Author: ICNDadmin

Family vacation? Yes, please!

Costa Rica is a great country to travel to if you’re bringing the little ones. It’s safe, it’s warm, it’s connected enough to the first world that you and your kids can enjoy what’s different about it without being completely out of your element. Some of their favorite cartoons may be in Spanish which they may find amusing, but Costa Rica is not completely disconnected from the comforts of home.

Tamarindo, specifically, is a fantastic place for families. Of course, the older your youngsters are, the more they will be able to participate in the “adventure tours” that make Tamarindo famous. It is for this reason that this post addresses, specifically, kid-friendly spots and activities for the really little ones–like toddlers and preschoolers.

1 THE MOST KID-FRIENDLY STRETCH OF BEACH

Tamarindo’s most kid-friendly stretch of beach is at the southern end of the bay. Which end is south? Consider that if we’re on the Pacific coast (and we are!), the ocean is west and the land is east. We think you can take it from there.

Locals refer to this small-waved and sandy stretch of beach as Captian Suizo, which is the name of the beautiful boutique hotel that is located there.  Stop in for lunch or grab a few cold drinks while you’re down there.  The beach in front of Capitan Suizo tends to be the most protected from the wind at windy times of year, and it also has the smallest waves and the least currents.  You should feel free to take your kids to the beach anywhere in Tamarindo, but the winner of the kid-friendly contest is definitely Capitan Suizo.

If your Tamarindo hotel or Tamarindo vacation rental is in Langosta, check out the tide pools.  The beach in Langosta is rockier than the beach in Tamarindo, so make sure that for Langosta your little ones have reef shoes.  Langosta’s waves are bigger and stronger than Tamarindo’s but the tide pools are warm and clear and can be a great place to splash, play, and look for little fish and crabs.

A word to the wise:

Do not let your kids play in the estuaries.  True, there are no waves, but there are currents and there are crocodiles.  Don’t do it.

2 WHERE TO BUY KID STUFF

If you’re looking for cute Costa Rica t-shirts, lots of stores have them.  If you’re looking for beach stuff and/or kid stuff, Monkey ‘N Croc is the pick.  You can grab an inexpensive lightweight boogie board there that the kiddos can enjoy in the pool or in the ocean as long as you keep an eye on them.  Monkey ‘N Croc stocks lots of toys and games including inflatable flotation toys and devices and toys as souvenirs and clothes.  It’s right in the center of Tamarindo below the Santa Rita Cafe.  Great spot for breakfast or lunch, by the way!

 

3 MOST KID-FRIENDLY TAMARINDO RESTAURANTS

La Baula Pizzaria wins hands-down because the back section of the restaurant is an outdoor playground with picnic tables.

El Mercadito

Is an open-air gourmet food court and is a great spot for families for two reasons:

1.  They have a small playground in the seating area.
2. There are a dozen independent kitchens each offering their specialty, from sushi to pizza to hamburgers, so everybody gets to have their favorite thing for dinner.  And don’t despair, parents!  The Medusa bar in the center of the court has cold beer and creative cocktails.

Breakfast Grinds/The Jolly Roger

Right beside Iguana Surf across from the beach, this spot is Breakfast Grinds by day (American breakfasts and lunches) and The Jolly Roger by night (20 kinds of chicken wings, and burgers).  The kids’ play area doesn’t include a playground, but there is a kid corner where the littles ones can sit at small tables and entertain themselves.

4 TAMARINDO’S MOST KID-FRIENDLY TOUR

Tamarindo’s most kid-friendly tour is the Tamarindo estuary tour.  It’s inexpensive, and you’re never too old or too young to explore the Las Baulas estuary in a boat.  Birds, monkeys, and crocodiles are common sights during the estuary tour which usually takes about 2 hours.  Big kids will love it too.

 

At about age 8, lots of other tour options become available for kids.  Kids can ride horses or ATVs with a parent, can probably enjoy a half-day fishing trip, and are old enough to go on a zip-line canopy tour accompanied by a guide.  And surf lessons!  There’s no specific age for surf lessons–that will depend upon your family and your child.

