Guanacaste & beyond

Pick your beach

Every town has a personality. Honest one-paragraph takes on the places I know firsthand, with full guides to follow.

Aerial view over Playas del Coco at dusk, the bay full of moored boats and the town lit below

Playas del Coco

First landing

My town. Real infrastructure, real community, walkable, and 25 minutes from the airport. Not the prettiest beach on this list, but the easiest place to actually live.

Full guide →
Wide view over the green hillsides above Ocotal with the Pacific stretching out beyond

Ocotal

Quiet + views

Coco's quiet neighbor. Hillside homes, ocean views, a calm black-sand bay, and five minutes from Coco's restaurants when you want them.

Full guide →
The sign at the entrance to Playa Hermosa, with the long grey sand beach curving away behind it

Playa Hermosa

Families

The gentle one. Calm swimmable water, a long clean beach, and a slower, residential feel. Popular with families and retirees who want peaceful, not sleepy.

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Riders on horseback along the wet sand at Tamarindo at sunset

Tamarindo

Surf + social

The famous one. Surf schools, nightlife, restaurants, and crowds to match. Great fun, strong rental market, and you will hear more English than Spanish.

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A leatherback turtle hatchling crossing the dark sand at Playa Grande

Playa Grande

Nature + space

Across the estuary from Tamarindo and a world apart. National park beach, serious surf, low density, and dark skies at night. Bring a car.

Full guide →
A pair of oxen pulling a traditional cart along an inland Guanacaste road

Sardinal & inland

Budget + local life

Ten minutes inland, prices drop and Spanish comes back. Real Tico town life, bigger lots, and the beach is still a short drive away.

Full guide →

Torn between two towns?

Tell me your budget and your lifestyle on a call and I'll tell you where I'd look first, and where I wouldn't.

Ask an Expat · $99