If the beach life is your best life then there’s perhaps no better place to visit than Costa Rica. This Central American country is known for many things but Costa Rica beaches are famous around the world and draw travellers from far and wide each year. Whether you’re looking to explore black sands lapped by some world-class waves or wanting to snorkel to your heart’s content in kaleidoscopic coral reefs, then you’ll find what you’re looking for here. Embrace your inner mermaid and head to Costa Rican shorelines: you won’t regret it. Here, we have 10 of the best Costa Rica beaches for you to bask in the sunshine all day.
1. Jacó Beach
One of the closest beaches to the capital San José, Jacó is the Costa Rica beach of choice if you want a quick day trip or weekend escape from the big city without having to travel too far. This stretch of shoreline along the Pacific ocean is far from remote so it’s optimal if you’re looking to catch some waves and bask under the hot sun with plenty of options for dinner, drinks, and dancing after sunset. If you do in fact spend a day or two in Jacó, don’t miss one of the region’s biggest claims to fame: the crocodiles sunbathing under the main bridge along the Tárcoles River. The sight of these reptiles is as frightening as it is impressive.
2. Tamarindo Beach
Being located in the beautiful Guanacaste province along the Pacific, Tamarindo Beach is a stunning destination and easily one of Costa Rica’s most popular beaches. Tamarindo is known for being a tourism hotspot where you can easily get lost in a beach read as a solo traveller, catch waves, party with other adventurers, shop, or daydrink at one of the many bars and restaurants.
In Costa Rica for the surfing? The consistent waves make Tamarindo clutch for catching waves, especially for beginners and intermediates, while the nearby Playa Grande caters to more experienced surfers. For the traveller who can’t sit still on a lounge chair all day, you can explore the nearby Las Baulas National Marine Park, home to nesting leatherback turtles, or embark on wildlife-watching tours through the surrounding parks. With activities ranging from zip-lining to paddleboarding, Tamarindo Beach offers plenty for athletic visitors.
3. Marino Ballena National Park
Costa Rica’s Marino Ballena National Park is a stunning slice of jungle paradise located along the country’s lower Pacific Coast near Uvita. The park, named ‘ballena’ or ‘whale’ in Spanish, earns its name for a distinctly-shaped sandbar that looks just like a whale’s tail at low tide. It’s hard to say which experience is more rewarding: walking from one tip of the tail to the other, or manoeuvring through the palm tree forest in the national park on the way to the beach.
What’s also strikingly beautiful about Marino Ballena National Park is the way plants, trees and vines seem to explode up from the shoreline. Float in the gentle waves and take in the sight of lush hills in the background until sunset when the fireball sun sinks below the horizon.
4. Cocles Beach
Puerto Viejo is one of Costa Rica’s best beach towns known for its vibrant Caribbean culture, mouth-watering local cuisine, howler monkeys, and of course, beaches. With sands like icing sugar, vine-like shrubs that crawl along the shoreline and tropical forest lining the beach, Cocles is the kind of place where you can really unwind. Simply get lost in a book, grab an iced coffee from one of the restaurants, go for a dip, or drink fresh coconut water straight out of the shell! They grow aplenty here and there’s no better beach beverage.
5. Coco Beach
Coco Beach, or Playas del Coco, is also situated in Guanacaste. This is a safe and well-established beach town that hosts many travellers looking to experience Costa Rica’s best beaches. Upon arrival, you’ll notice a crescent-shaped shoreline, framed by a well-treed hillside with fishing boats scattered throughout the ocean. Coco Beach is also one of the best scuba diving spots in Costa Rica so if a deep sea dive has ever been on your travel bucket list, this is your chance to do so. Plan for mesmerizing views of multi-coloured coral, schools of hundreds of fish glimmering in the sunlight, seashells and starfish.
Those looking for Costa Rica’s best diving spots could be aware of the Catalina Islands—a smattering of islands that lay off the coast of Guanacaste that are famous amongst surfers. Prefer your adventures to take place on land? Head to Coco Beach simply to observe the calm waters or take advantage of its social vibe by bar-hopping at night. The town itself is vibrant, welcoming, and safe with a lively nightlife scene. Cheers to that!