 

5 CHECK THE TIDE CHART

CRSurf.com offers free Tamarindo tide tables.  Check it out.  Why?  Because after you haul your family and all your stuff to the beach, it’s worth it to know whether the tide is going in or out or take a Tamarindo surf lesson.  An incoming tide can soak your stuff and take off with your flip-flops before you know it, so stay a step ahead of the game.  Know what to expect.

6 YOU CAN BUY STUFF HERE

Don’t bring the kitchen sink on your vacation.  Costa Rica is just around the corner from the first world.  We have American-style grocery stores and several pharmacies in town.  You might not find your favorite brand of your favorite everything, but basically:  you can buy stuff here.  After-sun gel, after-bug-bite cream, cough medicine, Pepto Bismol, band-aids, salves of all types, Tylenol, baby sunscreen, bug spray…you name it.  It’s impossible for you to bring everything you could possibly imagine needing, so don’t worry about it.  If you need it, get it here.  Our Guest Coordinator or our Concierge can help you find whatever it is that you’re looking for.

7 YOU DON’T NEED THAT MANY TOYS

Really.  Between the wind and the waves, the more stuff you haul to the beach to entertain the little ones, the more stuff you have to keep track of.  You’ll be amazed at how entertaining simple sand is for little ones.  Collect seashells.  (But please put them back–the beach needs them in order to keep being a beach.)

Our Reservationists, our Guest Coordinator, and our Concierge are all committed to making sure that families have a safe and delightful time in Tamarindo.  Contact us and let us help you choose the best vacation rental for your family and plan the kid-friendliest tropical get-away you ever imagined.

Hey!  Great news!  The rainy season is ending and the dry season is starting!

In the coming months, the province of Guanacaste where Tamarindo is located will receive little or no rain.  The weather forecast from now until sometime in May is:  HOT AND SUNNY!!  This is a great time to book a Tamarindo vacation rental and come enjoy the sun with us.

Following is a month-by-month idea of what to expect during the dry season in Tamarindo.

December

December is gorgeous.  The countryside is still green from the rains that fell in the rainy season, but the sky is blue, and the wind is off-shore in the mornings.  It still sometimes turns on-shore during the middle of the day, but this does have an advantage that you might not be aware of.  Yes, it will mess up your mid-day surf, but it keeps the water temps warm by pushing the top sun kissed layer of water toward the beach.

December evenings can be cool enough to be comfortable even without a/c.

December marks the start of the Papagayo winds.  Papagayo winds are a seasonal north wind that blows through the western regions of Costa Rican and Nicaragua from December through March.  This pattern is so consistent that locals exclaim, “It feels like Christmas!” every time a stiff north breeze begins to blow.  Expect sun and lots of cooling breezes in December in Guanacaste.

December is a great month to try your luck at Tamarindo Sportfishing.

January

January is hotter than December.  The mountains are dry by January, while a little green may remain in the countryside in low-lying areas that retain a bit of water.  Trees drop their leaves and take a little rest. The breeze that started in December has increased into a full-on wind that often blows 24 hours a day.  The ocean water temperature drops considerably as the off-shore wind pushes the sun-warmed surface layer out to sea and the cold water wells up from underneath.

Expect hot.  Expect wind.  Expect sun.  January is a great time to escape the cold of the north and head to the tropics.

In January, get in on a Tamarindo turtle tour to watch the Baula sea turtles lay their eggs.

February

February is hotter than January.  It is also windier.  In January, you thought it couldn’t possibly get any windier, but guess what.  It can!

By February, the countryside in Guanacaste is dry.  The trees that dropped their leaves at the start of the dry season do the last thing you would expect:  they burst into bloom.  Throughout the month of February, driving through the dry Guanacaste country side, you will find the hills peppered with pink trees, yellow trees, purple trees, white trees…  It’s a different aesthetic than the lush green of the rainy season, but just as beautiful in a more surprising way.

