🏖️ Trip ideas
Beaches
Two coasts in one trip: the Pacific with surf and sunsets, and the laid-back Caribbean.
In Costa Rica you can go from the golden sand of Guanacaste to Caribbean beaches in a single trip.
- Guanacaste (Tamarindo, Papagayo, Nosara) has the most reliable dry season and sunsets over the ocean.
- Central Pacific (Manuel Antonio, Jacó, Santa Teresa) mixes rainforest and beach.
- South Pacific (Uvita) is quieter and famous for whales.
- Southern Caribbean (Cahuita, Puerto Viejo) offers reefs, Afro-Caribbean food and a relaxed pace.
Tip: pair a beach with a mountain or volcano destination for a well-rounded trip.
Recommended destinations
Playas del Coco · PapagayoCalm bays, diving at the Catalina Islands and sunset catamaran cruises.from $60 per night
TamarindoLively surf town with a mangrove estuary and great nightlife.from $60 per night
NosaraSurf, yoga and the olive ridley turtle arrivals at Ostional refuge.from $65 per night
Santa TeresaSouthern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula: consistent waves, Montezuma and Cabo Blanco.from $65 per night
JacóThe closest beach to San José, with surf, zip lines and the Tárcoles river crocodiles.from $50 per night
Manuel AntonioNational park with monkeys, sloths and white-sand beaches next to Quepos.from $65 per night
Uvita · Marino BallenaThe whale tail sandbar, humpback whale watching and Nauyaca waterfalls.from $50 per night
CahuitaCoral reef, quiet beaches and Afro-Caribbean culture.from $40 per night
Puerto ViejoCocles and Punta Uva beaches, Caribbean food and Bribri culture.from $45 per night
Plan your trip with these destinations
Add the destinations you like to your route from the map or from each page.