all the boats in the cove? They call it red [something]. Anyway, wondering if you guys have heard about it and if perhaps it has moved out of there yet? Thanks so much for any information you can offer!
Kindest Regards,
Kelly Pearce
Hello Kelly,
To be honest we haven’t heard anything about that, if that would be true it will be all over the news here, and all the governmental environment divisions will be working on it. We will let our readers know if something like this happen.
Thank you for your kind words and for follow our blog 🙂
I can’t thank you enough for your blogs and your willingness to answer all questions! Do the restaurants in Coco take USD or just colones?
Hi Nisha, they take both. If you use USD, they will give you your change back in colones.
Hi. Any pineapple or banana tours near the Riu Guanacaste?
Hi Tee, no there aren’t unfortunately.
How do we book a shuttle to take us from our hotel in Coco (Flora del Itabo) to the airport? Our flight is on Feb. 24, at 7 in the morning.
Hi Melinda, I just sent you an email!
Hello
I love your website and have been getting your informative emails…thank you
I have a question…we will be arriving February 5th this Sunday and will be staying in Playa del Coco.
Do you know of a reasonable shared or private shuttle service for us to use.
Thank you again for you help
Pam Smith
Flying in Feb 03 2017 flying out Feb 17 2017 what is the best shuttle to book and how?
Hi Scot, just sent you an email!
Hi! I am looking for somewhere to take my kids for the first two weeks of August. Will the weather be ok in Playa for swimming in the ocean, being outside etc. at that time of year?
Hello Adele, August and September are our favorite time of the year its the transition between the dry season to the rainy season, usually the oceans are super clear and it is as hot as it is on the dry season, still very warm but nothing over 100. Let us know is you have questions about Costa Rica
Guru, is their yoga here?
You can check Coco Gym, there used to be a yoga studio in Coco but I am not sure if its still there.
Hi! We’ll be staying in Playas del Coco for the month of February. While we’re there we want to take week to visit Boquete, Panama. We wanted to rent a car and drive, but have discovered that we can’t take a rental car from C.R. to Panama. 🙁 The flight schedules and bus schedules look l-o-n-g from what I can tell. Can you recommend the best way for us to get from Coco to David without going to San Jose and Panama City?
Thank for your help!
Hi Mindy! That is a LONGG drive almost 500 kilometers and at least 10 to 12 hours driving you will have to cross the whole country. If you are not driving you will have to go to San José it will be easier jut get there and get the Tracopa Bus or any other bus that goes to Peñas Blancas, I used to take a bus to the border cross the border by myself and then pay a Taxi to David, 2 years ago they used to charge around $45 for a 40 minutes ride. Another option is to find out which rent a car company have an office at the border and rent a car from Coco to Peñas Blancas, the rent a car company might charge you an extra fee to deliver the car in the other side of the country but in this way you will not have to go to San José then cross the border take a taxi to David then to Boquete.
Thank you for the suggestions. We decided to fly from Liberia to David and rent a car there for the drive to Boquete. Less complicated. Thanks again for the detailed suggestions!
That sounds even better, great call. We wish you an excellent trip and please let us know if there something we can help. Thanks for reading Mytanfeet 🙂
Hi! I am a group of four traveling in late February from Liberia (airport) to Playa del Coco. Can you help advise me on a shuttle?
Thanks!
Hello Elsa,
Yes no problem we have a friend that has a transfer company we always send him all our readers. Can you please email us on our contact page your flight info thanks!
Hi. We like to hike. Are there good hiking trails nearby? Or, would we have to drive a good distance to get to good hiking trails?
Is “The Breeze” private residence club a nice place to stay?
How is the snorkeling? Would we have snorkeling right off the beach or would we have to drive or boat somewhere else?
Thanks!
There aren’t really any hiking trails in this area, you can walk up the hill from the Las Palmas neighborhood and walk on the road to Hermosa or walk to Ocotal, but there aren’t hiking trails. To get good hiking trails, the best one is at Rincon de la VIeja National Park. We wrote a guide to the hikes here: https://mytanfeet.com/costa-rica-national-park/rincon-de-la-vieja-national-park/
We haven’t stayed at the Breeze so not sure, but I’m sure you can find reviews for it online.
You can’t snorkel at Coco beach, the water isn’t clear and there aren’t any reefs, you can go to Ocotal for OK snorkeling.
Hi Yeison and Sammy, thank you so much for your blog and all the info! Quick question, we have a 7 year old child and are wondering what the swell/waves are like on the Coco/Hermosa/Ochatal side for swimming and snorkeling in March? Is the ocean fairly calm during that time of year? Or would the waves be too big for the young one? Many thanks!
Hi Fionna, the waves at those beaches are great for swimming, they are pretty calm and very nice, lots of families visit those beaches because of the calm waves. Another great beach for kids is Playa Panama next to Hermosa, since that beach is inside a bay, there are barely any waves at all, it’s like a giant pool.