6. Conchal Beach
Translating to ‘seashell beach’, from the Spanish, Conchal Beach is an aptly-named beachy haven in Costa Rica known for the crushed shells lining the shores. The only bad thing about Conchal Beach is that it’s so pretty you won’t want to leave. Its beauty draws travellers to this part of the Guanacaste province for its distinctive texture, shimmering waves, turquoise water, and luxury resorts (with quality bars and restaurants to match).
This is a place to really admire Costa Rican nature at its finest: tropical foliage, clear water, soundtrack of ocean breezes, and marine life thriving just under the water’s surface. When planning your itinerary, know that this is a hub for stand-up paddleboarding, swimming, and snorkelling thanks to its calm waters and gentle waves. After a day in the water, relax with a cocktail and enjoy the cotton candy sunset.
7. Montezuma Beach
If chill, relaxed bohemian vibes are your thing, Montezuma Beach in Costa Rica is the perfect coastal spot for your next trip. Montezuma is located on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. Nicoya also happens to be one of the world’s blue zones—unique and rare places known for having the largest populations of centenarians thanks to a blend of factors that make for a healthy, long-lasting life. So, perhaps on a visit to the region, travellers can learn a thing or two to bring into their regular lifestyle back at home.
Picture a postcard-perfect scene of pristine beaches, lush jungles, rushing waterfalls, and jagged black rocks poking out of tropical teal waters. This area is home to the famous Montezuma Waterfalls, Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, and markets. If eating healthy while travelling is non-negotiable, check out the organic market every Saturday. Or, if you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind souvenir, stop by the artisanal market offering incredible macrame products. This is a hub for artists, surfers, and backpackers alike all looking for a blend of either laid-back beachy vibes, yoga, hiking, or swimming.
8. Manuel Antonio Beach
Manuel Antonio is a really special part of Costa Rica both for the beach life and incredible wildlife found in Manuel Antonio National Park. As for Manuel Antonio beach, this is a sublime stretch of the Pacific Coast where waters sparkle in the sunshine and palm trees spring up from the shores. Bask in the sun all you want while you drink fresh juices or choose jewellery sold by one of the vendors strolling up along the sugary sands.
Need something a little more active? Plenty of visitors find horseback riding a great way to see as much of this beach and surrounding area as possible. When it’s time to pack up the beach chairs and umbrella, don’t leave Manuel Antonio without visiting the national park and saying hello to its sloths, monkeys, iguanas and birds fluttering through the trees. You came to Costa Rica to see some of its wildlife too, right?
9. Cahuita National Park
Travellers looking for charming Caribbean beach vibes should consider heading to Cahuita National Park. Tucked away in the trees of the lush rainforest, this national park can be humid and rainy at times so be sure to pack a rain jacket. That said, a tropical storm can easily give way to the hot rays of the Caribbean sun in a mere few moments.
Cahuita has a lot of the charms that make travellers fall in love with Costa Rica in general and the country’s Caribbean side in particular: colourful fishing boats bobbing up and down in the water, families gathering for a Sunday barbecue in the shade of palm tree leaves, the salty mist of waves crashing against the rocks. To take advantage of the beautiful trails weaving through the trees and ideal beach conditions, get here early in the morning and stay until sunset.
10. Puntarenas Beach
Puntarenas Beach is on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast at the edge of the port city by the same name. It draws both local and international visitors for its beautiful malecón walkway and proximity to hotspots in the Nicoya Peninsula. The beach itself is a spot to enjoy local seafood (this area is famous for it so don’t even think about leaving without trying their delicious ceviche!), swim in its calm waters, or catch the sunset.
If sunbathing on this Costa Rican beach, make a point to visit the Puntarenas lighthouse nearby, book a boat tour, or take the ferry to one of the most popular spots in the Nicoya Peninsula such as Paquera or Nandayure. All that’s left to do is enjoy the fresh sea breeze and salty air.
