Tamarindo Information

Tamarindo Beach is one of the most visited location along the North Pacific Region and is located in the Guanacaste Province. Located in a bay, this once small beach town has changed immensely over the years to become a hot spot for tourist with plenty of nightlife. In the 80's Tamarindo was a town with no electricity, dirt roads and few visitors to it's shores. The Pan American Highway changed the face of the entire area opening up residential possibilities, business opportunity and tourism. You will now find that Tamarindo is a thriving tourist town with many attractions, hotels, wide choices in restaurants and other small businesses that cater to the tourist. Finding what you need is not a problem in Tamarindo as it may be in other towns located along the long North Pacific shoreline.

Tamarindo Beach is popular because it offers a lot of fun for vacation seekers, has endless choices of accommodations and is central to many other attractions on the North Pacific coast.  Choosing Tamarindo as a vacation destination or stopping place during your travels of Costa Rica is a choice you can't go wrong on. Easily accessible by car, it is approximately a 5 hour drive from San Jose. The roads and highways are well paved, and directional signs for the town are shown once you get closer to the North Pacific. If you prefer to take a connecting flight from the international airport, Nature Air and Sansa have daily flights into Tamarindo on the airstrip located just outside town.

Attractions

The beaches are world class and offer breathtaking sunsets and pristine sandy shores to frolic around on.  Surfers hang out at the shoreline catching the perfect left and right peaks that roll in. You will see boats dotting the waters offering anything from parasailing, scuba diving and fishing. All aquatic adventures in Tamarindo are first rate. Tours of Marino Las Baullas National Park or the natural estuary are also favorites and can be booked with any tour service in town.

You can easily get to Playa Grande or Playa Langosta from Tamarindo to add their sights to your list of things to do. If you have your sights on golfing in Costa Rica, Hacienda Pinilla is one of the finest in Costa Rica and easy to get to. The town itself has more than 50 restaurants, bars and clubs to choose from within proximity so having a car in town is not necessary if you are arriving by bus. Local taxis are available if wanted, but the strolls in-between your destinations will allow you to stop at art galleries, souvenir shops and cafes.  The choices of accommodations and types of restaurants to choose from are endless. Tamarindo has many luxury resorts, quaint hotels and food of any type you might think of. Using our Accommodations or Restaurant tabs will allow you navigate between the selections listed.
 
Tips

A few tips and precautions should be noted when visiting Tamarindo. The rip tides are strong and dangerous, and there can be hidden rocks below the water levels. Diving from boats or rocky formations should be avoided unless the proper guides that know the area ensure it's safety. Swimming near a lifeguard station will also ensure your safety and you will find them located in several areas.  With tourism high in Tamarindo, pick pockets and petty theft has occurred more often. Don't leave your luggage in the car nor valuables unattended at the beach. If your evening plans keep you out until the wee hours of the morning, using a taxi to get to your hotel is advisable.

Photo Credits: By Tamarindowiki (Tamarindowiki helicopter aerial photo) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons, [boat in the ocean during sunset] supplied by [istockphoto] / Thinkstock, [Tamarindo Beach, West Coast of Costa Rica, Central America] supplied by [istockphoto] / Thinkstock