Take an Arenal tour in February.  Chances are good for clear weather and great volcano views.

March

March is hotter than February.  In February, you thought it couldn’t possibly get any hotter, but guess what.  It can!  March is kind of a wild card, but here’s what you can be sure of:  it’s going to be hot, sunny, and windy.

At some point in March, we often begin to note the approaching change of seasons back to the rainy pattern, although don’t expect to get wet.  The ocean water is still spring-suit temperatures because of the months of off-shore winds, but those winds begin to calm in March.  They may stop altogether for several hours or several days.  The sky clouds over from time to time and the air begins to feel humid.  Locusts start to sing in the trees.  Now locals say, “It feels like Semana Santa!” which means Holy Week, or Easter.

During your March visit to Tamarindo, spend a day at the Buena Vista Lodge and Adventure Center at the Rincon de La Vieja National Park.  It will be a day you will never forget!

April

We may or may not get our first rain shower of the year in April.  It still isn’t the rainy season, so don’t worry.  The trees in Guanacaste somehow sense the rains approaching, and push bright new leaves even though not a drop has fallen.  The Papagayo winds that sandblasted everybody at the beach and turned the water chilly at the beginning of the year are pretty much over by April.  Mornings and evening breezes are off-shore, and during the day wind direction is 50/50.

We kind of hate to say this, but April is hotter than March.  It’s really hot.  If you love to be hot, you should plan to come to Tamarindo in April.  It will be perfect for you.

If you visit us in April, cool off with a Monteverde tour of the mountainous regions and cloud forest.

May

If the rains haven’t begun in earnest at the end April, they will most likely begin in May, thus bringing an end to the dry season.  And how do Tamarindo locals feel about the end of the dry season?  We love it just as much as we love the beginning of it.  There’s only one thing we love as much as when the rainy season ends, and that’s when it starts again!

We love the dry season’s sunny days, crisp Papagayo winds and clear, starry nights.  But by the time May rolls around, we’re ready for a good thunder storm to cool us down, settle the dust, and bring the color green back to Guanacaste.  We’re ready to put away our spring suits and surf in just our bathing suits.  We’re ready for a break from the wind and happy to enjoy the lazy cover of afternoon clouds.

Be sure to take a Tamarindo Snorkeling tour during your May visit.  The water should be warm and clear.

There’s no wrong time to visit Costa Rica or Tamarindo.  Each month of the year has its own magic.  With the dry season coming on strong, book your trip now for guaranteed sunshine and good time.  Find out what your own favorite thing about the dry season in Tamarindo is!

Tamarindo

The best beach within 30 minutes of Tamarindo is, of course, Tamarindo!  We’re not saying this because we’re biased Tamarindo residents or anything, we’re saying this because it’s empirically true.  You’ll see.  Why is Tamarindo Beach the most awesome beach in Guanacaste?  Here are 5 reasons:

1. It’s sandy. Big deal?  Yes.  A rocky beach is a lot less fun to walk or sunbathe on.  It’s a lot trickier to swim at a rocky beach, and meetings with rocks do not make for great surf lessons.  For a laid back beach vacation, you definitely want a sandy beach like Tamarindo.
2. It’s in the back of a bay. This means a normal day in Tamarindo has gentle or no ocean currents and small to medium sized waves.  If you’re a solid surfer looking for barrels, you may find them here or you may have to pick one of our other 5 faves.  But no matter,  we think Tamarindo still wins because the rest of your family / travel group will be able to have a great, safe day doing what they do while you’re off tearing it up.
3. It’s gorgeous. It just is.  The mountains, the bay, the boats at anchor, the lava rock outcroppings, the royal palms and the quaint little restaurants along the beach…  Come on.  It’s the best.