So glad to have found your site. We are visiting April 29 to May 6. Cannot wait! We are staying at Condominium Pacifico. I hope there are a lot of things to do close. I will be reading as much of your site as possible before our trip!
J & M
I’m glad you found us too! Thanks for reading 🙂
Hi I’m going in January what is the prettiest beach
Best zip line
Average price of drinks
And dinner
Hello Ally thanks for reading our blog, here are our favorites beaches in Costa Rica https://mytanfeet.com/costa-rica-beach-information/best-beaches-in-costa-rica/ All Zip lines are great it all depends where you are going to be prices of drinks and food changes a lot you can get a dinner on a local place for $10 to $100 on a fancy place. If you have more questions please send us your questions here https://mytanfeet.com/ask-us/
I’ve been to Coco twice and I cant remember there being any zip lines. There are all day tours to zip lines, but none there. The best thing to do local, is the catamaran tours.
Other than Coco beach there is one to the North called Hermosa, and one to the south called Ocatel. Both are about a $4.00 cab ride.
Average price for drinks (At a bar) is around $3-4 American. Your bill comes in both currencies also and the tip is included on the bill so pay attention.
Such in dept information! Thank you so much 🙂 I just moved to Playa Del Coco to work at one of the dive shops so this was very helpful.
Hi Janieke, that’s awesome have a great time! Thanks for reading!
Hello…we would like to take a shuttle from the airport to our resort in playas del coco called sapphire residents. Can you help with a good shuttle name ..thank you
We will be traveling there the day after thanksgiving next month..any other great tips would be wonderful too. It’s our first trip there..thank you
Hello Susan the best guy we know is our friend Randall, we always use him for friends and family if you would like to we can put you on contact, please email us on our contact us page with the details and we will put you in contact. Thanks for reading our blog 🙂
Hello
Our group of 6 adults will be traveling early February. Can you please email me the way to contact Randall for transfers from lir to playa coco.
Have you rented a car there? Do you think transfers would be better?
Thank you. Pam
Hi Pam, I Just sent you an email with Randall’s contact information. We have rented a car in Coco and we had a car when we lived there, it depends on what you want to do because if you’re not planning on going to other places in COsta Rica and are planning just to stay in the Coco area, you don’t need to rent a car. You can also do day tours from Coco so you won’t have to worry about transportation, but if you plan to explore and go to other places like the beaches down south, Arenal or other destinations, renting a car may be a good idea unless you don’t want to drive because there are many day tours from Coco.
I just spent 4 days at playa del coco, it was a very good decision, since I have a rental car, and I was able to go to more beautiful beaches around the area, my favorite was Playa Conchal, but it is close to Playa Flamingo, Playa Tamarindo which a perfect destination for surfers, Playa Hermosa, Playa Panama, Playa Ocotales, we stayed at Toro Blanco Resort, and we flew from Los Angeles to Liberia (LAX- LIR) straight flight via Alaska Airlines, I recommend anyone to take a trip to this area, it is amazing. I can’t say anything bad about this place, or trip. I am planning on going back, probably around Thanks giving or New years 2016
Hi Marlon, I’m so glad you had a wonderful time in CR! Hope you come back soon!
Thanks for suggesting some things to do on the beach in Costa Rica. I would love to go fishing and try to spot some of the many different species that dwell there. My husband and I are thinking about taking a trip next summer, so we will have to look into our options for a fishing trip as well.
Coco is an excellent spot for fishing, one of the best in CR. Hope you get to experience it sometime!
Hi I would like to know, how much and how is the bus from playa del coco to Tamarindo or vice-versa. What would be the best place to stay in playa del coco for a hostel ?
Thank you 🙂
I don’t know the exact amount but it’s a couple of dollars. There isn’t a direct bus from Coco to Tamarindo and vice versa. The easiest way is to go all the way to Liberia and then take a bus from the Liberia station to Tamarindo. There is a way that doesn’t require you to go all the way to Liberia but there isn’t really a schedule or stop (you can stop by LIR airport and then wave down the next bus to the Flamingo/Tamarindo area). Unfortunately there aren’t really any hostels in Coco, there are some cheap cabinas near the beach/park entrance next to Toro Blanco. You can read more about accommodations in Coco here: https://mytanfeet.com/about-cr/accommodations-in-playas-del-coco-costa-rica/
I have a 7:45 am flight out of Liberia airport. For one person, what are my options for getting to the airport at that early time? Taxi? How much would that cost?
Hello Paul, your need to be at 6am the latest you can take a taxi, shuttle, etc. They will charge you around $40 to $50 we always hire Randall from Shaman tours he has a very nice van and he is always on time, let us know if you would like us to put you in contact with him.
I’m curious since we live inland Canada. Whwat would be the most fun for my sporty boyfriend to do as a water sport?
