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District in Santa Cruz canton, Guanacaste province, Costa Rica
Photo: Tamarindowiki, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Tamarindo is in Costa Rica. Located on the Pacific Coast, Tamarindo is a popular destination for couples and families looking for a good time. With spectacular beaches and rainforests, Tamarindo is the epitome of everything that Costa Rica prides itself on. However, if you are expecting to experience the real Costa Rica then Tamarindo is probably not for you - it's something of a tourist trap geared towards people from the US, on short vacations, and prices are high (comparable to US and Europe) with rarely the quality to match.
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Most days there are one or more groups spinning fire on the beach at different times. Shows usually last ~15 minutes.
Biniki Surf Shop Tamarindo, Costa Rica
Tamarindo Bikini Surf Shop, offers surfboard rent, surfing lessons and tours, surf report, bikinis
Programs run 1-4 weeks, with an option to include a surfing course.
Spanish and surf school.
Language immersion travel.
Spanish school with weekly start dates.
La Oveja Negra Surf Camp has a range of different surf packages.
Dreamsea Surf Camp has accommodation and surf packs.
Tamarindo Surf Trips
Tamarindo Surf Vacations offers Witch's rock Ollie's point boat surf trips, beachfront hotel, surf camp, surf packages.
Costa Rican Adventures
An educational travel company focused on cultural immersion.
Experiential learning trips to Costa Rica, Belize, the Galapagos Islands, Peru and Spain.
An exclusive beach resort and residential community, it offers six pristine beaches, scuba diving, snorkeling, surfing, fishing horseback riding, an 18-hole championship golf course, and about 16 km (10 miles) of nature trails.
Runs for about 1 hour. It's in the shade on the beach. Additional $5 to rent a mat (otherwise bring your own towel).
The Best Hot Dogs in town
Hot dogs and open late.
Enjoy an amazing pulled pork, chicken, or brisket sandwich while relaxing in a tropical setting, listening to American music. The ribs and onion rings are fantastic. All of their meat is smoked and served with homemade BBQ sauces. New flat screens make it a good place to watch the games.
Located in Plaza Tamarindo and serving North American and Jamaican-influenced fare including panninis, salads, home baked goods, apple pie to Jamaican jerk chicken, and vegetarian selections, and Montreal style bagels. Patio and enclosed air conditioned dining area.
The Monkey Bar is great on Fridays: they have a live band and a DJ playing, so you are able to choose which side of the party you wish to be on.
Within walking distance from the Monkey Bar, Aqua delivers a more intense night club experience. A great place to be on Friday or Saturday and there's even a pole on stage.
Pacifico is the place to be on Sunday and is also busy on Thursday. Expect reggae dance-hall music at this beach side bar.
Delightfully funky surfer hostel with 1970s-style décor and wall art. Private and shared rooms available. As of October 2017 (low season), very much a work in progress, with the desk not continually staffed—especially when the surf's up. Free wi-fi, good air conditioning in the rooms. Kitchen available though spartan (e.g., it is not advisable to open the left-hand refrigerator). Suggest bringing your own toilet paper. Owner and staff actively working on improvements before the beginning of high season. Prices don't seem firmly established and might be flexible, though they will probably increase during high season. Staff very friendly and helpful, both with the accommodations and regarding recreational opportunities in Tamarindo. Within easy walking distance to a post office and reasonably inexpensive food stores and eateries, though not to the beaches.
Quiet hostel on the edge of downtown and close to beach.
A contemporary bed and breakfast with two tennis courts.
360 Surf Camp
360 Surf Camp surf school and lodging in front of the beach.
Fully equipped apartments and hotel rooms.
Offers villas, beach houses, the 30-room La Posada Hotel or the eight-suite Casa de Golf.
Free surfboards & bikes. Secluded 4-plex of studio-apartment style cabinas in Playa Tamarindo. These vacation rentals have accommodations for individuals or groups up to 8 people and host many annually returning clients. A surf guide and lessons are also available for visitors new to the area and/or surfing. The kitchens are fully equipped with stoves, ovens, microwaves, coffee makers, toasters, all cutlery and cooking utensils. The hotel is located at the end of a quiet and private dead-end road, a short walk from downtown. It has a pool, lounge chairs and hammocks. On the 2nd floor is a large sundeck for BBQs, dining and entertaining. Hotel services available include laundry facilities, phones and wireless internet access and a large media collection. Also has private, off-street parking for guests.
Set on a hill, just a few minutes walk from the beach, and with a great view of the entire Tamarindo Bay.
Across the street from Pasatiempo Hotel. Charming tropical gardens and very relaxed vibe, excellent morning coffee.
Apartments and hotel rooms around a lush garden with swimming pool, BBQ area and lazy corner to kick back and relax. Only a short walk to the beach.
Horizon Pacific Vacations
Offering vacation rentals, property management, long-term rentals, and a complete concierge service. Provides you with a local contact during your stay.
A traditional Costa Rica hotel with 310 guest rooms.
This boutique hotel offers yoga, cooking classes, a luxury spa overlooking the tropical forest, and honeymoon/wedding packages. They are a 5-star hotel, on a 27-acre estate, atop a small mountain with stunning views to the Pacific Ocean. Within a 20-minute drive (which they provide) you can surf, swim at two beaches, shop, take a canopy tour, go sport fishing, ride horses or ATVs, play golf, visit nearby towns, nightlife, restaurants.
Enjoy sweeping ocean views perched high atop town in a quiet location, but close enough to enjoy all the town's amenities.
Vacation rentals of condos and houses.
Its hillside location has beautiful sunset views of the ocean and it's within walking distance of the beach. It's not a cookie-cutter hotel. Each of the cabins is private and charming.
Mostly used books, some new ones. Many books are not in English. Also has some comic books and games.
It is recommended to fly into Liberia International Airport (LIR) and take a taxi from there which lasts approximately 1¼ hour. Or you can arrange a private transfer or shared shuttle.
Read in the guideThe town is nice and small, a sort of miniature tropical paradise. You can find taxis, rent cars, bicycles, and a few scooters.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Liberia · International · LIR
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