4. Everyone can surf. Yes, even you.  The Tamarindo surf has something for everyone.  If you’re a beginner, it’s the ideal place to learn.  If you are an experienced surfer, paddle out at the main beach or at the estuary within 2 or 3 hours of the high tide and you’ll catch hours of fun rides.
5. It’s Activity Central. You don’t have to bring the kitchen sink to the beach with you in Tamarindo.  You can buy beverages and food, the sunscreen you forgot, flip flops when the tide comes in and makes off with yours, you can go for a meal, get a massage, or even decide it’s time to head for the shade but still enjoy sitting on the beach in Tamarindo, because, as you can see, TAMARINDO HAS IT ALL.

But, venture out during your stay in Tamarindo and be amazed by beautiful beaches, gorgeous wildlife and more. Make sure you pack you beach bag before leaving your Tamarindo vacation rental and get ready for a day of adventure and relaxation.  There are other amazing beaches to see nearby, and you can enjoy Tamarindo when you come back from exploring.

 

#1 Top Pick:  Playa Conchal

Playa Conchal is our number one favorite beach after Tamarindo.  You will never find another beach like it in Costa Rica, maybe not in the world.  The word “concha” in Spanish means “shell,” and as its name suggests, Playa Conchal entirely covered in seashells.  As in, there’s no sand–just shells.

We’re not exaggerating, but you might have to see it to believe it.  In fact, we suggest that you do.  Years ago, Playa Conchal was covered with shells of all shapes and sizes, but today, due to its popularity, it is mostly covered with pieces of shells.  Thank you very much, Everybody In The World, for helping yourselves to what belongs in Costa Rica.  It’s still an amazing beach to visit, still completely unique, and is still a great place to snorkel.  You can’t surf at Conchal, but you can explore the tidepools, stroll, swim, and hunt for pretty shells.  But do the beach a favor and put them back please.  Playa Conchal needs its shells.  It doesn’t know what to be without them.

 

#2 Top Pick:  Playa Brasilito

Brasilito is the cool little fishing village that you have to go through to get to Playa Conchal.  For some reason, whereas many of Guanacaste’s beach towns have become modern meccas of luxury, Brasilito remains a quaint fishing village of a traditional Costa Rican style.  We love it!

Enjoy a Costa Rican meal for a Costa Rican price.  Wander around through the little streets past souvenir shops, simple homes, small groceries, and on to the sandy beach.  Brasilito is safe for swimming, a relaxing spot to bask in the sun, and if you’re lucky you might even catch a surfable wave.  Most visitors combine a visit to Conchal with a visit to Brasilito since one is on the way to the other.  For as close to each other as they are, the vibe, the scenery and the beach itself is so completely different that they could just as well be 100 miles apart.  Go check it out.

 

#3 Top Pick:  Playa Langosta

Langosta Beach is a must-see, especially if your starting point is Tamarindo.  Langosta is our sister beach to the south and you can get there without actually leaving town.

Just like Brasilito and Conchal are radically different, you won’t believe how different Langosta is from Tamarindo. Langosta’s geography is much more open to the deep water, so the waves in Langosta are significantly bigger and stronger than Tamarindo’s waves.  Surfers love this, of course, but Langosta isn’t only for surfers.  Langosta beach at low tide is a beautiful place for beach-walking, shell-hunting (admire and put back, please), tide pool-snorkeling and for watching the spectacular tropical sunsets.

 

#4 Top Pick:  Playa Avellanas

Avellanas is a spectacular beach, and deserving of a day of your vacation.  You can walk for miles along Playa Avellanas and the series of small sandy beaches it connects to as you go north from the spot you’ll park.

Avellanas is a great beach for surfing, with waves that are generally bigger than Tamarindo’s waves, but is not rocky like Langosta, so non-surfers will have a better time swimming or finding a spot to sunbathe or relax.  The popular Lola’s Restaurant by the parking area in Avellanas is a great place to have a cool drink in the shade, or get lunch.  Playa Avellanas has a fabulous laid-back vibe and is by far one of the most beautiful beaches you will find in Costa Rica.  Take it from the locals who have seen a lot of Costa Rica’s beaches!

