• Surf lessons on Tamarindo BeachMost surf lessons in town run on this sand. The shore break gets messier once the breeze fills in. Go early, and stay clear of the river mouth at the north end.
  • Leatherback turtles at Las BaulasLeatherbacks nest on Playa Grande, across the estuary, and on Langosta, from October to February. The visit is at night, with a guide, and lights stay off the sand.
  • Playa GrandeThe long beach sits across the estuary, quieter than town, with less shade. A boat crosses, or you drive around. Swim only on a small day.
  • Langosta estuaryQuiet water and birds sit between the two beaches. It is an estuary, not a town swim. Walk the edge. Driving past it misses the birds.
  • Diriá National ParkInland dry forest, not a beach. Be there when it opens: later the trail is hot, and you stay on the marked path. Bring water and a hat.
  • Tamarindo mangroveProtected estuary: red mangrove, crabs, and birds. Stay in the boat or on the bank. Crocodiles use this water, so it is not a swim. Keep out.
  • Playa AvellanasA surf beach south of town, forest behind the sand and no shop strip. The road is slower than the map. There is almost no shade at noon.
  • Witch's Rock day tripThis is a boat day to the rock and the beach beside it, not a swim from town. Bring water. There is nowhere to buy any once you land.
  • Howler monkey trailsThey call from the dry forest and estuary trees at first light. Walk slowly and look up. Once the town is hot, they have gone quiet.
  • Sunset catamaranThe boat leaves in the afternoon, and the point is the sun on the water. Be aboard before they cast off. This is not a snorkel trip.

For breaks and seasons, see best surf spots in Costa Rica.

The landscape is beach, estuary, and tropical dry forest. You are likely to see howler monkeys, white-faced capuchins, leatherback turtles, magpie jays and mangrove crabs. The plants around them are tropical dry forest of guanacaste and pochote, plus red mangrove in the estuary.

Around Playa Tamarindo, howlers call from the estuary trees at first light. Leatherbacks, if they come, are after dark with a guide, not a sight from the beach at noon.

Las Baulas National Marine Park patrols leatherback nesting, and the Tamarindo estuary is a protected mangrove.

In Playa Tamarindo, nesting beaches need low lights and a guide who follows the rules. On the trails, stay on the marked path.

The climate is tropical dry. It is hot, about 28–33°C. Little rain falls from December to April. Afternoon showers fall from May to November. Tamarindo 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. Juan Santamaría in Alajuela is the other option. From the Central Valley the road crosses mountains, so the drive takes longer than the map says.

The drive is simple until the last kilometers. Arrive in daylight if you do not know the road. Buses, shuttles, and rental cars are compared in getting around Costa Rica.