Ticket Hall

Experience the best of Tamarindo

Tamarindo is a surf town on Costa Rica's Guanacaste coast, with a wide sandy bay, an estuary and a strip of beach bars looking west to the sunset.

Read moreShow less

Tamarindo grew from a fishing village into the main beach town of Guanacaste, with its beach, shops and restaurants strung along one main road. The bay has gentle waves for beginners, and surf schools line the sand, while more powerful breaks lie a short drive along the coast. The estuary at the northern end shelters mangroves where herons and the occasional crocodile are seen from kayaks.

Across the estuary, Playa Grande is part of Las Baulas National Marine Park, where leatherback turtles come ashore to nest from about October to March. Playa Langosta, Avellanas and Playa Negra offer quieter sand and surf. Inland, Santa Cruz and the hills of the Nicoya Peninsula show rural Guanacaste, cattle country where cowboys known as sabaneros still work.

Menus lean to fresh fish, ceviche, tacos and casados, with plenty of smoothies and coffee. From December to April the days are dry and sunny and the sea is clear; the green season from May to November has afternoon rain and fewer visitors. Sunsets over the bay are the daily ritual, best watched from the sand.

  • Free cancellation on 93% of experiences
  • Day trips to Guanacaste

Top experiences in Tamarindo

Special offers in Tamarindo

See all

Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.

Day trips from Tamarindo

78

Cruises and boat trips in Tamarindo

13

Guided tours in Tamarindo

105

Food and drink experiences in Tamarindo

19

Outdoor and adventure activities in Tamarindo

128

Nature and wildlife tours in Tamarindo

34

For couples in Tamarindo

4

Signature experiences in Tamarindo

Go beyond Tamarindo

  1. Liberia · 57 km

    Ponderosa Adventure Park

    7 hr4.336 reviewsfrom $70
  2. Sámara · 57 km

    Samara Beach (Playa Samara)

    3 hr4.8239 reviewsfrom $49
  3. San Juan del Sur · 107 km

    Christ of the Mercy (Cristo de La Misericordia)

    4 hr4.624 reviewsfrom $105
  4. Monteverde · 111 km

    Curi-Cancha Reserve

    3 hr4.81k reviewsfrom $30
  5. Monteverde · 111 km

    Selvatura Park

    5 hr4.5715 reviewsfrom $20
  6. Miramar · 124 km

    Adventure Park and Hotel Vista Golfo

    4 hr4.7160 reviewsfrom $25
  7. La Fortuna · 130 km

    La Fortuna Waterfall

    8 hr4.811k reviewsfrom $20
  8. La Fortuna · 130 km

    Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park

    8 hr4.88k reviewsfrom $39
  9. Ometepe · 138 km

    Concepción Volcano

    8 hr4.962 reviewsfrom $45
  10. Ometepe · 138 km

    Ojo de Agua

    9 hr4.845 reviewsfrom $3
  11. Isla de Ometepe · 138 km

    Charco Verde

    9 hr4.862 reviewsfrom $3
  12. Isla de Ometepe · 138 km

    Punta Jesus Maria

    9 hr4.859 reviewsfrom $3

Why book here

  • Compare before you buy

    Every ticket, tour and pass we carry for a city, side by side on one page.

  • Free cancellation on most experiences

    Where the operator offers it, the card says so before you click.

  • Real reviews, real photos

    Ratings and reviews are collected from travellers by our booking partner and Tripadvisor; nobody pays for placement.

  • Secure checkout on our partner’s site

    Card details are entered on our booking partner’s site, never on ours.

Three steps to add it

Plan with AIYour trip, day by day