Península de Nicoya
Hang out at this stylish beach cafe while waiting for the waves. Slanted wood chairs are planted in the sand beneath thatched umbrellas. A tree-stump bar overlooks an open kitchen, where the beachy cuisine is tops. Kudos for its determined efforts to recycle cooking oils and not use any plastics (you'll get a paper straw).
In case you're wondering, Lola was an enormous and lovable pig, aka the 'Queen of Avellanas.' She has since passed, but her legacy lives on in 'little' Lolita!
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Ostional
18.29 MILES
This 85 sq km coastal refuge extends from Punta India in the north to Playa Guiones in the south, and includes the beaches of Nosara and Ostional. It was…
Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas de Guanacaste
7.36 MILES
Las Baulas national marine park encompasses the entire beach at Playa Grande, as well as the adjacent land and 220 sq km of ocean. This is one of the…
21.98 MILES
North of Guiones, Playa Pelada is a family gathering place for sunset, swimming and surfing, though the waves can get a bit rough. On the northern end,…
International Animal Rescue Costa Rica
22.64 MILES
Make an appointment to visit this animal rescue center. Brenda Bombard is an incurable animal lover who has devoted two decades to caring for injured and…
24.89 MILES
Nosara's most developed beach is also a stunner, with a wide, generous arc of marbled sand (and a few pebbles and shells mixed in), excellent beach breaks…
29.61 MILES
A dreamy, hidden, white-sand beach about 30 minutes north of Sámara, where no development is visible. Just inland, though, sits a sprawling hacienda…
20.5 MILES
Reservations are required to visit this wildlife sanctuary, set on 50 glorious acres of jungle and garden. The sanctuary is dedicated to rescuing,…
21.1 MILES
The private 35-hectare reserve behind Lagarta Lodge has trails leading through a mangrove wetland down to the river and beach. Stop in the Lagarta lobby…
1. Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas de Guanacaste
7.36 MILES
Las Baulas national marine park encompasses the entire beach at Playa Grande, as well as the adjacent land and 220 sq km of ocean. This is one of the…
2. Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Ostional
18.29 MILES
This 85 sq km coastal refuge extends from Punta India in the north to Playa Guiones in the south, and includes the beaches of Nosara and Ostional. It was…
20.5 MILES
Reservations are required to visit this wildlife sanctuary, set on 50 glorious acres of jungle and garden. The sanctuary is dedicated to rescuing,…
21.1 MILES
The private 35-hectare reserve behind Lagarta Lodge has trails leading through a mangrove wetland down to the river and beach. Stop in the Lagarta lobby…
21.98 MILES
North of Guiones, Playa Pelada is a family gathering place for sunset, swimming and surfing, though the waves can get a bit rough. On the northern end,…
6. International Animal Rescue Costa Rica
22.64 MILES
Make an appointment to visit this animal rescue center. Brenda Bombard is an incurable animal lover who has devoted two decades to caring for injured and…
24.89 MILES
Nosara's most developed beach is also a stunner, with a wide, generous arc of marbled sand (and a few pebbles and shells mixed in), excellent beach breaks…
25.63 MILES
From the south, the first beach you'll hit is Playa Garza, still a sleepy Tico fishing village with an arc of pale brown sand, and headlands on either…