I was thinking a catermaran, he’s not too into fishing. I’m a recent grad, so we’re on a budget.
Love the blog. It’s been most helpful!
Cheers,
You can read all the articles on things we’ve done in/around Coco here: https://mytanfeet.com/playas-del-coco-activity-guide/
We’ve also done snuba which you can read about here: https://mytanfeet.com/activities/snuba-in-costa-rica/. That is at the hotel RIU, about 45 minutes from COco.
There is also SUP, scuba diving and kayaking. Surfing can be done but it takes a bit of a long boat ride from Coco to go surfing at Witch’s Rock. Or you can visit the other beaches in Guanacaste like Tamarindo/Conchal/Flamingo.
A catamaran sailing trip is fun but it’s not really a water sport – the most you do is snorkel for a little bit and depending which you go with, they may or may not have kayaks/canoes to rent. We prefer a private boating trip since you can do way more snorkeling and visit more beaches. You can read about our Tico friend who has a private boat company and does surfing/fishing/boating/snorkel trips: https://mytanfeet.com/activities/boating-in-playas-del-coco-mystic-rides/
It is Coco medical clinic
What would you consider is the best beach in the Guanacaste region for snorkeling? We will be arriving to Liberia and hope to find a beautiful beach for swimming but also for snorkeling.
Thanks,
Nico
Hi Nicko
We like to go to Ocotal when we dont have a boat available https://mytanfeet.com/costa-rica-aerial-videos/aerial-video-playa-ocotal-costa-rica/, then with a boat there are more options and spots that you can go.
But Ocotal will be ok if you just want to snorkel not too far from shore
Staying at riu looking at boat to take me from coco to winches rock it’s like 25 km on boat with a board all these company’s want like 500$ for the day it’s crazy I live in long point ontario and I own a 25 ft sea ray these boats are barly worth 500$ let alone renting one for the day I just want some guy to drive me there for the day and pick me up at the end it’s like 50 to 100$ gas were we live I would think it should not cost more than a couple hundred if any one can help me I would love it
Hi Shane,
I will email a friend that do the best fishing trips and they have a boat. I will copy to the email address you used here.
🙂
Would like the fishing info too…
We loved el coco but visitors should watch out for a tall Tiko man named Johnny D. He stands in front of papagayo seafood and uses their trip advisor rating as if it was his own. He scams visitors as well as his own people. Ask any local and they will agree. Do not sign up to fish with him he will scam you and does not own boats. He will either take your money as a deposit and leave you to pay the he boat in full. You can flag a boat off shore as early as 600 am and avoid the guys on the street all together. Average cost to fish should be 230-275 max. Jorge a bar tender at Tiki Coco Place has a boat for 275.00 and he is super professional.
Wow had no idea! Thanks for the tip Sheryl, will make sure to let people know!
This looks like heaven! It looks so relaxing – just what I need after a dreary January to February. You are two very lucky people! Love your videos too 🙂 Katie xo
Aw thanks Katie! 🙂
Hi there….I will be taking a taxi from my hotel and visiting coco beach for a couple of hours to go souvenir shopping. Where is the main place in coco beach where all the little souvenir stands are at? Thank you 🙂 Where should we tell the taxi driver to drop us off at?
Hi Abi!
The best place to tell your taxi driver to drop you off is Papagayo seafood restaurant. Along the street in center of Coco are allllll the souvenirs shops for you to look at. If you keep on walking down towards the beach, there are several more on the corner and on the right hand side where you will see the sign for massage and spa, there is a large one called Sussy in there.
Luckily there’s just one main street in Coco and all the souvenir shops are lined up on there so it won’t be hard to miss 🙂
Enjoyed the article and video of Coco, found You through YouTube. Lived in Coco over 10 years ago, stayed for a year, worked at Rich Coast Diving. Great blog. Thanks for sharing Your adventures.
Thank you Lulu! Wow didn’t know Rich Coast Diving has been around for that long. Bet you had a great experience! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Great article! You really put some time and detail into this! I like the drive through video, I might share it on our FB page if you don’t mind.
I just wanted to let you know about us. We’re a local classifieds and news site dedicated to Coco and it’s surrounding towns. Free to list….free to use.
Sam,
Can you list the airlines that fly into Liberia airport? Please include from what city and how often. I found it to be difficult to know all the available travel options.
Sure! I’ll do an in-depth post on flights that go in to Liberia and the airlines. I agree since LIR is smaller and there’s not as many flights it would be good information to know. Thanks for the suggestion!
There are lots of tours in Playas del Coco as well including Marlin del Rey Sailing Tours. 🙂
Hi Bret,
Yes there are plenty of options for great tours in playas del coco. We haven’t done the Marlin del Rey yet but hopefully we will sometime in the future, we have heard good things about it !
Have a great day 🙂 and thanks for stopping by.
Pura vida