 

#5 Top Pick:  Playa Grande

If you’re a die-hard surfer, you might shuffle Playa Grande to the number one spot.  Playa Grande, as its name suggests, is a very big beach, and there are lots of breaks along the sand it spans.  Playa Grande is our next-door neighbor, beginning on the other side of the Las Baulas estuary, and stretching for miles.

The Las Baulas National Park, dedicated to the preservation of the nesting grounds of giant Baula sea turtles, encompasses all of Playa Grande, meaning that the coast line is almost completely untouched.  This is a huge plus if you are a sea turtle, a surfer, a fish, a bird, a mangrove tree or a lover of long solitary beach runs.  It’s not such a huge plus if you like the easy life with beach chairs, umbrella-decorated drinks, and nearby sources of water, or shade.  You can get to Playa Grande by taking a boat across from Tamarindo across the estuary, or you can drive there.  The drive will set you down in a small collection of hotels, restaurants and grocery stores, so don’t think we mean you will be completely removed from civilization in Playa Grande.  The one thing you don’t want to do is attempt to walk, swim or paddle across the estuary to Playa Grande from Tamarindo.

Large volumes of water move through the channel and it is not walkable.  Large crocodiles also reside there, making a swimming or paddling a bad idea if you like your spot at the top of the food chain.  Boats are cheap and run all day.  Take one.

Ready to hit the beach now?  Get your passport, get a hat, and get down here.  Our Concierge can answer any further questions you have about what to do during your Tamarindo vacation, and help you get set up.  Contact us today and we will assist you in booking your next trip and planning all your adventures!

Our feature property this month is a beautiful 4-bedroom classic Tamarindo beach house called Casa Xanadu. Casa Xanadu is perched on top of the mountain above the beach, and it offers an ocean view that does not stop!

Between the comfort of the open breezy home, the refreshing infinity pool and the mesmerizing view, you will for sure not want to leave when it’s time to go.
Casa Xanadu sleeps 8, which makes it great for groups of friends traveling together or family combinations where Grandma comes along or Aunt Sally and Uncle Mike bring the cousins.

Families with older children who can swim will love how the pool keeps the kids busy all day long while the grown-ups enjoy relaxing in the rest of the house.

Surfers will love watching the breaks along Playa Grande from the pool and the terraces of Casa Xanadu.
The whole house is air conditioned, of course, and the kitchen has got everything you can imagine needing. No one in your group feels like cooking while on vacation? No problem! Our Concierge can set you up with a chef who can come to the house to do all the meal prep and service for you.

At Casa Xanadu, you’ll definitely want rental cars to ferry you up and down the hill, and our concierge can get that set up for you, too. All of Tamarindo, with its fun bars, wide variety of restaurants, many languages, and colorful shopping opportunities lies along the coast just below Casa Xanadu.

There are so many exciting things to do in and around Tamarindo that we can’t begin to list them all—you’ll have to contact our Concierge who is the local specialist in fun times and will help you narrow it down.
Right now, as the rainy season concludes, all of Tamarindo is lush and green and the views from Casa Xanadu are especially pretty.

Rainy season sunsets are the ones that spark spectacular displays of color, so take our advice, get those flip-flops into the suitcase, grab your passport and get to Casa Xanadu as fast as you can.

Tamarindo is the perfect vacation destination for health-minded travelers. Pretty much everything you need is within walking distance, it’s never too cold to be outside doing something fun and active, and fresh fruits, vegetables and fish abound. Healthy people are attracted to places like this so we have a surprising number of fitness centers and yoga studios for a town this size.
So how to be as healthy on your Tamarindo vacation as you are at home? Great options are everywhere! We’ll break it down into two categories for you: What To Eat and What To Do.

WHAT TO EAT
Healthy eating in Tamarindo is easy, especially for healthy people who are used to searching out healthy foods!

1.Pimienta Verde Organic Market
In the beginning of 2018, Tamarindo’s first organic grocery store opened its doors. Fresh produce arrives on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and there is a lot more on the shelves than fruits and vegetables. They offer organic grains, pastas, sauces, honey, snacks, Kombucha, health and beauty products, oils and more. The store is new and the market for organic products in Costa is only now emerging, so you might not be able to find everything on your list there, but Automercado and its boutique supermarket Vindi do have organic products offered alongside non-organic.

