Tamarindo Travel Guide: Reviews, photos, & videos

There aren’t a lot of guarantees when it comes to traveling, but Tamarindo comes with a near-guarantee of sand, surf and sun. The sun shines just about every day of the year in Tamarindo Beach, interrupted by brief showers in the late afternoon, which cause some incredible water reflections across the sand and the most spectacular sunsets. A surfer destination, Tamarindo is surprisingly friendly for beginner surfers who gather on the two-mile white sand beach before hitting the waves. Up and down the beach, howler monkeys swing from tree to tree. In the northern part of the bay, leatherback turtles climb ashore to lay their eggs, before returning out to sea. On restaurant patios, giant iguanas come up to your table and beg for scraps. Hey, you gonna eat that?

  • Beach, Boating, Centralamerica, Eco-tourism, Family-friendly, Fishing, Golfing, Horsebackriding, Ocean, Over55, Relaxing, Romantic, Rustic, Sailing, Scubadiving, Surfing, Warm/tropical, Wedding, Wildlife, Yachting
  • 81%

 
 
link10.3015769253-85.83154678348Tamarindo, Costa Rica
link10.3010702422-85.8337783813Find the Perfect Surf Spot
link10.3015769253-85.83154678348Tamarindo, Costa Rica
 
 
 
 

   

 Directions 

Estimated travel time: 2 hours, 45 minutes by plane (from Miami, FL)  
 
Most international passengers arrive at Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría, 10 miles northwest of the capital of San José. A little over 20 international carriers serve the San José airport. Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, U.S. Airways, United Airlines, and Continental Airlines also have nonstop flights to the international airport in Liberia, Costa Rica from their hubs in Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, Chicago, and Houston, respectively. From both the airport in San José and the one in Liberia there are shuttle services to the Tamarindo Beach area.

 

   

 Weather 

  • Current conditions

    Cond064

    Mostly cloudy. Extremely hot, Muggy. Temperature of 90.66°F. Winds NE 12.9mph. Humidity will be 67% with a dewpoint of 78° and feels-like temperature of 105.96°F.
    Hi: 91° F, Low: 74° F.

  • Tomorrow's forecast

    Cond050
    Mostly cloudy. Hot, Windy. Temperature of 88°F. Winds NE 22.53mph. Humidity will be 73% with a dewpoint of 78° and feels-like temperature of 101.75°F.
    Hi: 88° F, Low: 74° F.


  • Weatherbug's weather page.
 

   

 Attractions 

Add Attraction

Find the Perfect Surf Spot

The basking glow of pale, shimmering moonlight and the spectacular, crimson opulence of Tamarindo’s sunsets frame the consummate backdrop for a town dominated by surfers. Meccas of such magnitude draw from across the spectrum, appealing to virgin shredders and Endless Summer vagabonds alike. Beginner and intermediate surfers will feel more comfortable between Pico Pequeno and El Estero, where heavy crowds, tame breaks, and a cornucopia of surf instructors create an atmosphere tolerant of first tries (most of the time!). More experienced surfers may delight in these beaches during the off-season, but tend to strike out beyond Tamarindo for more authentic and challenging surf. Playa Langosta to the south and Playa Grande to the north are the obvious choices. Travelers favoring a John Muir mentality can quest further north through bone shaking ATV trails and crocodile filled estuaries for the rugged authenticity of northern breaks like Witches Rock and Ollies Point. Beside the mesmeric clamor of these crashing waves and the cool rustle of wind swept grass, even an Endless Summer would come to a standstill.

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 Reviews(Average Rating: 81% for 2 reviews) 

  • Shanimal44
    Shanimal44
    • Top member
    Reviews: 5
    Posts: 16

    Two Parts Surfing...

    08/15/2008

    85%

    Tamarindo, Costa Rica

    Tamarindo has magician’s surf. Feet perched upon a patio, or sinking beneath creamy, midnight sand, it’s not difficult to imagine yourself whisked away to some peaceful tranquility reserved only for Romantic poets. Yet, somehow, the same waters that ebbed listeners into hypnosis, morph into the turgid, pummeling surf that carries surfers on 12-foot squalls at places like Pico Pequen and El Estro. Though deemed a surfers town by locals and tourists, Tamarindo plays with a full deck of eco-immersion cards. At Playa Grande, a visit with the endangered leatherbacks can catalyze an underwater exploration where life is as teeming and effervescent as the surf is turbulent. Beyond the beaches, Tamarindo harbors the same zip-line infested, horse trotting forests as the rest of Costa Rica’s eco-tourism paradises. At night, the surfers (goodness knows how) carry the same wave riding intensity into Tamarindo’s nightlife, creating an experience that is vibrant and authentic. Unfortunately, sometimes in the touristy summer months it can feel a little too much like a frat party that got lost on its way to Tijuana.

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  • VacationHmQueen
    VacationHmQueen
    • Top member
    Reviews: 24
    Posts: 6

    For surf, sunsets, and turtles....Tamarindo is your place.

    06/10/2008

    76%

    Tamarindo, Costa Rica

    When we got to the airport, we asked locals what beaches are the best to visit in Costa Rica. I was told - Tamarindo Beach is the local favorite. Of course, I already had read somewhere that Tamarindo was on the top 10 list of the world's best beaches and figured that it was a "must see," so off we went. Tamarindo beach has these cool tiger stripes in the sand, and flat, packed down sand. The packed sand reflects the sun light beautifully at sunset, hence, Tamarindo has some of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. The flat beach is terrific for beginner surfers as the waves are shallow and easy to manage. We saw several surf schools (see pic). My favorite part of Tamarindo is that it is between 2 world class turtle nesting grounds. Playa Grande, to the north, is where you can visit the rare leatherback turtles. But bring your night vision goggles because the leatherbacks beach at night and are hard to see. But it is a fascinating experience, nonetheless. There is also another beach to the south, but turtle nesting was off season when we were there. Tamarindo and Playa Grande are laid back surfer towns. Playa Grande offers softer sand and is more for the die hard surfers with much more challenging surf. Guanacaste, the peninsula off the northwest coast of Costa Rica, where Tamarindo is located, is about the most desirable real estate in the country. Nice beaches, great sunsets, awesome surf - its easy to see why people want to stay! As much as I like Tamarindo, I really love it for the nature - the animals. My ideal beach is soft, white sand, turquoise water, which is not something I've found anywhere in Costa Rica.

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