- Hermosa bayThe swim is this sheltered crescent, better before the wind roughs it up. It is not the heavy beach south of Jaco that shares the name.
- Playa PanamáThe next beach north is wider and just as calm. Walk it early. By noon the shade is gone, and the sun is as hard as anywhere on this coast.
- Playas del CocoThe working town just south means boats and dinner. Sleep on this quieter bay. Go over for the fleet, not when you want flat water. Bring water.
- OcotalThe dive cove south of Coco is a short ride. Morning is the clear water. This bay is the swim. That cove is the rocks and the wall. Bring a mask.
- Snorkeling the rocksWork the ends of the bay in the morning. Do not stand on anything that looks like coral. Later the wind turns the water white. Leave the mask.
- Sunset at HermosaThe sun drops off the point. Come a little early if you want sand to sit on. A beach sunset, not a sail. The bay quiets as the light goes.
- PapagayoThe peninsula just north has calmer bays, and often a gate. A short ride, not this beach. Morning if you mean to swim, not a look from the road.
- Fishing boatsA few boats on this sand, not the big fleet next door. Ask if one is going in the morning. You can look without booking. Bring water if you do go.
- Morning swimThis bay is the reason to stop. It stays flatter early, and you can actually swim. The wind ends it. Do not save the water for the hot hour.
- The headlandThe rocky point closes the bay: a view, wet rock, and no climb on the wet face. Use a mask at the edge if it is calm. If not, stay on the sand.
The landscape is a sheltered bay, a dry headland, and open water toward the islands. You are likely to see pelicans, frigatebirds and reef fish. The plants around them are tropical dry forest, coconut and beach almond.
Around Playa Hermosa, look for birds on the point in the first hour of light. Later the bay is busier and the water is less clear.
The Guanacaste Conservation Area is the dry-forest buffer inland of this bay.
In Playa Hermosa, stay off the coral and the wet rocks at the headland. That is the rule that keeps the swim a swim.
The climate is tropical dry. It is hot, about 28–34°C. Little rain falls from December to April. Afternoon showers fall from May to November. Playa Hermosa de Guanacaste sits at sea level.
In the greener months the morning is still usable, and the rain tends to wait until afternoon. The countrywide calendar is in the best time to visit Costa Rica.
The nearest airport is Daniel Oduber in Liberia, about half an hour away. Juan Santamaría in Alajuela is the longer drive, across the mountains.
The last road into the bay is simple in daylight and less so after dark. Buses, shuttles, and rental cars are compared in getting around Costa Rica