2.Juice Café Tamarindo
We also have a new juice company! Juice Café Tamarindo offers a line of cold-pressed organic juices and other healthy treats. Their grain-free granola blows every other granola you can ever imagine directly out of the water! Place your order on line or drop by to see what they’ve got ready. And lucky you—it’s right beside the organic market!

3.La Bodega
La Bodega is a small café/market focused on providing organic foods to Tamarindo. Stop by for breakfast, lunch or to check out the goodies in their small store.

4.Find menu items that fit into the diet that makes you feel like a rock star:
vegan, vegetarian, low/no carb, Mediterranean, raw foods…
We aren’t saying you can’t find killer cheeseburgers and fries around here (you can!) but if you have a preferred way of eating that you’ve worked into your lifestyle, we can help you find the right dining. It’s all here! Vegans will love our vegan spot called Pura Vegan in El Mercadito. Vegetarians will have lots of choices, and especially love the traditional no-meat Costa Rican breakfast of gallo pinto with eggs. Low and no carb diets are easy to stick to in Tamarindo restaurants with the many fresh salads that are served with seared beef, grilled chicken, shrimp or raw ahi tuna. Any one else getting hungry? Anyone following a raw foods diet will be happy here. Whole raw foods are easy to find in the form of salads, fruit plates, and amazing sashimi. Mediterranean diet your style? Check out the Falafel Bar with the menu that does not stop, and the carpaccio on the menu at Pangas.

WHAT TO DO
Staying active during your Tamarindo vacation is easy, in fact, don’t forget to relax! There are tons of healthy things to do in Tamarindo. Here’s what the locals like:

1.Gyms
Tamarindo has several gyms and fitness centers that offer work-out equipment, trainers, and classes of various kinds.

2.Yoga
Several yoga studios, centrally located, offer fabulous classes from morning to evening. Our concierge can also help you book your own private instructor so that your Tamarindo yoga experience can be completely tailored to your needs and preferences.

3.The Beach
Do we really need to say this? Probably not, but it’s on the list! Nothing will wear you out like surfing does, so get out there and catch some waves. If you’re not a surfer, this is your chance to become one. Tamarindo surf lessons are the perfect way to get started! Currents are gentle here, and below you is just sand, no rocks. If surfing isn’t your thing, check out a tide chart and plan a low-tide beach walk or run. That’s what the locals do! Won’t that be cool? Come on, let’s go running. Shoes? Why?!

4.Rent a Bike
Park that rental car in the shade and rent a bike. There are all kinds of bikes to rent here: beach cruisers, mountain bikes, fat-tire bikes to ride in the sand… If you visit during the busy season between the end of December and the end of March, you might be glad for a bike for more reasons than your health! The amount of traffic in the narrow Tamarindo streets can be an exercise in patience, but if you have a bike, you can just zoom on by. No lie. (That may be a tip from insiders who know…)

5.Massage
Top off all that heathy eating, surfing, biking, yoga, and beach runs with a massage to work the knots out of your muscles. Tamarindo is a great place for a relaxing massage or Tamarindo muscle therapy. Tables set up along the beach offer relaxing massages in the shade, and top-class spas offer relaxing or deep-tissue massages in an air-conditioned environment. We also know the best masseuses in town, so if you prefer that the massage table come to your Tamarindo vacation rental, let us know and we can arrange for you and your travel group to get massages right at home.

Any questions or have other ideas about how you’d like to leave Tamarindo healthier than you came? Contact us today and let us help you get it sorted.

