Tamarindo Tours: Exploring Surrounding Beach Towns
Costa Rica offers a seemingly endless supply of fabulous and unique beach towns, especially the Guanacaste area. While staying or living in Tamarindo, adventuring to the surrounding beach towns can be the perfect way to spend the day relaxing or partaking in a wide variety of water sports. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, these are a few of the favorites near Tamarindo.
Langosta
Closest to Tamarindo, Langosta is a tiny beach town in size, but not in beauty. With abundant surfing, a couple great restaurants, and gorgeous homes, Langosta is a perfect way to stay close to Tamarindo while enjoying a quieter beach experience. With a 15 to 20 minute walk or a 7 to 12 minute bike ride, you can go back and forth between Tamarindo and Langosta easily.
Avellanas
Avellanas is known for a heavenly beach, excellent surfing, and Lola’s, a beachfront bar ranked one of the top ten beach bars in the world. Do not forget to order a frozen mojito while you are there and then see Lolita, the bar’s pet pig that is anything but little. You can drive the 30-minute car ride or take an inexpensive shuttle that runs daily.
Playa Conchal
The Playa Conchal area has one of the most unique beach experiences in Guanacaste. Not only is the sand made up of tiny crushed pieces of shell, but also there is clear water for the perfect snorkeling experience. You can rent a shaded area for the day and grab a snacks or a bite to eat at the next-door town of Brasilito.
Potrero
Potrero is a great beach town about 30 minutes from Tamarindo. It has a nice variety of places to eat and its own lovely beach. It is also right next to Playa Penca, a picturesque beach perfect for a very quiet day of relaxation. You can also take a yoga class or go on a dune buggy adventure in the Potrero area.
Flamingo
Flamingo is a popular and chic beach town for retirees and vacationers. With gorgeous homes lining an equally gorgeous beach made up of fine white sand, Flamingo is a great town to stop by for lunch or to try sports like sailing or scuba diving. Flamingo is about a 30-minute drive from Tamarindo.
Las Catalinas
Las Catalinas is a new master-planned community on over 1,000 acres in Guanacaste with a focus on great architecture and a sustainable “good life.” Though the community is still not entirely finished, you can enjoy the dark sand beaches and a fun eatery while taking in the views. With a nearly hour-long car ride, Las Catalinas is definitely not the closest beach town to Tamarindo, but it is one of the most special.