You look at Costa Rica and are impressed by all the fun things there are to do, all the awesome places there are to go. I mean, there are surfing beaches, swimming beaches, volcano hikes, horseback rides, cushy resorts, whitewater rafting, rain forests, cloud forest, tropical dry forests, zip lines, animal rescue centers, snorkeling, sailing, fishing…and that’s just off the top of my head! You check it out on the map and you see that things really aren’t all that far apart so you make a list of everything you’d like to do during your week of vacation: the west coast, the volcanoes in the central valley, white water rafting, the east coast… You wouldn’t want to miss any of it!

Ok, stop the presses.
Yes, Costa Rica is a small country, often compared to the US state of West Virginia, or the European country of Denmark, but don’t let that fool you. It is a country of secluded beaches, rolling hills, open plains, and river basins split down the center by the towering volcanic cordillera that runs the length of the Americas. This geography, coupled with Costa Rica’s status as a “developing nation” means that here you are not going to find super highways that connect these relatively close locations. Narrow, twisty, bumpy roads designed for the nominal traffic flow of Costa Rica in the 1970s can take longer to navigate than what you think. Expect to travel 60-70 miles per hour down Costa Rica’s freeways? Think again. A 50-100 mile (80-160 km) drive can often take two to four hours on narrow roads that wind through the countryside. It’s beautiful. It’s not speedy.

You made the right choice when you decided to base your Costa Rica vacation in a Tamarindo vacation rental. There are tons of things to do in Tamarindo, and lots of fun day-trips and Tamarindo tours are available without requiring you to pack your bags and move to a different location. The planning stage is the right time for you to think about how much relaxing you want to do during your vacation and how much work. Work? Well, yes. Work. Navigating Costa Rica’s roads isn’t difficult, but it can be exhausting. You won’t get lost because there aren’t that many places to make a wrong turn, but you will for sure have your patience tested on a trip of any length.

Want to explore a place other than Tamarindo during your vacation? Good idea! The key question is, “How much time to you have?” If you’re going to be in Costa Rica for a week, pick one other place. Ten days? You could probably swing two. Two weeks? Now we’re getting into the territory of where you could do something REALLY exotic like surf Pavones, or visit Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula, or tour the Bribri Indigenous reserve in the mountains near Cahuita. If you’re the umbrella-drink-in-hand-at-the-all-inclusive-resort-type, though, those remote options might be a little too much adventure for you. Not judging. Just saying it’s not for everybody. You could explore both coasts: first Tamarindo, Flamingo, Coco, Avellanas, Playa Negra, Junquillal, then the Caribbean coast–Limon, Puerto Viejo, Tortuguero…
So, back to how to plan a week vacation that won’t run you into the ground.
Spend a few days in Tamarindo and then a few days on an Arenal tour. Or a Monteverde tour. Or check out Malpais and Santa Teresa. Go to La Carolina Lodge and check out the cobalt-blue waterfall.

Remember, you have to get back to fly out of Liberia and you don’t want to spend half your trip on the road. Or spend the whole time based in a Tamarindo beach resort and let us fill your days with daytrips and local adventures. Unless you refuse to get off the couch, it is impossible that you will (a) be bored (b) run out of things to do. Physically impossible.
Have 10 days? Lucky you. Out of Tamarindo you could see both Arenal and Monte Verde. Or you could go to the Central Valley area and check out the volcanoes like Poas and Irazu. In the mountainous areas there, white water rafting can be quite an adventure. Go see the scarlet macaws and the white-faced monkeys in Manuel Antonio National Park. Or modify the one-week plan with some added day trips to places like Buena Vista Lodge Costa Rica or Diamante Eco Adventure Park and then go spend a few nights at one other spot that’s not too far away.

Really the best advice we can give you, other than don’t try to see all of Costa Rica in a week, is to contact our Concierge who knows everything there is to know about everything awesome there is to do in Costa Rica. Each group is made up of different personalities, different interests, and has a different number of days to fill. Christina Gonzales from Vacation Rentals of Tamarindo has got you covered. Nicaraguan-born and Costa Rica/USA raised, she’s got the language skills, the cultural knowledge and the vibrant personality to bridge all the gaps and to hook you up.

Contact us right now and let’s see what we can figure out for your vacation!